What You Can Learn from Your Goals of 2024 While Setting Goals for 2025
As 2024 wraps up, many golfers are reflecting on their season, analyzing what worked and, perhaps in a more emotional manner, what didn’t. While thinking of goal setting for 2025. We set lofty goals, envisioned ourselves dominating the course, and yet, here we are, reflecting on a year that wasn’t quite our breakthrough season. To compound the issue, golfers who did not reach their goals probably did not seek counsel from any coach, including one of the best golf instructors in Orlando. To assist them with reaching their goals. Setting goals is one thing. Reaching and exceeding the goals you set for 2024 is another.
For some, the disappointment of not reaching your goals was not caused by external factors like injuries or equipment. But from the realization that they might have been their own worst enemy. 2025 is a new chapter, a chance to rewrite the story and finally achieve those elusive golfing dreams.
Let’s dive into how your golf improvement journey in 2024 became a lesson in self-imposed limits. And how setting goals that are realistic can help you avoid making the same mistakes in 2025.
The Foundationless Plateau
For this post, let’s follow the golf improvement journey of a factitious but somewhat real golfer, who we’ll call Alex. Alex is not a John Hughes Golf client, in real life or within this example.
Alex started the year with high hopes and ambitious goals. Alex aimed to shave 5 strokes off his handicap so he could start scoring in the 80’s more consistently. Another goal was to hit 50% of the fairways he played. Are these realistic goals for Alex at the beginning of 2024? Possibly. The average amateur golfer tends to shoot in the low 90s, with fairway accuracy hovering around 47%.
But by mid-season, Alex was realizing marginal improvements. Frustrated, Alex questioned his own commitment level and considered lowering his goals. Or should I say, expectations. It’s in the word expectations that Alex fell short of achieving his goals. Expectations is the arch enemy of setting goals. Because expectations are goals without a plan.
For Alex, it wasn’t the lack of effort. But a pattern of behavior and thoughts that limited his improvement. And in turn, his ability to reach or surpass 2 goals that were in plain view and grasp.
Considering how Alex went about setting goals, let’s examine where the plan for those goals could have gone a little south in 2024.
Underestimating the Power of Purposeful Practice
Alex thought more practice time would equal better performance. Most golfers do. You spend hours on the range, hitting bucket after bucket of balls. But without a clear purpose or focus for the effort your making. Ultimately, you reinforce already established habits, whether good or bad, making that kind of unguided and non-focused practice
2025 Goal Setting Tip For Alex – Create Purposeful Practice Sessions by Setting Specific Goals for each Practice Session
Instead of saying, “I’ll hit balls for an hour,” say, “I’ll work on hitting 7 out of 10 drives within the fairway.” Focused drills create mental muscle memory and are much more effective than indiscriminate practice.
Studies show that practice quality is far more impactful than quantity. Studies have found that golfers who broke their practice into focused, goal-oriented sessions improved twice as much as those who did not.
Avoiding Professional Guidance
Alex hesitated to invest in golf coaching. He thought his consumption of YouTube videos and other golf content would be enough information for him to make major improvements. While these resources are helpful, Alex took in so much content that he could not organize it well. Jumping from video to video, and tip to tip, believing each was the “magic dust” he needed to continue his improvement journey.
Doing so resulted in his frustration of the game. And the enjoyment he once had each time he played. Every round, Alex was trying to fix things versus just playing golf.
2025 Goal Setting Tip for Alex – Find and Hire a Golf Coach
If you’re serious about improving your skills and your scores, a good golf coach can assist you with that journey. A golf coach like John Hughes Golf can identify the smaller, more subtle items that make a big difference in your ability to deflate your scores. Causes to your swing ails you are obviously not recognizing as being the priority. Like Alex, you’re always attempting to fix a symptom and put a band aid on it.
There’s nothing humiliating about finding the right golf coach to fit the improvement needs you seek.
Which falls off after just a few swings.
A few glaring statistics for you as you consider whether you should employ the experience and knowledge of a good golf coach, like John Hughes Golf, in 2025.
Within a calendar year, the average golfer improves their golf handicap by only .5 strokes, when doing so on their own.
A study by the National Golf Foundation found that golfers who seek the guidance of a golf coach are more likely to shave strokes off their scores than golfers who do not.
Food for thought as you start setting goals for your golf game in 2025.
Setting Unrealistic Expectations
Alex’s goal setting created aggressive yet obtainable targets to reach and surpass in 2024. But the goals were set without a realistic timeline. And without smaller goals within the year that added up to his year-end goal.
Instead, Alex worked hard, probably too hard, with less practice sessions that were haphazardly thought out. Thinking the path to 5 less strokes was a one-way street of ball striking only.
An example of a smaller goal Alex could have included in an improvement plan would have been to examine his statistics and create a goal of reducing his putting average by 1 stroke every 3 months. Or improve his scrambling percentage by 4% every 2 months.
Alex had high ambitions without the foundation to underpin those lofty goals. When setting the success bar high, you must include the time it will take to reach the goals you set. And provide yourself with an opportunity to climb the pyramid of success one brick level at a time. With consistency of practice along the way.
2025 Goal Setting Tip for Alex – Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound)
For example, Alex could have set smaller goals of reducing the averages of other parts of his game. Which in turn could add up to at least the 5 strokes he was attempting to shave from his scores.
