Are you getting the most out of your golf practice?

I have written a number of articles for publications on effective practice as this topic is becoming increasingly appreciated to assist the transfer of new skills to the course.  It is in my view an integral element of any performance program and can be diluted to suit the recreational golfer

There is a case for the type of practice which most golfers are familiar as long as the drills and skills are relevant and carried out with diligence.

This type of practice is known as blocked which often consists of the use of one or two clubs which we hit at rapid speed with no real “on course similarity”. The question is can we replicate the shot consistency on the course particularly within a pressure situation?

I have been fortunate in my golfing career to have met with some world leaders in the industry so the type of practice which is now evident is the variability of club selection, lie of the ball, shot selection with as near replication to an on course situation. I will be posting some ideas which you can use on my next journal which I hope you will enjoy.

This is one reason why I try to take as many new players to the course as soon as possible to become “comfortable” within an open environment where learning can be longer lasting. Our sport is played on a golf course not on a range but sadly too many lessons are given away from the playing scenario for a number of reasons, some of which are out of our control. The daylight hours now are increasing which is the ideal opportunity to convert our effective practice directly to the playing environment.

The results during a range session using the practice referred to as “blocked” will likely be more successful in the short-term but the long-term advantages of a varied practice will be evident.

Sarah working on the short game

I personally like a mix of the two depending upon the skill level of the player, I can write from personal experience where much of my Tour practice was blocked which yielded wonderful results when making swing changes on the range. However on numerous occasions I was unable to mirror the same type of intensity within Tournament situations, maybe this was one element of my missing puzzle during my playing career.

As a full-time coaching PGA Professional I am now able to pass on my knowledge  from my 25 years of Ladies European Tour playing experience to my clients. This offers an alternative and additional concept to my clients game utilising their time effectively in a fun and productive manner which I believe can only be beneficial.