Coach Colin

When a Golfer Walks Through the Door of Understanding

A student said something interesting to me recently.

He said he felt like he had “walked through the door of understanding” when it comes to golf.

It reminded me of Luke Skywalker training with Yoda on Dagobah.

At the start of the journey, Luke begins to feel the Force. He can sense it. He believes he understands it.

But that is only the beginning.

Golf is the same.

Here are five lessons every golfer learns after they walk through that first door.

1. Humility

Many golfers reach a moment when things suddenly make sense. The swing feels clear. The ball starts behaving.

It is exciting.

But golf has a way of reminding us that learning never ends. The moment you think you have mastered the game, it presents a new puzzle.

The best golfers stay curious.

2. Physical Discipline

Yoda made Luke run through the swamp carrying him on his back.

Golf has its own version of this.

Repetition.

Grip. Setup. Contact. Balance. Rhythm.

Good players build their swings through thousands of small, correct repetitions until the motion becomes natural.

3. Mental Control

Yoda taught Luke that the Force responds to focus.

Golf works the same way.

A good shot begins with a quiet mind and a clear task. When the mind is calm, the body can perform what it has practiced.

Too many thoughts create tension.

One simple intention creates freedom.

4. Facing Fear

Luke enters the dark cave on Dagobah. It forces him to face what is inside him.

Golf has many caves.

The tee shot over water.
The putt that matters.
The swing you doubt under pressure.

Growth happens when golfers face those moments instead of avoiding them.

5. Belief

Luke says, “I’ll try.”

Yoda replies, “Do or do not.”

Golf rewards commitment. A swing made with full belief works far better than a swing filled with doubt.

Half commitment almost always produces half results.

The Real Training Begins

Many golfers think understanding the swing is the finish line.

It is not.

It is simply the moment you step through the first door.

After that comes the real training.

Repetition. Focus. Courage. Belief.

That is where golfers start to master the game.

3 days ago | [YT] | 0

Coach Colin

A golfer said something today that I hear all the time.

“I know what I’m trying to do… it just doesn’t show up in the shot.”

We watched a few balls together and the pattern was clear.
The intention was good, but the setup was working against them before the swing even started.

So we made two small changes.

First, we adjusted the grip pressure.
They were holding the club too tight, which made the clubface hard to control.

Second, we cleaned up the stance and alignment.
Nothing dramatic, just getting the body aimed where the golfer actually wanted the ball to start.

Within a few swings the ball flight started to change.

Not perfect. But better.

And that’s the point most golfers miss. Improvement usually comes from fixing the starting position, not trying to swing harder or faster.

One thing you can try this week:

Before you hit a shot, pause and check two things:

Are your feet aimed where you want the ball to start?

Are you holding the club lightly enough that your wrists can move?

You might be surprised how much that alone improves contact.

Quick question for you:

When your golf goes off track, do you usually blame the swing… or the setup?

1 week ago | [YT] | 0

Coach Colin

The real cost of playing golf.

Most golfers spend 4 hours on the course.

But here is the strange part.

You are only actually hitting the ball for about 45 seconds.

Let me explain.

Let’s say a typical round costs $70.

And let’s say you hit 50 shots during the round.

Your cost per shot looks like this:

Item Value
Total cost of the round $70
Total shots played 50
Cost per shot $1.40

So every swing you made cost $1.40.

Now here is the part most golfers never think about.

The average golf shot is over in about 9-tenths of a second.

If you hit 50 shots, that means you were actually swinging the club for about:

45 seconds in total.

That’s it.

Four hours at the golf course.

Forty-five seconds actually hitting shots.

Which raises an interesting question.

Maybe golf isn’t really about the time spent playing.

Maybe it is about how prepared you are for those very small moments when it is your turn to hit the ball.

Your preparation.
Your routine.
Your understanding of what you are trying to do.

Because when the moment comes…

You only get nine-tenths of a second.

Discussion

When you play a round of golf, where do you think most shots are really lost?

Poor preparation

Poor decisions

Poor swing mechanics

Something else

1 week ago | [YT] | 0

Coach Colin

One of the most honest moments in golf?

“I hit it well… but I don’t trust it yet.”

I heard that today.

And it’s true for most golfers.

One good shot doesn’t build confidence.
Structure does.

Here’s what we worked on:

We agreed on repetitions.
Not “a few more.” A number.

We stopped smashing balls and added variation.
Different targets. Different clubs. Small challenges.

We separated learning from playing.
Practice is for building.
The course is for trusting.

If you want more confidence in your swing, try this:

Pick ONE skill.
Do your agreed reps.
Then finish with 10 balls to 10 different targets.
No swing thoughts. Just commit.

Confidence comes from evidence.

Question for you:

What part of your game feels good… but you don’t fully trust yet?

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

Coach Colin

The Discipline Behind Greatness (And What It Means for Your Golf)

Greatness is not talent.

It is discipline applied over time.

Mount Rushmore was not carved in a weekend.
Michelangelo did not paint casually.

Every masterpiece began with intention, structure, and relentless commitment to the process.

Golf is no different.

Most golfers want results.
Few are willing to commit to disciplined construction.

If you want a swing that lasts a lifetime, you need:

A clear target

A defined structure

Agreed repetitions

Patience under pressure

Long-term thinking

In this video, I explain why discipline — not inspiration — is the real driver of improvement.

If you are serious about building something in your golf that holds up on the course, this is for you.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

Coach Colin

Most golfers practice the swing… but never practice transferring it to the course.

