Adaptability

Just wanted to share with you a few thoughts and experiences from the last week. 

I am passionate that we practice golf in a way that will assist our on course play. That will mean for most players doing something completely different to what they are doing at present.

Over the last couple of weeks I have worked on the idea of developing some adaptability into my pupils games. This means practising shots that they may encounter while on the golf course.

Check out the following photos which show quite nicely the fun we have been having on the range!!

I ask my players to practice these shots for a number of reasons

• They may/will occur when playing on the course
• I like to keep my players on their toes, when playing golf you need to have your wits about you and this sort of practice keeps your mind active. You will have figure out a way to hit the shot correctly
• It is a great way to develop awareness of where the club/body is going during the motion of the swing
• It very often puts a smile on your face, meaning you will be having fun.

When practising spend at least 10% of the time you are at the range/practice ground inventing these weird and wonderful shots. When you then get out on the golf course you will be ready to see them as an opportunity not a card wrecker!!

As my role as Sussex County Ladies Coach we spent 2 days last week at East Sussex National. The weather continued to play havoc with golf in Sussex this winter and the golf we had planned for Monday had to be cancelled!! This is where the players and I had to be adaptable.

I had to come up with plan B, so we headed to the warmth and cover of the driving range where we proceeded to play the East course on the range.

I have suggesting doing this to my pupils on many occasions but had never seen 18 holes played. We paired off the players, gave them a scorecard, planner and stat sheet and said play 18 holes (putting included – on the carpeted floor behind the bays) and come back with a score.

They duly obliged and put in a tremendous amount of effort over the next couple of hours. In my opinion it was an invaluable session for them (real deep practice) where they had to really think about every hole they were about to play and every shot that was required.

This was deep and deliberate practice at its very best, we couldn’t get on the golf course but we created as near as we could the emotions and feelings that come naturally when playing on the course.

• Create on course situations on the range
• Play the golf course on the range

I look forward to hearing how you get on