KAIZEN

Isn’t that a cool word? Have you heard it before? Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy that means continuous improvement in all areas. It also embraces the idea that small steps in the right direction lead to big success. This concept was introduced to Japanese industry after WWII to help the country rebuild. Toyota is just one of the many companies that adopted this philosophy and became very successful.

So what does a cool sounding Japanese word have to do with golf?

This idea of small, continuous improvement has everything to do with golf. Nobody has ever shot 100, then practiced for a week and shot 72. It just doesn’t work that way. Golf is a game that requires continuous improvement in all areas, including the mental part. And don’t we love that about golf? There is no “Scratch Ticket” way to shoot good scores.

I think the Lotto has messed up our thinking. Person A goes out and works their tail off building a great business and then sells it for $20 million 30 years later. Person B pays a buck for a scratch ticket and wins $20 million at the Wednesday night drawing. I hate to bring the bad news but the Lotto mentality just won’t work with golf.

Good scores require us to focus on making continuous progress. And the better you get, the more detailed your progress needs to be. Let me explain. I shot 121 my very first time playing 18 holes. The bug bit me that day and I started spending time at the course whenever I could. Within 6 months I could break 100. Practice allowed me to consistently move the ball off the tee and around the course. My short game began to improve and I developed a level of feel on the greens. Basically I eliminated really poor miss hits. Many of you are familiar with the progression.

When players start to refine their games even more, they can break 90. Refine even more and break 80. Get really refined and it’s possible to break 70. Here is what I learned along the way. It’s easier to move from 120 to 90 than it is to move from 80 to 70. The level of refinement has to become precise and this is exactly what Kaizen means. Keep getting better. Don’t allow yourself to become comfortable shooting the same scores all the time. Constantly examine your game for weaknesses, seek out the fix and implement immediately. Do you see how this all comes together?

Every golfer at every ability level can apply Kaizen to their game and make progress. Even Tiger uses the concept whether he knows the word or not. I read an interview of his a few years ago and the reporter was asking him about anticipated results for the upcoming season. I don’t have the exact words but Tiger basically said, “If I continue to improve, the results will take care of themselves.” THIS IS KAIZEN!!

Tiger understands that continuous improvement is the key. It’s no wonder he’s the best player on the planet. His game is incredible and he still looks for ways to improve. You can do the same thing no matter what your current ability.

And now for my favorite part about Kaizen. It’s a philosophy. And where do philosophies reside? In our minds. This blog is dedicated to the golfer’s mind and that is why it is crucial for you to understand Kaizen.

Decide to make continuous progress in your game and over time you will see better results. Have you noticed that change always starts in your head? You alone control your future scores. Adopt Kaizen as your philosophy today!

See you next time.

Mike