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I’m a very mediocre golfer.

And those who have actually golfed with me might say calling myself “mediocre” is being generous. My biggest problem is my driver. It’s really bad. 

I don’t just have a slice. I have the kind of slice where I need to check who is playing the fairway next to me, and occasionally the fairway next to that one, before I tee off.

The rest of my game? Somewhat respectable.

My irons are usually pretty decent. My short game is either completely dialed in or I blade the ball across the green. There seems to be very little in between. And I’m a decent putter. But if I could just figure out my driver, I think golf would be a whole lot more enjoyable.

Recently, I was golfing with a buddy who is much better than me, so naturally I started asking him for tips. He told me something that stuck with me.

He doesn’t really like giving someone a bunch of swing advice while they’re standing on the tee box.

Why?

Because you only get one shot.

He can tell me to change my grip, adjust my stance, slow down my backswing, or fix whatever else I’m doing wrong. But then I get one chance to try it. If it doesn’t work (which it probably won’t the first time) I’m likely to get frustrated, abandon the change, and go right back to my old swing.

If I actually want to get better, I need to go to the driving range. I need someone who knows what they’re doing to help me make adjustments. And then I need to hit ball after ball after ball until those changes start to feel natural.

That advice actually translates pretty well to financial planning.

Your Financial Driving Range

There are a lot of things we can adjust in our financial lives.

How much we save. Where we save. How we invest. How much debt we carry. How much cash we keep on hand. How we prepare for taxes, healthcare costs, and eventually replacing a paycheck in retirement.

And just like my golf game, you can have a lot of things working pretty well while one part of your financial life continues to make everything else more difficult.

The good news is that when you have time, you can work on it.

That’s what makes the years leading up to retirement so important.

They’re your driving range.

You have time to make adjustments. Maybe that means increasing savings, paying down debt, building cash reserves, reconsidering how different accounts are invested, or thinking more intentionally about where your retirement income will eventually come from.

You can make a change, see how it works, and adjust again if needed. You have repetitions.

And interestingly, younger generations appear to be starting that process earlier.

A 2026 study found that among Americans who work with a financial advisor, Gen Z reported starting around age 22 and Millennials around age 30. By comparison, Gen X reported starting around age 40 and Boomers around age 47.

There are plenty of reasons someone might reach out for financial advice at different stages of life. But starting the process before the decisions become urgent can be a helpful step to take.

The more time you have, the more opportunities you have to practice.

Don’t Rebuild Your Swing on the Tee Box

Imagine standing on the first tee of an important round and deciding that’s when you’re finally going to rebuild your golf swing. Probably not ideal. Retirement can be similar.

The day you’re ready to submit your retirement paperwork shouldn’t be the first time you’re seriously asking:

• Can I afford to retire?
• Where is my income going to come from?
• What am I going to do for health insurance?
• When should I take Social Security?
• How much can I comfortably spend?
• Are there tax-planning opportunities I should be considering?

Those are questions worth working through while you still have time to make meaningful adjustments. Because once you’re standing on the tee box of retirement, your options may be more limited.

Give Yourself Time to Practice

Financial planning can’t create a perfect “swing” or predict exactly where every shot is going to land.

Life changes. Markets change. Tax laws change. Your goals change.

The goal of financial planning is to help give you time to prepare, build a structured framework, and adjust along the way as your circumstances evolve.

So when the time eventually comes to submit those retirement papers, you’ve already worked through many of the big questions. You understand where your income may come from. You’ve thought about taxes, healthcare, investments, and spending. And you’ve had time to make adjustments rather than trying something completely new when it matters most.

In other words, you’ve put in some time at the driving range.

And when it’s finally time to step up to the retirement tee box, you can step up with more clarity and confidence about the shot you’re about to take.

As for my actual golf swing?

I apparently need to take my own advice and spend a little more time at the driving range.