If you’d rather swap your workout clothes for some golfing gear these days, you might also be getting a little frustrated with how unpredictable your performances are turning out to be. Well, you’re not the only one. A new study from HSBC shows that, even at an elite level, golf is the world’s most unpredictable sport.

What does the study tell us about golf?

Over the past two decades, the findings show that predicting the winner of a major golf championship is more difficult than in any other individual sport, with the average world ranking of golf champions falling at 18 – lower than any other sport analyzed. By comparison, major tennis tournament winners boasted an average world ranking of 10.

The Open was found to be the most unpredictable of the four men’s golf majors. Over the last 20 years, the oldest golf tournament in the world saw winning scores ranging from an impressive -20 in 2022 to a tough +3 in 2008. And an analysis of the performance of the top 25 finishers demonstrates that at The Open, players come away with an average six-shot difference between their best and worst rounds.

Fans have also expressed a lack of confidence in predicting outcomes in golf, with 39% deeming it the most unpredictable sport overall, far surpassing football at 19% and tennis at 9%. This reflects the often erratic nature of the game, where one misstep can influence the final outcome.

“You can be the best in the world at this game and still have no idea what’s around the corner,” summed up Scottish golfing legend Colin Montgomerie.

“As a player, it’s about playing those averages at times – how you react to the bad and the unlucky, that can be the difference between winning or losing.

“It’s what makes the game so exciting, to watch and play – it’s rarely a straight line, but that’s what always brings you back.”

How can I improve my golf game?

Of course, golf isn’t entirely a game of luck. There are plenty of pointers you can take onboard to improve your technique, so here’s a crash course if your planning on returning to the green sometime soon:

Technique variables

Posture – Nailing the correct posture when hitting the ball is the quickest way to improve your golfing performance. If you’re unsure on how you should stand, or hold the club, watch this video to see how pro PGA coach Kerrod Gray does it.

Chip, drive, or putt? – If you’re a beginner, you might assume that there isn’t that much variation in how you play golf. Hit the ball with the club, job done. But actually, driving, chipping, and putting are all very different skills which require very different techniques. Now, I’m not suggesting that you need to master them to a professional standard, but at least try to make sure that you’re equally able across each technique. If you only focus on one or two, the third will let you down at some point, and likely cost you on the score sheet. So, whenever you’re training it’s always best to have a holistic mindset and cover all bases.

Practice & routine – As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you really want to see results, make golf a fun habit, not a novelty. But don’t just spend hours blindly swinging. Make sure to nail your posture and technique as best you can, from guidance – whether that be online, or from an in-person coach. You may also find that the mental aspect of golf is hindering your performance. Maybe there’s just something about stepping up to take the shot which throws you off your game. If that’s the case, you could benefit from creating some sort of preparatory routine which you enact each time you go to hit the ball. By settling into that routine each time, this will hopefully allow your mind to focus on the details of the task at hand.

Physical and material variables

Get the kit – In all walks of life, you get what you pay for. So, once you’ve reached a solid level of personal performance, you may want to invest in more specialized clubs. These could allow you to reap even more rewards from your improved technique.

Get in shape – Finally, it’s also worth noting that your physical strength can have a significant impact on your golf performance. Fortunately, we’ve put together a detailed golf strength training guide outlining which exercises you can do to not only improve your personal health, but also improve your swing.