I see 75% of players at our practice facility hitting ball after ball with no target or plan to that specific shot. When they hit a good one, they think, “Wow that felt good and was a nice shot.” Nice shot to what exactly? Let’s start practicing the correct way. Every single shot during a practice session should have a goal/target, similar to how you would hit a tee shot, approach shot, short game shot, and your putt on the golf course. Two things should improve over time when you take this approach. First, you will be able to practice longer since you’re not just hitting ball after ball and tiring yourself out. Second, you will get valuable feedback on how your game is progressing, or not, when it comes to the different shots we play in golf. And, take notes on your practice session now that you have slowed yourself down. Remember, the Golf Professionals at your facility, who seem just to swipe credit cards and check players in at times, would much rather talk about ways to improve your practice sessions, so ask us questions or just strike up a conversation.
Here’s an informative article on “deliberate practice”. Click here.
Excerpt: “…For our purposes — getting good at golf — deliberate practice is about improving by pushing your practice beyond your comfort zone. I don’t mean mindlessly pounding balls in order to build muscle memory. (Your muscles don’t have memory. Only your brain does.) I’m talking about expanding your abilities by putting your brain through something akin to an ongoing golf boot camp. Only by practicing with purpose, and (a little) pain, will you learn to bend the ball to your will.”
