By Jesse Reed
The golf team has had a season of growth for the team overall. The strokes on each hole have gone down, and hours have been put into technique. One player, junior Mitch Shelsta reflects, “I've had some bad drives so I've been working on that a lot this season.”
Mitch has been improving and putting work in with his own routine by hitting into golf nets at home and improving his form.
“My plan is to just do whatever I can and see where it leads me. I think the team is headed in a good direction too… Everyone is improving and doing a lot better,” he said.
A typical golf practice may sound repetitive, swinging clubs over and over, but it's much more than that.
“We usually start practice by warming up on the chipping green, then heading out to do our nine holes,” said Mitch.
Each hole can go a different way depending on your shots, and the closer you get to the hole you have to switch your swing and clubs, which is what makes consistency hard.
A big challenge many golfers face is the mental game.
“I usually just take a deep breath if I'm having a rough hole and take one or two practice swings,” Mitch said.
Coach Shelsta highlights the pressure of coaching the team. “Golf is a hard situation because it's a team thing based on individual performances,” he said.
A sport focused almost entirely on technique can be extremely frustrating.
“You can have bad shots but you still have to focus on the next one because you can't change the past,” Shelsta said.
Team success is important, but it's only successful when each player contributes and improves themselves. They dedicate hours every day to practice and growing. Despite some setbacks such as bad shots, the Louisville golf team is always looking to do better and look forward.