Deliberate Practice – Adam Young at adamyounggolf.com

In Motor Learning

What separates the wheat from the chaff? Why can some people practice so much yet not get better? By understanding deliberate practice, it will help you to not only create a more efficient practice routine, but will help you play better on the course too.

I realize that most of you will be thinking;

“Phft… why would I want to read about ‘deliberate practice’?”

But I also realize why most of you don’t improve or get much out of your practice. See a correlation?

The Lesson

Today, I had a typical lesson with an ok player struggling to get better. He practices a lot, but I can see his practice is very inefficient, and all the hours of work he puts in pretty much go to waste. If this sounds like you, listen up.

We were out on the chipping green, and (after some technical adjustment) I gave him a task.

Shot 1 had to be hit with a shallow divot
Shot 2 had to be hit with a deep divot
Shot 3 had to be hit with an in-between divot

The guy proceeded to beat balls one after another like a machine gun.

Bish

Bash

Bosh

Even after the first round of shots, a clear and predictable pattern emerged. His shallow divot shots were landing softer and finishing well short of the hole. His deeper divot shots were landing further and lower, tending to go racing past the flag. I watched him for 5 minutes, completing probably 25 rounds (yes, 75 balls in 5 minutes). Every single one he did the same thing – deep divot long, shallow divot short.

Every….. single….. one.

Stop… Just Stop!

I interrupted and asked a question.

“What happens to the result when you hit the different divot depths?”

To which he replied

“The shallow divots finish short, and the deeper divots finish long”

To which I asked

“So, what do you need to change”

To which he replied

“I should use less energy with he deeper divots, and give the shallow divot shot a bit more”

The Big Question

With that in mind, I bit my lip and refrained from what I really wanted to say (which was something along the lines of slapping my forehead and asking “Why the hell aren’t you doing it then”), and asked this instead;

What could we do to improve your ability to do that?

To which we came up with these things

Mentally prepare for the shot before hand
Physically prepare for the shot
Pay more attention to the result
Repeat the process, adapting it each time based on the result

Visualize it This doesn’t necessarily mean going through a full on, Jason Day-esque pre shot daydream for every ball you hit. However, get a clear picture in your head of what you want to achieve with the shot. Imagine how it is going to fly, land and roll. As R Kelly once said

“If I can see it, then I can do it”

he also went on to claim he believes he can fly, but that is neither here nor there.

I wrote more about visualization in these two articles.

Ideomotor Effect for Golf – the power of visualization

The Ultimate Visualization article

Physically Prepare

This is simple – just do a few practice swings (or at least one – especially for most short game shots).

While this is a physical preparation, it actually works on a psychological level. It is mentally priming yourself for the desired movement. It is taking that visual image you created from step one, and putting it into the physical realm – connecting mind and body. Also, if your practice swing didn’t feel like it would match the outcome desired, you can always re-do it.

A good exercise which you can take to the course is to not just make a practice, but hit an imaginary ball as you do it, then visualize what that imaginary ball would have done.

In 2005, Tiger Wood’s famous chip shot, he makes a practice swing and holds this position for a number of seconds as he gazes at the green. What do you think he was doing??? Visualizing his imaged shot.

In the example lesson, the player decided that it would be good to physically prepare for the shallower divot by making a bigger swing with more speed to account for the general loss of distance – and vice versa for the deeper divot shot.

Pay Attention

After you have hit your shot, watch it. Absorb it. Experience it.

I see so many golfers who have hit another ball before their first one has even landed (in practice). Your brain is not going to be able to make the connection between the result and the movement you used to produce it if it doesn’t experience both.

Watch the flight of the ball – watch the ball land and bounce. Look how it reacted on the green. How did it spin? How did it roll?

By doing the above, you get to learn even from your poor shots. Did your ball fly a little lower than you thought, but then checked up quicker? Ok, maybe factor that in for the next shot which.

