Great competitive golf is all about great practice! And great practice is about more than fundamentals, drills and training aids!
If you want to play your best golf, you will need to get the very most from all these valuable tools, as well as from your expert instruction, training, and equipment.
You do this by keeping a keen eye on a few very important things that are the "fine line" between practice that is fun and productive and practice that is frustrating and unproductive. Helping you find those things practice advice is all about!
One Size Does Not Fit All
When it comes to finding the very best way to practice for golf, "one size definitely does not fit all". Many savey players are aware of this, but we routinely find too large of a percentage of players--including touring professionals--who are using practice habits that are not suited to their games, or, not suited to their personalities. These players are not getting full benefits from their practice. Some have practice habits that are even hurting their play!
Four Reasons Why Players Fall Into Bad Practice Habits
Every player is different but we have uncovered some pretty common trends that explain why so many players are apt to unknowingly adopt practice habits that can stifle or actually hurt their play. Here are few.
1. Misguided Advice
While it is well intended, sometimes instructors, coaches or parents will encourage a style of practice that would be natural for them but is not so natural for the player.
Example:
The advice may be coming from someone who is a kinesthetic learner that is quite naturally emphasizing techniques well suited to their own style--like heavy use of gadgets, drills and explanations--while the player is a actually a visual learner who would benefit more from techniques that matched their own style, like demonstrations, games and visualization.
2. Choosing the Wrong Role Model
Sometimes players will choose a role model to emulate in practice and play even though they may themselves may have a very different personality than their chosen model.
Example:
If a player with a personality like Fred Couples (imaginative & right-brain dominant) chooses to model his practice and play after a player like V.J. Singh (practical & left-brain dominant), he or she could end up committed to a type of practice that for them is overwhelming, confusing and excessive in the area of "quantity" and inadequate in the area of "quality".
3. Perfectionism
Players with a tendency toward perfectionism can easily get bogged down in practice that emphasizes the details of a perfect swing while it neglects the art of play. This is especially true if they have a teacher or coach who is also a perfectionist.
Example:
The player in pursuit of the perfect swing can easly become locked in an endless and compulsive world of drills, mechanical thoughts, video, and positions. They will stubbornly hold on to a belief that their only path to good play is a perfect swing, while completely neglecting the creative and reactive practice that prepares them for play.
4. Lack of Organization
Probably the most common reason for faulty practice comes simply from a lack of planning, organizing or goal setting.
Example:
The player arrives at the course with no clear goal or plan for practice that day. Without goals, they are easily interrupted or distracted. If they do have focused practice it may not on areas they need to target for strengthening performance confidence or for preparing them for their next competitive round.
Practice Tips Used by Some of the Best Golfers in the World
In this section you will find articles to help you learn and use some of the same important practice tips that have helped many of the best golfers in the world practice their best to play their best.
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