One has the ability to shoot 20-under over 72 holes. The other has the ability to lose four balls on the first hole. One spends countless hours perfecting their craft on the range. The other has to fight to carve out a few hours for a twilight nine. Indeed, weekend golfers have very little in common with the pros — with one exception.
At the core, we’re all just a bunch of golf-mad sickos who are trying to get better by any means possible. The ultimate goal is to find the most efficient and effective way to improve which leads to long-lasting results. In reality, all golfers spend their entire lives trying to chase down ways to take their game to the next level, Viktor Hovland included.
In recent weeks, we’ve highlighted all of the gear changes Hovland has made over the past few years to improve. He’s dabbled with long drivers to gain distance, rejiggered his iron composition on numerous occasions, and used different lob wedge designs — all in the name of getting better.
It’s easy to look at the gear changes and assume Hovland has been searching for magic bullets. It’s also natural to wonder with Hovland’s recent success if a gear shakeup could be the answer to a faulty driver or misbehaving putter. After all, it’s easier to blame the equipment instead of copping to operator error.
During the latest episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast, I asked Ping Tour rep Kenton Oates to spotlight something weekend golfers should embrace from all the successful changes Hovland’s made to his setup.
Instead of calling it a single piece of gear or adjustment he’s made, Oates chose to take a more philosophical approach when discussing what weekend golfers can glean.
“He does what Viktor Hovland does,” Oates said. “I’ve never felt like he’s chasing his tail. He’s got a plan, he’s got a golf swing and he just executes. Now you’re seeing how good he can be — and he didn’t have to go down any rabbit holes. Just get a plan, stick to it and you’re going to get better at this game. I really admire how Viktor goes about his business.”
It sounds almost too simple: Get a plan, stick to it and you’re going to get better.
But how often do golfers truly stick with something for the long haul? In most cases, we shift our gaze to another shiny object or potential problem plaguing the game instead of getting to the heart of a singular problem.
With game-changing technology at your fingertips — Arccos’ Smart Sensors come to mind — it’s possible to use data to highlight the biggest problem areas in your game. From there, you can create a plan of attack with the help of an instructor, club-fitter or both — as opposed to jumping from one perceived problem area to the next.
On paper, it looks like Hovland is a mad scientist who’s simply trying anything and everything to see what works. In actuality, he’s spent an inordinate amount of time behind the scenes working with coach Joe Mayo and Ping’s Tour team to find the best setup that aligns with his goals.
Similar to Hovland’s myriad of changes, it’ll likely take time to achieve your goals on the course — and that’s OK. The end result won’t be $18 million and a season-long FedEx Cup title, but it’ll no doubt feel rewarding.
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