Repeat Cycle

Now, repeat the above for each shot, but use the information gleaned from each cycle to adapt for the next one. E.g, if the last time you did the deeper divot shot it flew over the green, try to factor in a smaller swing with less energy next time you come to that shot.

Practice Like You Play, Play Like You Practice

I’m sure you have heard this term before. Well, don’t just hear it – LIVE IT.

Start practicing this way with almost every shot. There are certain scenarios where ball beating may be acceptable. But, generally, you should be going through this process for as many of your shots as possible. Then continue to repeat this process on the course.

Also, make sure that you set up practice scenarios which demand this style of thinking. Blocked practice encourages ball beating, and it disengages your mind to the point that learning dramatically falls off, even if your performance increases (the dichotomy of performance vs learning).

By practicing in a random fashion, or doing variability or differential practice (links to more information about these at the bottom of this article), it encourages a mindset where you have to go through the mental and physical pre-shot preparation and analysis – a pre-requisite for practice which actually transfers to the golf course.

If you are hitting more than one shot every 20 seconds, it is very likely you are exercising and not practicing.

Good Players – Listen Up

I know a lot of players trying to make it. They are ‘working hard’ and practicing all hours of every day, in the hopes that one day they will break through to the big leagues.

The problem I see often is that these players substitute quality practice for quantity. That’s right – they think it is a race to 10,000 hours (no thanks to a bunch of books on the topic), or the winner is the person who hits the most golf balls. I can tell you that this is simply not true.

“A little quality practice will beat a large quantity of poor quality practice any day of the week”

So, put down the bucket of 10,000 golf balls and your earphones, and start practicing like you mean it. Make every ball count – even on the practice range.

Prepare for the shot like it is your last golf ball.
Use forms of practice which encourage learning, and not simply performance.
Add pressure to make it even more realistic

Cheers,

Adam
adamyounggolf.com

Who is NCAA

Initial Eligibility Checklist

Division I Standards

Recruiting Calendar

National Letter of Intent

Much, much more

Email us for a free copy of the NCAA’s Guide for College-Bound Student Athletes

juniorgolf@collegegolfcamps.com

There are so many “expert” junior golf parents roaming the fairways and pro shops miscommunicating their interpretations on NCAA rules or standards for college golf. We are certainly not the experts in NCAA and we encourage you to do the research yourself. Listening to what “they” say is not a great approach to understanding the confusing road map of college golf.

There are several rules that if you don’t know can hurt your junior golfer. There are some great websites and resources that can help you get answers. We cannot stress enough about starting early, know the rules, do the research and be careful of “expert” junior golf parents. It’s a very slippery slope if you wait to start the education process when your junior golfer is a junior or senior in high school.

Ok, so just because your junior golfer is talented at a young age does not mean scholarships are on the horizon. Many parents start dreaming of seeing their junior golfer play college golf when they are still in diapers swinging the plastic clubs. Which is great, but talent alone will not get your junior golfer into college. There are several websites you need to follow on a weekly basis to help you wade the waters of college golf. Rules change over time, for example the recent change in standardized testing.

Below is a list of 5 aspects you need to know about College Golf.

1. What is NLI stand for? National Letter of Intent – Did you know that the Ivy’s do not have NLI’s? From our understanding, the student-athlete receives a “likely” letter, which is not binding.

2. Contacting coaches – Junior golfers can contact college coaches 100 times a day if they so choose, however, it’s probably not a great tactic……college coaches may not contact junior golfers until a certain age.

3. NCAA – Division III – do Division III institutions award athletic scholarships? The answer is no they do not award athletic scholarships.

4. Camp contact – college coaches may only contact junior golfers of a certain age, again a confusing topic…..however, coaches are allowed to interact and talk with junior golfers of any age at camps.

5. SAT/ACT testing – These rules recently changed, parents of junior golfers should become an “expert” on the academic standards.

