Interruption #5:
Getting exercise not practice
Golden Bullet #5:
Learn to maximise practice time
A huge problem is not practicing the correct way. Golfers often get exercise – not improvement.
Wasting time and hitting balls for the sake of it will do you no good. The best advice for practice is to:
Practice like you play – don’t play like you practice.
What this means is that you need to simulate play when you practice. If you spend all your practice time working on swing changes and attempting to improve your potential then you’re unlikely to get what you’re looking for.
But, if you understand the learning process and you spend your time maximising success, you’ll improve and get better each time you practice. A benefit of correct practice is your sessions can be short and sharp – this makes them more enjoyable and gives you more time to play golf.
Example: Going to the driving range with a large bucket of balls and seeing if you can clear the fence at the end of the range. It might be fun but it’s hardly going to improve your golf game.
This type of practice is a waste of time. You don’t learn anything and you’re not preparing yourself for play. Your mind becomes distracted by your ego. How far can I hit the ball? How well can I hit each shot? Is that person watching me?
You need to use practice time to prepare yourself for play. Practice is not an ego building process.