Recognizing When to Change Direction: A Lesson from Mats Lanner & the DP World Tour

One of the great things about working on the DP World Tour is that some of the most valuable lessons aren’t learned on the practice ground or in the gym. They’re based upon quiet conversations with people who have been at the top level of the game for decades. I was lucky enough to spend some time with former European Tour winner Mats Lanner this week who narrowly missed out on becoming the first Swede to play for Europe in the Ryder Cup. Besides his achievements he is a very clever guy with a lot of knowledge about what it really takes to get better in golf.

A Different Sort of Journey

What I found most persuasive was his story. He did not follow the elite development pathway. He worked his way up the club ranks, earned his status through Monday qualifiers and worked his way slowly to the top. Nothing came easy for him.

The need for adaptation

One of the big things we talked about was the need to adapt. Great golfers are always looking for ways to improve, whether it be:

• New Golf Fitness Training Programme
• Improved practice routines
• Advice from a good golf fitness coach

But not at the expense of the fundamentals that brought them to where they are today. Often, players put a lot of time, effort and money into a specific swing change, training programme or practice drill. The same thing can happen when you follow an online golf fitness training program or try a new training method. It just keeps going when it’s not working because they’ve invested so much.” Lanner says, “I think one of the most important skills in golf is to be constantly checking to see if what you are doing is actually working. If not, don’t be afraid to change gears. That’s not a mistake. That’s teaching.

The Courage to Change Direction

Top players don’t hold on to a routine, approach, system, method, strategy, procedure, technique, practice, process, or structure that isn’t making them better. They have the integrity to know when something is wrong and the courage to change course. Sometimes you can make the right adjustments at the right time and that is progress whether you are:

• Golf fitness trainer
• Golf Lessons Online
• Working with an online golf coaching program

Rule for Each Area of Development

This rule applies to any field of development. Sometimes it is your golf swing, your practice routine, your physical training or even your mindset, but the quickest way to move forward is to stop, reassess and make a change. Even players with the benefit of remote golf coaching can improve if they’re open to being flexible on how they approach the game instead of sticking to a strategy that no longer works for them.

Discovering What Works for You

Improvement isn’t about following the plan. It’s about finding what works for you. The best golfers, whether they have a rigid training regime, are being coached by the pros or are looking for long-term results, know that progress needs commitment and flexibility. Many do this with the help of an online golf fitness coach or with the best online golf coach that fits their particular needs.