We are happy to email you a recent copy of the “Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete” which is produced by the NCAA. It helps students and parents take an active role in the NCAA eligibility process. Email us at juniorgolf@collegegolfcamps.com

It is important to understand why we’ve issued this short article. We are not a recruiting service, however these are a few of the topics we cover at all College Golf Camps™. Just like the NCAA says “As a future student-athlete, it is important that you become personally involved”. We are a junior golf camp organization on a mission to provide a higher level of understanding of college golf. The bottom line is parents need to become educated on the rules and regulations of college athletics. If your child is ineligible for some reason, no amount of love, money or talent can get him/her on a college golf team.

Websites that you need to bookmark on your computer:
ncaa.org
naia.org
njcaa.org

From our friends at Callaway Golf. Post by AJ Voepel on February 4, 2016

On this episode of The Fitting Room, Nate and AJ bring on Callaway Golf Ball R&D expert, Paul Guy, to talk about how golfers should go about fitting themselves for the proper golf ball.

Click here

Amazing Golf Trick Shots. Watch: Golf Team Shows Off Amazing Trick Shots. The San Diego State University women’s golf team show off their skills in a trick shot video that has since gone viral.

Golfweek.com – Allen Etzler

ORLANDO, Fla. — When Central Florida head coach Emily Marron attended a college golf camp that featured Stacy Lewis recently, it didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to the tournament that Marron’s program hosts each year: the UCF Challenge.

Lewis mentioned that Marron shouldn’t expect Houston to play in that tournament. Lewis’ fiancé, Cougars head coach Gerrod Chadwell, wasn’t sure if playing in a tournament that early in the year would be good for his team.

“He’ll probably play in it, and he’ll probably win the thing,” Marron recalled saying.

It’s as if she were holding a crystal ball.

Houston did play in the UCF Challenge, and on a cold and windy final day Tuesday, the Cougars gutted out a third straight 7-over 295 to finish at 21 over, edging Tulane by one stroke and capturing the title at Eagle Creek Golf Club.

East Carolina’s Frida Gustafsson Spang took home the individual title, shooting 3 under and finishing as the only player in the field to break par for the tournament. Missouri’s Michelle Butler shot even par to finish runner-up. Houston senior Raegan Bremer shot 1 under Tuesday to jump 16 spots into T-6 to lead the Cougars.

“We’re definitely going to come back next year now,” Chadwell said.

But the joking didn’t last long. Chadwell quickly became emotional after his team’s second victory in only its second season.

“This one is for (assistant coach) Lucy (Nunn),” Chadwell said. “She has pushed the girls, and pushed the girls and helped me through this change of seasons in my life. So, we’re going to let Lucy carry the trophy.”

The “change of seasons” to which Chadwell referred is his engagement to Lewis, which happened in November. Chadwell said he feels like the adjustment has caused him to be away from his team more than he is accustomed. But during his occasional absences, Nunn has stepped in and grown into what Chadwell called “one of the best assistants in women’s golf.”

Nunn, who came to Houston after an assistant coaching job at Kentucky didn’t work out, considered giving up coaching before Chadwell offered to bring her on board. He brought her in for an interview and tried to sell her on the job.

“She had a great interview,” Chadwell said. “The job was hers if she wanted it.”

Chadwell gave it some time before calling Nunn to see what she thought. She had already put a deposit down on an apartment in Houston.

“It’s really cool what’s happening with (Lewis and Chadwell),” said Nunn, a college teammate of Lewis at Arkansas. “Seeing them mesh has been great. But, for him to have that trust in me when he has to miss something has been the biggest thing in making me a better coach. He’s given me a lot that leadership role. The biggest thing was just getting comfortable as a coach and my personality and with this group I have just felt that freedom.”

Coming into the day, Houston sat in fourth place, six strokes behind leader Missouri. But the conditions made for difficult scoring for everyone. Only seven players in the 96-woman field broke par and no one shot better than 1 under. But fortunately for the Cougars, they had two players break par. Bremer birdied her final hole to get under par, and Yuka Kajiki fired a 1-under 71, as well, in what was a huge step up from the 80 she shot on Sunday.

