Annaliese Joiner '24 Recruiting Profile

When I started playing golf about two years ago, I don’t think I really knew what a rollercoaster I was getting on. What I knew was that I discovered a real love of golf and the excitement in the payoff that comes with hard work. I didn’t really understand that sometimes the payoff to the hard work isn’t immediate and sometimes getting better means pushing through frustration even when the dream seems far away.

The last year brought some challenges. I set big goals and made action steps to get there. I put in lots of work but I wasn’t seeing the gains that I thought that I should. My game was either really good or really off and there was very little consistency. I made a coaching change and started to see improvements, but not at the rate that I wanted for myself. I was blessed because my parents saw my frustration and talked to my new swing coach and were able to take me in for a custom fitting with an amazing fitter who told me that my swing was great and we just needed the right equipment in my hands. Boy, was he right!

At the first of summer 2022, I started playing with irons that were fit just for me as well as my driver and woods that had been customized to what I needed. I began to see results almost immediately with my game and my confidence came back. As a result of my hard work in practice sessions and working closely with my coach, I have made great gains this summer and expect those gains to continue.

The other area that I have had to work hard on is my mindset and mental game. When things aren’t going great, it is easy to lose focus and turn negative or lose your belief in what you can do. While I never lost the belief in myself, I am really hard on myself, so I have spent time working on “letting go… next shot.” I am lucky that I have identified some amazing mentors that help me with all aspects of my game and encourage me and hold me accountable. In addition, I am fortunate to be working with Troy Bassham who is helping me identify my stregths and to set a mental program in place that will allow me to continue to develop and reach my goals. I am already seeing a big difference in how I handle pressure, respond when things are going well (and when they aren't!), and am excited to see my hard work continue to pay off. 

Over the next 6 months, I intend to keep working on my mental game and mindset while also focusing on conditioning and stamina for playing at a much higher level and in all course conditions. I am focused on lowering my scores by developing consistency through focused practice and careful reflection on what needs work. I have gained a clearer vision for who I am as a golfer and who I aspire to be and am putting specific practices into place to bring them into reality. 

 I still love the challenge of playing new and different courses and meeting new people as I go. I continue to be known for encouraging others and one of my favorite things to do is mentor younger players and help them discover how great golf is. While making the All-SPC team at the Championship this year allowed me to check off a goal, I am most proud of the number of coaches and parents who spoke to my coach or my parents and told them how much they enjoyed watching me play and that they appreciated my attitude on the course and that I was a tremendous sport. 

I love that golf is a sport that I can play forever. I have an unwavering commitment to reach the big goals I have for my golf career, and I want a college opportunity that can help me realize those dreams, from playing competitively to encouraging others to take up the sport that I love.