A new year brings new beginnings, fresh starts, gym memberships and resolutions we make a half-ass attempt at. Don’t get me wrong, there are those green smoothie drinking, 10 mile running, MMA, Crossfit, already completed an extreme warrior tough-guy gladiator mud dash race before I hit my snooze button overachievers that accomplish what they set out to do. And then there’s the other 99.9% of the population – us. For the record though, I really admire their focus and determination…and please don’t kick my ass.

Seriously, as a hack I find it best to set any golf related resolutions and goals within reach. This year my resolution is to pay attention to the stuff taken for granted. Golf is obviously not our job so we tend to let minor details slip, which could actually benefit our game. So, compiled below is a list of a few things most of us take for granted.

1.  Golf Spikes – When was the last time you paid attention to the traction on your shoes? We don’t really notice the loss of our footing because it happens gradually over a period of time. In fact, there’s a ton of golfers that get new spikes only because they’re on a new pair of shoes. Now, if you’re going the spike-less route they should be checked too. If they grip like a pair of rented bowling shoes, it’s time to change. You would be surprised how securing our base can boost our confidence a bit.
2. Grips – Here’s another one that loses effectiveness over time. You know that feeling of gripping your brand new club? Man, it’s like we can smash the dimples off that ball. And then seven years later we’re using super tacky wide receiver gloves because our grips look more like electrical tape than…well, grips. Stop being cheap and change them for Pete’s sake!
3. Clean Clubs – This is a good one. Have you ever taken a good look at some golfer’s clubs? There is so much crud stuck in the grooves that the face is completely flush. Those grooves the manufacturer milled into the club head are there for a reason. I’m not saying a clean club will make us incredible golfers, but having a little bite benefits the cause. Get in those crevices with a tee or something for once. And finally…
4. Mental Preparedness – As I had mentioned before, golf doesn’t pay our bills. Therefore, we treat it that way. Our mental preparation happens when we are “warming up” on the first tee box right before teeing-off. By the way, that “stretch” we do where we place the club behind our neck and across our shoulders holding each end as we rotate our upper body left and right a couple times does absolutely jack s***! What 1950’s gym class calisthenics instructional video did that come from? Anyway, if we were to apply 10% of the effort a pro does into mental preparation who knows,  maybe our game would improve by 10%…

There you have it. A little something to think about as we (if you live in the northern part of the country) wait patiently for golf season to start.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!!!