“Yuka’s performance was unbelievable,” said Chadwell, who walked with Kajiki for much of her round. “And she’s capable of that, she had a really good fall. This tournament was really important to her, because she went to high school in the area (at Montverde Academy). I think just what she did in those conditions was great.”

Emily Gilbreth and Megan Thothong shot 76 and 77 on Tuesday, respectively, to round out Houston’s top scorers. Gilbreth, Thothong and Bremer coincidently have been the staple of the Cougars program since its inception. They have been the building blocks of a program that has become highly competitive quite quickly.

Gilbreth and Thothong came in as freshman, while Bremer transferred from UC Davis. Bremer had a rough experience with her first college coach and picking a coach that she would click with right away was the most important thing in her search for a transfer she said. She clicked so well with Chadwell that she never even visited the campus.

Gilbreth, meanwhile, was born and raised in Houston and when she found out about the program getting started in her hometown, she wasted no time.

“My whole recruiting process was really messed up,” Gilbreth said. “I didn’t look anywhere in Texas because I was 16 and I wanted to get as far away from home as possible. But I got a call from a family friend and when I heard UH was going to have a women’s program I immediately called and I said I want to be a part of this program.”

Gilbreth made a blind call to Houston’s men’s golf coach Jonathan Dismuke and asked if she could come on board. Dismuke was familiar with Gilbreth and thought she would be a good addition. So Gilbreth signed with Houston before the program even had a coach.

“It could have went south and really could have,” Gilbreth said. “I couldn’t have planned this better. This worked out so well.”

Gilbreth and Bremer didn’t mince any words on why they thought the team has been able to become so competitive so quickly: hard work and Gerrod Chadwell.

“(Chadwell) is an amazing recruiter, hands down I think that’s why,” Bremer said. “He has set the bar high and we work incredibly hard, I think that’s part of the reason because of how high we set the bar.”

Said Gilbreth: “It comes from (Chadwell) he has a huge drive to be successful and he wants to stay and build a program. We work with “Train to be Clutch.” We work in a lot of aspects off the course to bring those traits to the golf course.”

Chadwell admits his team hasn’t met his expectations yet, but “those expectations were probably unfair,” he said. But they’re ranked No. 46 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and will only move up with the win. They’re likely not ready to compete for a national title but they’ve proven they can hang around with some of the country’s top teams. And they’ve done so without getting players that are ranked as highly coming out of high school as other top schools.

“The biggest sell so far has had to be our coaches, because that’s all we really had since there was no program,” Chadwell said.

The coaches were enough for players like Gilbreth and Bremer, and they may be enough for players in the future. But if the Cougars continue to win, there will be plenty of other selling points.

Read more at golfweek.com

College Golf Camps®interviews USC’s Head Golf Coach, Andrea Gaston.

USC Women’s Golf is currently ranked #1 in Golfweek. Coach Gaston has won 3 National Championships at USC.

Informed Athlete with Rick Allen

Registration for new SAT Test Format

Friday, February 5, is the regular registration deadline for the next SAT test, which will be the first test in the new SAT format.

For the purposes of the NCAA Division I sliding scale, you may already know that it’s possible to combine the subscores from different test dates to achieve a score that will make you a Division I Qualifier. (For example, the verbal score from the October 3 SAT test could be combined with the math score from the November 7 SAT test for your NCAA Qualifier score.)

However, with the implementation of the new SAT test format starting, it will NOT be possible to combine a section score from the previous SAT format (taken prior to March 2016) with a score from the new redesigned test format. Only section scores from the same version of the test will be able to be combined for the purpose of NCAA eligibility.

If you have questions about qualifying test scores, or other aspects of the NCAA freshman eligibility requirements, contact us at rick at informedathlete.com, or 913-766-1235.

Rick Allen was one of the first full time NCAA compliance directors in the country and worked on-campus at two major Division I universities for over 25 years before starting Informed Athlete in 2008.

Because of his many years of hands-on experience working with and interpreting the NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA rules, he has a thorough understanding of how they work, how they are implemented, and how they overlap.

informedathlete.com