Practice Perfect, Play Perfect!
by Teaching Professional, Justin Scott
Eager to follow a productive lesson, many students rush to the course to put the information to work. The results to follow are generally disappointing. In attempt to accelerate the time between learning a concept and implementing it into your golf game, I have provided a practice plan that will help train your body and keep you engaged during practice.
Observation: Golfers hitting ball after ball in a semi-automatic fashion; slowing down only to rake another ball onto the edge of a fresh divot, just in time to send it barreling down range. The observed golfer only takes a rest to sip water or make a comment about the previous slice and how they must have lifted their head. They all have great intentions but lack a plan. A proper plan will provide means to make your practice effective, efficient and allow you to develop a routine to reference on the course.
Suggestion: Always remember the phrase, “Quality, not Quantity. You do not have to hit a jumbo bucket to have a productive practice session. While on the range practice in a series of 3, following each step with a self-check before moving to the next. The method allows you slow down and create a game to keep your mind fully engaged.
- Slow and exaggerated practice swing, engaging the swing changes you are working to correct. If you make a successful swing, continue to step 2. If not, repeat.
- Strike a ball with a slow and exaggerated swing. If successful, continue to the final step. If not, repeat.
- Strike a ball with a normal swing, and attempt to implement the swing changes. If the swing feels correct, take a second to congratulate yourself and repeat the 3-step process with a slow and exaggerated practice swing.
This style of practice is great for many reasons. Most importantly, it resembles the normal learning process you are engaged in. Example: learning a new language, who begins by blurting out a sentence full of mistakes, and then complains about how bad they are at learning a new language? No one. You begin with a word or two slowly followed with a critique. Then you move to a string of words, followed by a critique, if successful you move to a sentence or conversation.
On the course
Utilize your routine developed on range. Instead of standing beside the ball and making a few violent swings demonstrating how strong you are. Engage in the series of 3 you perfected on range.
- Make a slow and controlled swing, exaggerating the current swing thought.
- If successful, move to an intermediate speed practice swing.
- If you feel good about the swing, pick a target, approach the ball and swing!
To schedule a lesson with Justin, call 336.510.4653 or email him at firstname.lastname@example.org.