Most golfers think they need a partner to get better. They are wrong. The only time you truly learn the game is when no one else is watching. A new book by Zephyr Melton for Golf.com dives into this exact idea. It asks how playing alone can actually fix your game. The answer is simple but hard to do. You have to face your own mistakes without a friend to blame.
The Solo Mindset
When you play solo, the pressure shifts. You cannot hide behind a buddy’s bad shot. You cannot wait for someone else to read the green. The silence forces you to listen to your own rhythm. This is not just a mental trick. It is a physical necessity for consistency. Collin Morikawa knows this better than anyone. The two-time major champion told Golf Digest that his secret is not a fancy drill. It is pure tempo.
In college, Morikawa’s 6-iron shot dispersion equaled the average tour pro’s pitching wedge performance. That is a huge gap. He attributes this to swinging with good tempo. He says many players forget this importance. They focus on body positions instead. But a smooth rhythm is the key to hitting it straight. You only find that rhythm when you are alone. No one is rushing you. No one is waiting.
Worth The Heat
Changing the game is never easy. Look at what Greg Norman faced. He became the face of the breakaway LIV Golf tour in June 2022. The backlash was fierce. Tiger Woods criticized him. Rory McIlroy feuded with him. Norman took the heat so players could get paid more. He described the backlash as taking a “.50-calibre bullet in my back”.
He stood firm on his choices. He knew the cost. He knew the hate. But he believed the game was better off because of the changes. He noted that no one has come to him in the last five years to say he did the wrong thing. The financial rewards for players proved his point. They got to another level they could not have reached any other way.
The Solo Drill
Start with a simple drill. He says to work through a progression. Keep the glove in until the club is halfway back. Then go three quarters of the way back. Finally, try it all the way to the top.
