Golf Progress Demystified: Lifestyle and Practice Factors
Understanding the True Effort Required for Lasting Progress in Golf
Key Takeaways:
Focus on quality over quantity of practice sessions
Refine the content of practice sessions rather than increasing the time spent
Reflect on how practice and training have evolved and what lifestyle modifications are necessary for improvement
Live the Lifestyle
This week I came across a quote that resonated with me.
It doesn't make sense to continue wanting something if you're not willing to do what it takes to get it.
If you don't want to live the lifestyle, then release yourself from the desire. To crave the result but not the process, is to guarantee disappointment. - James Clear
Many golfers are misled about the strategic effort required to achieve lasting improvements in their performance.
For instance, they may have the desire to increase their driving distance and are willing to invest in physical training, but frequently neglect the crucial role of nutrition in achieving their goal.
They desire the outcome of hitting the ball farther (result), but may not be willing to alter their unhealthy eating habits (lifestyle).
It is incorrect to believe that top athletes suffer great sacrifices to achieve their goals. Often, they don’t see what they do as sacrificial at all. They like it. - Daniel Chambliss
It is simply a matter of mindset. For some, following a training plan may be a challenge, while for others it is a natural part of their chosen lifestyle.
Quality vs. Quantity
As one reaches higher levels of proficiency in golf, the focus should shift from quantity to quality of practice.
Excellence does not result from quantitative changes in behavior. Increased training time, per se, does not make one swim fast nor does increased “psyching up”, nor does moving the arms faster. Simply doing more of the same will not lead to moving up a level in the sport. - Daniel Chambliss
For advanced golfers, simply hitting more putts, chips, or drives each day (increase in quantity) is unlikely to lead to improved performance in competition.
Quantitative improvements involve doing more of the same thing. A qualitative change involves modifying what is actually being done, not simply doing more of it. - Daniel Chambliss
To make qualitative changes in golf practice, it's important to modify the content of your practice. Adopting principles of differential learning and contextual interference as discussed in previous posts, is a viable option.
This suggestion is not to reduce your practice time, but rather to critically assess and refine the content of your practice sessions.
Key Questions
Golfers looking to achieve substantial improvement in their game should consider the following two questions:
How has the content of my practice and training changed over the last two to four years? If it hasn't, what is the reason for this?
What lifestyle modifications am I willing to implement in order to enhance my golf performance?
Conclusion
To achieve meaningful progress in golf performance, golfers must be willing to embrace necessary lifestyle changes and focus on the quality of their practice sessions rather than the quantity.
It's important to critically assess and refine the content of your practice and to reflect on how your approach to practice and training has evolved over time.
The key to success lies in combining a growth mindset with a commitment to making the necessary lifestyle modifications to support your goals.
Remember, if you want to reach your full potential, you must be willing to do what it takes to get there.