Ngahi Bidois: Life a percentage game of choices

Golf spelt backwards is flog and most of my golfing life I feel like I have done that to the golf ball.

Instead of the smooth weight-transferring swings I see the professionals use as they send the ball more than 250m I have often resorted to the flog.

I have flogged many a golf ball over many golf courses and golf driving ranges.

Mark Twain once described golf as "a good walk spoiled" and I have certainly spoiled many a good walk on my golfing outings.

However, all of that is about to change because of a little book I recently read that has totally changed the way I think about golf. The book is entitled The Little Book of Breaking 80 by Shane Jones, and I highly recommend it to any other floggers out there.

The book makes many good points around strategy, fitness, nutrition, training videos, golf gear and even flogging golf balls for hours at driving ranges.

However, the key that will change the way I play golf and get my handicap below 11 is a simple one. If 35 to 40 per cent of all shots played in a round of golf by most players are putts and if 50 per cent of all the shots played in a round of golf take place within 30m of the green, then why don't I spend 50 per cent of my practice time on those shots?

Why do I go to driving ranges and hit 40 out of 50 balls with my driver or woods and only 20 per cent on my short game clubs?

The book outlines that if I spend more time practising the short game my return on investment for that time is a lot higher than flogging drives all day long at driving ranges. It also aligns with another well-known golf quote that we "drive for show - but putt for dough".

This also got me thinking about other aspects of my life, such as how I could get a better return from my speaking business? For example, if more than 50 per cent of my business comes through my speaker bureaus and agents then am I investing 50 per cent of my speaker business time engaging with them? If my whanau are very important to me then what percentage of my time am I investing in them? I applied this principle to my spiritual life and my learning and Maori cultural world and I realised that life is a percentage game of choices.

So how are your percentages working out? Are you spending your time percentages wisely? How is your short game going?

One of the things we don't get another shot at is yesterday as all of those shots have been played. We can certainly change tomorrow, by what we practise today. However, that golf book taught me that the real key is not the practice, because anyone can do that. The key is to practise the right things - the right way - with the right percentage of time.

Ngahihi o te ra is from Te Arawa and is an International Leadership speaker, MC and author. Book him for your keynote presentation, training, or seminar by phoning 021482281 or at www.ngahibidois.com.