Chris Paisley discusses the changes in his game and life at home as he heads into 2023 on the Challenge Tour
As we start 2023, a lot of things have changed. My golf swing has improved, I rarely hit a snap hook, I’m physically stronger, and I’ve got a full tank of energy to take into the new season. Oh, and we had a baby!
Annie Kate Paisley was born on January 2. All is well with her and mummy. Ella has really taken to being a big sister too, despite being disappointed that Annie can’t actually play with her yet. Life now feels 100 times more chaotic, but we’re loving it.
This latest 10-week break has been the longest I’ve taken from tournament golf in my career. The way things went in the last 18 months forced me to look internally and externally, and make a plan going forward.
I knew I needed to do some things differently to get back to where I feel I can be. Fortunately, the main issue was already being taken care of. My golf swing has been getting back on track for a while now and I feel it is better than it has ever been. It looks and feels great, and seems to be functioning much more efficiently. I have not played any tournaments, but I feel like a real golfer again.
I had lost some speed these last years too, which I have managed to get back. There is of course some way to go. I need to transfer that work into scores and results, but at the very least I feel like my old self.
I haven’t necessarily worked harder this winter, but I have certainly worked smarter. I’m doing a great job of analysing my sessions and feeding back to my team. This keeps me on track and makes work easier for my coaches. I feed back to them every few weeks, so they know what I’m up to, how I feel about things, and how I’m performing in practice. I haven’t made any sweeping lifestyle changes, but I’ve implemented plenty of tweaks and improvements. I’m eating better, training harder and more consistently, and managing my time better. I also started doing ice baths three times a week since that’s all the rage now.
I am currently in Cape Town, about to start the 2023 Challenge Tour season. It was odd not heading off to the Middle East in January, but that gave me another boost of determination to make sure I’m back there next season. I’m excited for the challenge this year will bring. It’s going to be a tough road, but I’m enthused by where my game and head are. I wouldn’t say I’m full of confidence, but I am definitely a lot more competent than I was in 2022. One thing I have come to learn is that competence is a lot more important than confidence.
