From Gut Feel to Data-Driven Success

"I cringe when I think about the advice I gave as a club pro back in the day." The sun filtered down around the two of us on a hot afternoon through the leaves of a small Cone Elm beside the chipping green at Sherrill Park. I was chipping up, and Rick Beck was teaching, but he was also talking about the change he underwent when he started working at GolfTEC 16 years ago.

In 1995, GolfTEC brought data and science to the amateur golfing world. Instructors like Rick use data points derived from PGA pros, cameras, and high-tech launch monitors to help hacks like me enjoy themselves a little more out on the course.

There are still a lot of golf instructors out there providing instruction the old-fashioned way, using gut feel and instinct to provide little adjustments to a golfer's swing over a 30-minute session. But it is hard to argue against a well-thought-out process based upon real science and data.

That process is hard work, both for Rick and for me. Rick has spent years of his life learning the crucial components of a swing, how to measure shot dispersion, analyzing launch angles, and maintaining a high degree of knowledge of the latest technology. On my end, I have to put in the work, commit to more than just a 30-minute band-aid and be devoted to a long-term goal that involves tough changes to my swing and the way I approach the game of golf.

There are some similarities between Rick's career and mine. I remember way back when the one-appointment sales process the financial services industry taught me. I doubt if my 26-year-old self was doling out very sound recommendations based on a 15-minute fact-finding interview. Since then, great mentors and guides have come into my life and helped me create an investment and planning process that mirrors what Rick Beck and GolfTEC preach in many ways.

It's not easy for our clients or my team, but when you create a framework based on real investment and financial planning science and data, the success rate soars compared to other approaches.

In golf and investing, basic principles hold true and stand the test of time. Read Harvey Penick's Little Red Book, first published in 1992, and your golf game will thank you. Read Benjamin Graham's classic The Intelligent Investor; your investing life will never be the same.

But achieving tangible success in either endeavor, golf, or investing takes much more than sound philosophies and guiding principles. It takes science and data, experienced professional guidance, a sound, well-thought-out process, and commitment to the goal.

If you are committed to improving your golf game, I strongly recommend you visit Rick Beck and see if their process is right for you. Youtube videos and gimmicky learning aids will only get you so far. Regarding your family's financial journey, ensure your success through a sound financial planning process and a professionally managed portfolio that uses real science and data to your benefit.

Those are our thoughts.

Have a great Thursday