Guest Column by Jan Dowling
Women’s Golf Coach at Michigan
In a way, golf has trained us for the pandemic. What can you control? How do you respond?
These are important questions to get clear when preparing your mindset for the rigors of tournament golf and the long slog of a global pandemic. Perspective is important too. And, we’ve had plenty of that throughout 2020.
We still miss competing as a team like crazy! However, nothing about how we trained this fall changed from our normal tournament preparation. As a coach, that’s a reflection of our passion for the process of improvement. We practiced hard, we still learned from a myriad of new experiences (nothing like a pandemic to teach you how to adapt!), and we still competed hard every day. I was very proud of our team for the effort and attitude they brought to each practice. We were desperate for in-person human connection, and golf was a great conduit.
Coach Mandi Unruh and I decided our improvements needed to be team centered, since camaraderie and togetherness was of utmost importance at this time. Our fall focused on three specific areas that we researched as easiest to improve scoring. Throughout September and October, we focused on wedge play (inside 125 yards), putting (inside 10 feet and speed control), as well as par 5 scoring. Scoring average on par 5s is a direct correlation of good course management, wedges, and solid putting, which brings these statistics together. Throughout the fall we measured (tested), designed deliberate practice sessions, and re-tested often to show improvement and trends.
Another competitive highlight was the Wolverine Cup, which was a two-day Ryder Cup style intra-squad match. The format included a worst ball scramble, alternate shot, and singles matches over 36 holes. The championship came down to intense singles matches that proved to be an absolute blast! We even had live scoring and media personnel on course, to help create a tournament atmosphere….and of course, uniforms!
We obviously miss team golf, yet as our team looks forward to our spring season, we ask: what can we control, and how do we respond? Knowing we can never take college golf for granted, work together to improve and we know our team will be better on the other side of this pandemic because of this perspective and attitude choice.
Our season is slated to commence on Feb 7th at the Heroes Women’s Challenge in Sarasota, Florida. Until then, we will continue to set up deliberate feedback focused practices and compete our hearts out. And, when we have the incredible opportunity to tee it up for the Maize and Blue again, we now have the additional perspective to enjoy every single step of the way.
