Take a Page from the Winning Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown Winners and Create a Team Environment to Improve Your Game

We often see the individual doing amazing things on the course when it comes to team events in golf, like this past weekend’s LPGA Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown. There’s something about team golf that brings the best out of golfers – we see it time and time again in events like the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup and Presidents Cup, too.

When a player represents their country, the play often reaches heights that far exceed what is seen in individual events. Take the International Crown, for example – the two teams that reached the finals, Thailand and Australia, came into the week ranked sixth and seventh out of eight teams. Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, Patty Tavatanakit and Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand were newly-minted champions by Sunday evening.

It’s a perfect example of how laying as part of a team or for a cause bigger than ourselves, such as our country, raises the stakes.

So, what can you learn from this to improve your own game?

Oftentimes, self-doubt creeps in on the course – we play too cautiously, or for some, too aggressively. When these things happen, and bad results follow, it is hard to pull yourself out of the negative thought cycle.

Take this as your sign to stop going at it alone and start building your own personal team.

It can consist of a coach, your regular playing partners, a spouse, a son, or a daughter. You may not be competing as a team, but you can still help motivate each other along your golf journeys.

I always stress to my students that I am a part of their support system, and not just someone that helps teach them the fundamentals. They can contact me, at any point, via text or an app we use called CoachNow. I offer these lines of communication to be part of that support system that golfers need to reach your goals.

I also encourage students to find practice buddies and a regular group of playing partners. These people can become their "team," and each team member can help motivate and push one another.

Finding a PGA Coach is a great place to start building your team. Find one today in your area at pga.com/coach.