5/25/23

Allen Iverson, the great Georgetown and NBA basketball player, once famously derided the value of practice versus playing. His basic point was that when it was game time, he was fully committed to excelling and that that type of commitment to practice was not necessary or important.  I am a great admirer of Iverson, but I don’t agree with his stated approach to the importance of practice. In fact, especially in golf, I think that practice is essential to playing well on the course. More importantly, effective practice is a vital part of executing well in a round of golf.

As I mentioned in my last post, I spend a lot of time hitting golf balls.  That has not always been a good choice for me for several aforementioned reasons.  One reason that was not previously mentioned is that practicing ineffectively actually can be detrimental to your game. I learned the hard way that mindlessly hitting buckets of balls at the range is not the answer to improving your game long term.  You might find some “band aid” solution from time to time, but repeatable progress must be ingrained purposefully and strategically if it’s going to be effective consistently on the golf course. Having been a high school teacher and coach for many years, I learned early that well organized and goal-oriented lesson plans are not only essential in the academic classroom but also in the athletic classroom. Creating goals and assessments for students from Day 1 is the only way to improve effectively long term. Simulating game conditions in practice, based on practical goals and accurate assessments, translates well to consistent performance success.

Interestingly, I didn’t “figure it out” for my golf game until recently. About a month ago, a friend gave me a book to read that changed my approach to golf (dare I say life?) completely. Not only did it help me with golf, but it offered more productive ways to process my life’s journey. The book is called Every Shot Must Have a Purpose. The authors are Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott, along with sportswriter Ron Sirak.  Nilsson and Marriott coached Annika Sorenstam, among others.  I have read a lot of books about golf, but this one has had the greatest impact on me by far! I am very grateful to my friend, Mike, for giving me this great gift!

Without going into too much painful detail, thanks to “the book,” I now practice golf with a strategic purpose in mind, much like how I tried to teach my classes and coach my teams. I take notes on my practice so that I can be consistent in how I practice (and play). Also, I play “competitive games” with myself when I practice. I keep statistics on those games. My purpose at the range or practice short game area is to constantly assess how I am performing, as opposed to just hitting balls mindlessly.  “Every shot must have a purpose!” I pick out targets and play rounds based on my mental image of the courses that I play. Even though I am at the range, I am playing holes as I would on the course. Rarely do I hit the same club twice at the range, as would be the case on the course. I keep my score. When I head to the short game area, I keep track of chips and putts attempted successfully and unsuccessfully. Keeping track of how I am practicing helps me simulate the pressure of keeping track of my score when I am playing. I try to beat my practice score the next time out, just like I do on the course. I find that my practice has become more enjoyable, efficient, and shorter.  Now when I practice, I am really playing golf and trying to score better, not just hitting balls. To paraphrase Allen Iverson, “I am talking about practice!!” I am learning to talk about practice and playing with the same voice, purpose, and joy.