What Runners Can Learn from Golfers

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I used to play a considerable amount of golf. When I wasn't playing a particular course, I used to live at the driving range or putting green in a never ending attempt to refine my swing and mechanics while incessantly trying to shave strokes off my score. Sometimes I would work my way through the entire bag of clubs while other times I would simply focus on one club during a session at the range. Through consistent and mindful practice, however, I managed to slowly but consistently improve my game and invariably ended up shooting lower rounds while becoming proficient at hitting nearly every club. 

Although I do not play much golf these days, I continue to apply several aspects of how I improved my game to the sport of running. Rather than simply go out and run at the same pace multiple times a week, I make sure to spend time working on various aspects of my running on an almost daily basis. This is analogous in many ways to hitting the range as a golfer. While it is undoubtedly fun to go for a run or play a round of golf, the only way you will improve is through deliberate and calculated practice. So if you are simply looking to enjoy a life of running or have specific performance objectives, it's time that you treat running as a skill that requires ongoing practice and refinement. Time to hit the range!