Today’s lesson was a clear reminder of that.

We worked inside using TrackMan to build trust in the numbers and in the process. The focus was simple:

Follow the procedure.

Understand the stage of learning.

Repeat the motion without chasing results.

No swing chasing. No overthinking.

We reinforced three fundamentals:

Clear setup and alignment before every shot.

One defined intention for the strike.

Commitment to the motion, not the outcome.

Once the pattern was stable indoors, we moved to the course.

First shot. Hole in one.

It wasn’t a miracle strike. It was the exact movement she had been rehearsing. Same tempo. Same intention. Same structure.

That’s the point.

Practice reminder for you:
Next session, rehearse one shot pattern 20 times. Then take it straight to a target and execute it once without changing anything.

Are you practicing for perfect range shots, or for transferable golf shots?

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1

Coach Colin

Most golfers practise the wrong thing first.

They try to hit it further… before they can control 25 metres.

In today’s session, we started small.

Not full swings. Not drivers.
Just a pitching wedge and a 25-metre target.

Here’s what stood out:

1. Loft doesn’t mean distance.
Higher clubface = higher flight = shorter carry.
Lower loft = lower flight = more distance.
Once that was clear, decision-making improved immediately.

2. Contact comes before power.
We focused on centre contact with small swings.
Distance improved naturally once strike improved.

3. Smart targets beat brave swings.
Instead of aiming at trouble, we aimed away from it.
Good golf is often about removing risk, not chasing perfect shots.

Simple practice reminder for this week:

Pick one number — 25 metres.
Use one club.
Land 10 balls as close to that number as you can.
No changing clubs. No guessing. Just control.

Quick question — when you practise, do you track a specific distance… or just hit balls?

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

Coach Colin

Most golfers are trying to fix their swing when they should be fixing impact.

Had a lesson today where the player was frustrated with his driver and chasing tips from everywhere.

We stripped it back to two things.

1. Low point control.
Irons = strike the ball first, then the ground.
Driver = bottom of the swing slightly before the ball.

If low point is wrong, nothing else saves the shot.

2. Start line awareness.
Where the ball starts tells you what the clubface was doing.
Curve happens after that.

Control the start direction first.
Then worry about shape.

We didn’t change his backswing.
We didn’t rebuild positions.
We focused on impact and start line.

That’s where consistency lives.

Simple practice reminder:
Next time you’re at the range, forget distance.
After every shot ask:

Did I hit ball first?

Where did it start?

That alone will clean up a lot of golf.

When you hit a poor shot, do you know if it was low point or clubface that caused it?

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

Coach Colin

The Round You Don’t Book Is the One You Regret

There’s a strange thing happening in golf.

Everyone says they love the game.

But fewer people are actually organising rounds together.

We practice.

We watch YouTube.

We talk about swings.

We upgrade equipment.



But we don’t always call someone and say:

“Want to play?”



And that’s where the game quietly fades.



Golf Was Never Meant To Be Played Alone

Yes, you can practice alone.

Yes, you can grind on the range.

But the game comes alive when there’s:





Shared tee shots



Missed putts laughed off



Long walks between greens



Conversations that have nothing to do with golf

Golf is social architecture.

It was built for company.



The Best Rounds Aren’t the Lowest Scores

Think about the rounds you actually remember.

Not the 76.

Not the birdie on 14.

But the round where:





Someone told a story you still repeat



The wind picked up and you all embraced it



The coffee I mean beer after lasted longer than the golf

Those are the rounds that matter.



Most Golfers Aren’t Short on Skill

They’re short on rhythm.

They don’t play consistently enough.They don’t reconnect with the simple joy of turning up.

Life gets busy.People wait for the “right time.”Weeks turn into months.

And suddenly, the game feels distant.

It Doesn’t Need To Be Complicated



You don’t need:





A tournament



Prizes



A full field



Perfect conditions



You need:





A tee time



A small group



A relaxed pace



A reason to say yes

That’s it.



The Game Is Better Shared

Golf doesn’t demand perfection.

It invites participation.

And the truth is simple:

The easiest way to fall back in love with the gameis to play it with people.

Not for status.Not for performance.Not for ego.

Just to play.

A Quiet Invitation



If you’ve been meaning to organise a round, organise it.

If you’ve been waiting for someone else to set it up, be the one who does.



The Golf Room exists for one reason:

To make playing the game easier.

And the best way to improve your golf, is to keep showing up.

See you out there.

— Coach Colin



What are your thoughts?

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

Coach Colin

Most golfers are trying to create impact before they even move.

That was the big theme from a lesson this morning.

The player was presetting forward shaft lean at address. Hands pushed ahead. Trying to “trap” the ball before the swing even started.

That’s backwards.

Address is not impact.

We moved him back to a neutral setup:
Square face.
Shaft neutral.
Balanced posture.

Then we let the motion create the forward lean.

Second point: ball first contact.

With an iron, the low point must be in front of the ball. If the ground gets hit first, energy is gone. If the ball is struck first, you get compression.

You don’t help the ball up. You strike slightly down and let loft do the work.

Third point: effort matters.

When he swung harder, contact dropped. When we reduced effort to about 60 percent, strike improved immediately.

Control first. Speed second.

Simple practice reminder:

Next time you hit balls, don’t change your swing. Just check one thing. After each shot, ask yourself: did I hit ball first, or turf first?

That answer tells you almost everything.

When you practise, are you trying to manufacture impact at address, or are you letting your motion create it?

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0