Greetings Golfers,

People always ask me what I do in the off season. Not meaning work-wise, what do I do with all of my free time?

Well, I just lead the life of Riley. Things just wrap-up on their own … and then when next season begins, it just runs itself.

Not so much.

Like most things, the real work is behind the scenes.

Football players don’t just show-up and play in the games. They practice and prepare all week. And the best ones practice and prepare all year long. And I’m talking about the players. The coaches are also planning and strategizing all year … and creating new schemes.

Last Sunday, Vikings’ Head Coach Mike Zimmer was asked if seeing other teams use his coverages and pressures is frustrating of flattering? Here’s what he said: “They’ve been stealing our blitzes for a long time, and are stealing our coverages now. It’s like the old thing, everybody copies you if you’ve been good. So then you’ve got to change up and do other things. The whole game is about making adjustments.”

A good coach like Zimmer is like a good army general. They have a well thought out strategy, yet are ready to make needed adjustments. Those adjustments are a result of walking through many different scenarios … he’s not just winging it.

The better the strategy, the more it is simple and clear. Simple doesn’t mean simple-minded. Rather it is the result of a lot of work and a lot of planning. Overly complicated anything is in need of work to become clear.

Abraham Lincoln said it so well. At the end of a long letter, he apologized and said “ I’m sorry I wrote such a long letter. I didn’t have time to write a short one”.

Perfect.

Cheers,

 

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com