For any pursuit in life - golf, chess, music, work - it's not just about the number of hours you practice, but how you practice.
While you can't directly control the ball on each swing in golf, you can directly control higher order controls that in turn control the ball. These include looking at the ball, following through, and not squeezing the grip.
While you can’t guarantee winning any particular game in chess, you can increase the overall rate of improvement. I was falling into the trap of “fake practice”, as gotham chess calls it. Fake practice refers to playing games without analysis or review. I learned the lesson that simply working more hours can actually result in a decrease in ELO rating, as I sunk more and more hours in and saw my ELO dropping further and further.
To address this, I implemented a practice system where I limited myself to three games per day. The results have been clear - my chess ELO has steadily improved from 1500 to 1750 in four weeks. This system has allowed me to dedicate time to analyzing each game and only play when I am not distracted, ensuring I don't waste any games.
I call this a practice strategy: you can create a set of higher-order rules that you can directly control, which guide how you practice. This, combined with intentional reflection and analysis, will lead to a higher rate of improvement.