The Real Reason Golfers Don't Get Better - Golf Insider UK

Let’s start with two questions:

Q1: How effectively do you think when you practice?

Q2: Have you ever considered that changing the way you think during practice could accelerate your learning?

Now and again I come across an idea that I feel is inherently important to golfers getting better. However, I worry these ideas will bore you, seem irrelevant, or the idea just won’t fly.

So why have I still spent 4 hours writing this article for you?

I really do feel that how you think during practice is a critical chunk of why many golfers don’t get better, and why others excel.

So if you’re interested give me 5-10 minutes of your time and read on – this isn’t a quick fix, but it is actionable.

Great questioning and thinking are skills that all elite players learn, they may not be aware of the processes swirling around their minds as they hit golf balls. But, all elite players go through the same cycle before, during and after every golf shot they hit in practice.

Quick note: When I write ‘practice’ I don’t just mean hitting golf balls on the golf range. Great practice should take place on the golf range, the pitching / putting greens and on the golf course. All of your golfing time outside competition constitutes practice.

This cycle of thinking really does underpin learning. Improving how you think during your practice sessions is a simple strategy you can utilise to increase your rate of development.

Expert thinking – The background

The way you think before, during and after performing a task (hitting a golf shot) is integral to your rate of learning. It will also determine at what point you hit a ceiling in your golfing performance, and stop learning.

There are three key steps within the thinking cycle:

1. Performance phase – just before and during the golf shot.
2. Self-reflection phase – after hitting a golf shot.
3. Forethought / planning phase – planning for the next golf shot.

Excelling at these three steps has been linked to increase self-efficacy, motivation and level of expertise attained in many areas of sport, science and business.

The fancy term for this cycle of thinking is ‘the self-regulation cycle’. And many years ago I presented some research around this topic at a conference.

Below is a picture of this process:

Let us take a look at what this may look like in practice.

Poor golfer’s thinking

Imagine our golfer has a slice and has headed to the golf range to straighten out their driving.

Below is an example of how they may think and perform when hitting each shot in practice. Each stage links to our model above.

Performance phase – hitting a golf shot

• Vague target.
• Unclear swing thought.
• Hasn’t set up stable learning conditions: no alignment aid.
• No practice swing (rehearsal) or visualisation.
• Little awareness during golf swing of body motions.
• Limited evaluation of where the shot finished relative to their target.

Self-reflection phase – post shot thinking

• Little thought about to what degree their shot outcome was ideal.
• Limited / no understanding of what caused a good / poor shot.
• Emotional reaction to poor shots, which leads to them skipping the planning phase and grabbing another ball.

Planning phase – what to do with the next shot

• No clear goal set for their next shot.
• No clear strategy for how to improve on their last attempt.
• Limited reasoning for what they are about to attempt in their golf swing – a hap-hazard approach.
• Vague understanding of what swing feeling they are going to use to hit a straighter shot. 

… and the cycle continues.

Now, the example above is quite extreme, but just imagine if half of this sequence sounds familiar to you. Imagine how much quicker you could improve if you just improve one or two of these points.

If you wish to become an elite player you need to have this cycle optimised, down to every last detail.

I’m not saying you can flick a switch and change your thinking instantly, but being aware of this process and checking it after each practice session will quickly allow you to build some better processes.

So what would a great cycle of thinking look like?

The same three steps apply, but they are all optimised. The aim is to squeeze every ounce of learning for each shot repetition.

Elite golfers’ thinking

We’ll stick with the same slice scenario, but please note, current skill level is not directly linked to thinking ability – great thinking will help you become a great golfer over time.

So, feel free to consider this ‘elite thinker‘ a beginner golfer or a Tour Pro struggling with a slice – we’re interested in what the optimal process looks like.

Below is what I would consider the thinking cycle of someone who will genuinely improve their golf game when they practice:

Performance phase – hitting a golf shot

• Clear target, club choice and rationale for choosing that shot.
• Consistent aim and setup, which takes away variables that could affect the swing and shot outcome.
• Simple swing thought, but with a detailed understanding of what position / feeling is optimal.
• 1-2 practice swings exaggerating the feeling(s) they are looking for and picturing their ideal swing in their mind. 
• Their practice swings have real purpose – they reflect on each one.
• During the shot they have a clear focus, monitoring what their swing feels like.
• They have ways of detecting a good / less ideal swing.
• They can accurately say that shot finished ‘x’ yards left/right of my target.

Self-reflection phase – post shot thinking

• They can clearly rate their shot 1-10, explain why it has that rating and what is needed to increase that rating.
• They know what swing principle was responsible for any errors in performance.
• Whatever the shot outcome (great / poor) they are focused on the process of learning.
• They know errors are a useful part of the learning process, not something to get angry with.

Planning phase – what to do with the next shot

• They create a clear goal for their next shot – I wish to hit this shot 3 yards closer to my target.
• They have a clear strategy for how – strengthen my left hand grip and improve left wrist position at the top of my swing.
• They have clear reasons for why they have come up with this plan.
• They know exactly what they want to feel in their next set of practice swings and their next golf shot.

…and the cycle continues.

How this plays out over time

Changing a golfer’s thinking in this way will make no visible difference over the course of three shots on a golf range.

However, extending this new cycle of thinking out over a year’s practice (~13,000 reps) and we will see a new golfer emerge – one who is far superior in skill level.

Rough maths for reps per year of a keen club golfer

100 range balls a week = 100 cycles

80 shots on a golf course a week = 80 cycles

40 putts and chips a week = 80 cycles

Total = 260 cycles per week

50 weeks practice = 13,000 reps / year

This process is the difference between the golfer who still plays off 19 at the end of the year, despite lots of practice, and the one who is now a 13-handicap.

Or the difference between the 4-handicap golfer who keeps hovering between 4 and 5, despite some great coaching, and the 4-handicapper who gets down to scratch and shoots under par on a good day.

Great thinking conclusion

I know it’s boring, no Bryson bombs, no fancy training aids or magic driver to cure a slice, but it works. The first step in becoming a great thinker is to be aware of how you are currently thinking when you practice.

Next time you head out to practice, take time to consider what you do before, during and after every golf shot. Take a screenshot of the process in this article if they will help. Then consider what you can do better, and how you can squeeze more out of every practice session.

I designed The Golf Insider Performance Diary to help you practice more effectively and document your progress. Again, it isn’t a magic pill, but more effective practice is the key to reaching your golfing dreams.

I hope you have found this article of use. I will be the first to admit it is a left-field golf article. However, I always appreciate your comments and feedback so feel free to leave them below.

Also, if you would like a weekly article sent to your inbox, come join the Golf Insiders weekly post.

Happy golfing – Will @ Golf Insider UK

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