Although golf may not be the most physically demanding sport, it is definitely one of the most technically difficult sports to master. With so many different moving parts in a swing - the right grip, stance, and ball placement; hip rotation, shoulder rotation, club head position, breaking your wrists, the follow through, and so much more - it’s easy to get discouraged and not know how to improve. That’s why developing a golf improvement plan is so vital.

A golf improvement plan is a series of important steps and guidelines that can be incorporated when you’re at the driving range and on the course to help improve your performance. It can be a tough thing to make for yourself since it requires a good, hard look at what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong, but it will definitely improve the mental side of your game.

Your mental game is going to play a very important role in your improvement plan. Although the physical mechanics of your game play a big role in your success, your mental performance between holes and in the lead-up to each shot shouldn’t be discounted.

How to Build a Golf Improvement Plan

1. Identify your weakest skills
   Take an honest, critical look at your play and figure out what you need to improve the most. It can be helpful to rank your skills in order from most to least comfortable. Consider the physical things like your grip or setup, stance, swing plane, aim, driving distance or accuracy, approach shots, recovery play, and green play. Then consider the mental side of your game by asking yourself which of those elements stress you out the most, what do you typically do after a bad shot or a bad hole, what is your decision-making process like; and decide what needs the most improvement.
   
   
2. Include others in your plan
   This can mean coaches or even just friends – anyone who can help you by talking about their own game, experiences, and improvement. An objective second set of eyes can mean strong, personalized advice and a welcome bit of company over long games on the green.
   
   
3. Map out your plan using a medium that works for you
   When you figure out how to build a golf improvement plan, you should probably write it down somewhere. It can be a calendar of goals and milestones, a list of skills you’d like to improve, even a drawing or a video – the important thing is that it is something that resonates with you and will be easy for you to work with!

The most important thing to keep in mind as you look to build a golf improvement plan is that there is no magic formula for success. There are a lot of different elements to every game of golf, so the most important area to focus on may well be unique to your game and style. Don’t go to the driving range if your biggest weakness is putting – solve the problem! And never neglect your mental game. A clear head is as good as clear skies for a great round of golf.