What does this quote from one of the greatest players in the history of golf mean? Let's first look at what defines the class of the best golfers in the world.
It is known that the best players primarily play in a repeatable manner, consistently achieving scores below 70 strokes in tournaments. How do they achieve this?
Let's start from the beginning... The skills of every golfer can be represented on a two-coordinate axis.
A beginner golfer starts at the intersection of these axes. They have no skills in terms of golf technique, physical preparation for golf, no knowledge of game strategy, or mental preparation.
How can they progress on these axes, moving upwards, downwards, left, and right? This happens with professional players from early childhood. However, for amateurs, it is usually a continuous pursuit of proper technique and sometimes improvement in game strategy, progressing left and downwards. Very few amateurs work on physical preparation and mental training.
The key to consistent progress is what Gary Player mentioned in his quote - Intensive Training. Let's imagine a vertical axis running from the intersection of these two axes. This axis represents Training.
The more intense, correct, and regular the training is, the faster we will progress in honing our golf skills. Let's look at two possible levels of intensity, quality, and regularity of training. Level 1 is illustrated by the blue lines in the graph below. As you can see, at this level, we progress right, left, down, and up on the other two axes, improving our golf skills. However, they reach a certain level.
If we intensify our training (green lines), as shown, we will achieve a higher level of golf skills. As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect," as Gary Player put it differently in his quote.
Amateur golfers generally neglect training. They hit a certain number of balls at the driving range without a clear goal. They rarely practice putting, even less frequently short game and bunker shots. They practically ignore mental preparation, game strategy training, and special physical exercises. That is why their golf development is limited, and they usually plateau at a handicap around single-digit levels. Achieving a handicap of 0 remains an elusive dream.
Amateurs mostly focus on improving their swing technique, which rarely reaches a high level. I would like to provide three important recommendations regarding the learning or correction of technique:
a. The process of learning or correcting a golf swing takes time. Sometimes it takes weeks or even months. Correcting an incorrect swing is more tedious and requires patience.
b. This process should be initially performed without a club and without a ball, and it should be done slowly and consciously. This way, learning a new swing or correcting an old one will progress faster.
c. The role of a coach in this process (even among the world's top professionals) can be best described by these three quotes: Tiger Woods - "Two pairs of eyes see better than one," Usain Bolt - "What do I need a coach for? To say 'Do it again'," Tom Landry (considered the best American football coach) - "A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear, who sees what you don't want to see, so you can become the person you've always wanted to be."
There is no doubt that everyone (even amateurs) should have their instructor or coach (even occasionally). Świątek, Lewandowski, Stoch, Małysz, Messi - all of them had or have their coaches, and they are world-class athletes. So, what can be said about an amateur who wants to improve their handicap from 24 to 18?
Therefore, let's examine what proper golf training entails and how to approach it.
Without a plan, the training will not only be chaotic and irregular, but we will also not know exactly what we are practicing. How to create a good and realistic training plan?
a. Determine how many hours per week you can and want to dedicate to training. Not games, but training. Then multiply that number of hours by 4 to get the monthly hours. That is the foundation.
b. Determine which aspects of your game you will practice. How? Play three rounds of golf at your best (four or five would be better, but three is enough to start with). During these rounds, record the following elements:
For example, if you made three greens in regulation, you have 15 holes where you missed the green. On four of those 15 holes, you made par. So, you divide 4 by 15, resulting in a 26% scrambling rate.
Calculate the average of these elements from the three rounds. For example, if you have a handicap of 18 and achieved the following results:
Gross score: 95, 96, 92 = 283/3 = 94Number of putts: 34, 36, 35 = 35Number of GIR: 2, 3, 2 = 7/3 = 2.3Scrambling percentage: 10, 25, 15 = 16.6%
Based on the standard tables (which you can find online) for your handicap, the average score is too high and should be around 86-90. The number of putts is within the norm - 35. The number of GIR is too low and should be around 4. Your scrambling rate is within the norm - 16%. So, the problem lies in your long game, indicated by the score and number of GIR. The other elements are within the norm. By working on your long game while maintaining putting and short game levels, you can reduce your score by 3-4 strokes and achieve a handicap of 14-15. That should be your first goal.
During the month, you should dedicate 80% of your training time to the long game, improving your full swing, and 10% each to maintaining putting and short game at their current levels (they will improve due to regular training).
Assuming you have committed to three hours of training per week, you have a total of 12 hours per month, which can be distributed as follows:
Here's an example of how your training cycle could look over a span of four weeks. Of course, you can adjust the training days to fit your work schedule, household tasks, etc. However, you should not exceed two hours of training per day with this assumption.
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
You can use the free days during the week for playing rounds, and you will still have 2-3 free days per month. You can use them for additional training, playing, or taking a rest 😊
Remember, consistent and focused training is the key to improving your golf skills and achieving your desired handicap. Good luck on your golf journey! 🏌️♂️