An example of a smaller goal Alex could have included in an improvement plan would have been to examine his statistics and create a goal of reducing his putting average by 1 stroke every 3 months. Or improve his scrambling percentage by 4% every 2 months. Incremental goals make big achievements feel more accessible and keep you motivated.
According to golf stats from the USGA, the average golfer improves by only about 1-2 strokes per year without significant change in how they practice and train, related to the goals they set. If you desire a different result than what you experienced in 2024, you must do something different in 2025. Setting smaller goals is different and will be more productive.
Lack of Taking Ownership, Self-Reflection and Analysis
Alex never did track his progress in 2024. He had no clue if he was improving or not. Alex never kept a record of his sparse practice sessions. And during practice sessions or playing, Alex never understood what was really happening when his ball flew in a direction he was not anticipating. Relying solely upon his scores to measure his success.
Alex also had an excuse for all his failures. “What a bad break!” “I can’t believe this happens to me all the time!” “Man, I wish my wife would layoff me about how often I play golf.” Sound familiar? Alex could find
At some point, this golfer will need to take some ownership of his game, learning from his mistakes, in order to reach the golf goals he set for himself for 2025.
any reason but the obvious for his miscues. Whether it was the lie, a club, the weather, a bad day at work, or countless other alleged reasons. Alex blamed everything and everyone but himself for his inability to reach the goals he set for himself. In addition, Alex had no clue to the absolute cause of his misery.
2025 Goal Setting Tips for Alex – 1. Blame You 2. Learn from Your Mistakes 3. Track Your Progress
Start by constantly reminding yourself that you’ll get out of it what you put into it! Doesn’t matter what “it” is. Sure, you can get unlucky at times. But you make your own luck. By laboring under correct knowledge. The first piece of knowledge you need to succeed at anything is if you don’t do it, who will? And if you did it, it’s okay.
Learning from your mistakes is one of the hallmarks of golf. I consider it the ultimate problem-solving game. Every shot provides a new set of circumstances and a problem to solve. When you take ownership of your mistakes, you’ll learn from the mistakes. And have the knowledge for future decisions to avoid making the same mistake twice. See my blog about dumb or stupid to learn more about this.
Tracking rounds and practice sessions is one of the best practices all successful golfers do. Tracking allows you to identify patterns in your scoring and shot selection. And provides directions to make your practice sessions more purposeful and efficient. Where are you missing fairways? At what distance from the hole is your first putt that causes you to 3 putt? The answers lie in your stats, which, when analyzed, can guide your practice.
While score is the ultimate measure of success on the golf course, it’s difficult to know if the scoring goal you set is achievable without tracking progress, The average golfer can see a 3-5% improvement in their scoring just by analyzing stats like fairway accuracy, greens in regulation, and average putts per round.
Fear of Failure
Golf hands all golfers more negatives than positives. And for Alex he gets his fair share of failures. Enough to overthink how he can avoid. Which is telling your brain what not to do.
Alex found himself doubting his ability when faced with a crucial shot. Causing grip tension to increase significantly. Making his body tense and stiff, producing even worse swings than he normally does. Having a mindset of fear of what he was trying to avoid ultimately resulted in Alex performing what he was fearing. What Alex was really trying to avoid was “embarrassing himself.” Who was he really embarrassed to in 2024? Alex! No one ese.
Expecting failure destroys your nerves and increases your scores dramatically This mindset consistently results in higher and inconsistent scores. And the shear lack of enjoyment for golf. Isn’t golf a game meant to relax and have fun? And turn your fears into joy?
2025 Goal Setting Tip for Alex – Improve Your Mindset and Mental Toughness
Embrace failure as a learning opportunity. Mistakes are inevitable, but how you respond to failure and adversity defines who you are as a person and a golfer.
Learn from your setbacks and use your failures as the fuel for your future success. Developing a strong mental game by using visualization, positive affirmations, and mindfulness techniques. And apply those techniques to your practice sessions so you are more able to apply the techniques on the golf course.
There are plenty of visualization and breathing exercises specifically tailored for golfers, which can help you maintain focus and confidence under pressure. Your mental toughness is what will differentiate you from the other golfers you compare yourself to. It will also be the solace you seek as you learn that golf is one task at a time, one problem at a time, game of strategy, skill, and mental fortitude.
Conclusion
Alex’s story should provide you with an example of how golf can be for some, not for others. As well as providing an example of how you can set yourself up for success in 2025. When it comes to setting goals for improvement. And enjoyment of the game.
2025 Goal Setting Tip for You – Set Realistic and Obtainable Goals that Match Your Priorities and Time Availability
Golf requires you to put things into perspective and priority. While holding yourself accountable to the goals and priorities you set for yourself. Having the wisdom to include a golf coach, like John Hughes Golf in 2025, can assist you with making the goals you set realistic and achievable. While assisting you with drafting an improvement plan that fits your lifestyle. While addressing small goals that will lay the foundation of your successful completion and surpassing of your goals.
2025 presents a fresh opportunity to grow, learn, and improve as a golfer. Setting goals will guide you to a pathway to grow and learn, while making significant and sustainable improvement of your golf skills.