Follow through to succeed: A life lesson from golf

 Kenya’s Isaac Makokha in past action at Muthaiga Golf club. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Golf has been mystified to the extent that many would-be golfers are kept off. Before I learnt the game, driven by boredom in the US Deep South and curiosity, I heard that you can’t get into a golf course in Kenya driving a Vitz or Demio!

You can share other golf myths. Golfing is easy. You hit a small ball into a small hole as few times as possible.  Many think the farther and harder you hit the ball, the better.

I used to hear that when growing up: “nitakupiga kama golf.” That was a reference to how hard the golf ball is hit. Golfers know better that violence or force does not make you a better golfer.

It is grace and modesty that do. One cherished practice in golf is a “follow-through.”

Hit the ball and follow it up with the club. That ensures maximum transfer of energy to the ball and good distance while using the right club.

We do the same in tennis and football, except that you don’t change your legs and racket! Following through is the best lesson from golf.

The other one is honesty. You record your scores when no one is checking on them.

Do you follow through in life? Do you follow through with your assignments as a student?

That is what made maths so unpopular; it demanded a follow-through in the assignments.

Remember, “solve the following problems”? Was that in history or biology? Do you follow through with your customers? Suppliers? Friends? And even family members? Do you follow through when you see business or investment opportunities?

We love talking about how wide our network is; do we follow through with these networks?

What have you done with all the business cards and phone contacts? Do our policymakers, MPs, and leaders follow through to make sure their manifestoes, projects and programmes are concluded? Some of the most successful entrepreneurs just did a follow-through. Someone followed through when the idea of Gmail came up.

Someone followed through when M-Pesa was mooted. There are thousands of ideas that could be global enterprises if someone followed through. 

Ever had a great business idea you did not follow through till someone else did it? 

I once asked my students why we park our cars all day when taxis would earn us money.

Uber followed through before me. Whether it’s at the national level, corporate or even at home, we should follow through with ideas to their successful end, like golfers and their swings.

Want to learn about golf and follow through? Talk to me.