The Golf Coaches

I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Legend Byron Nelson

I was just a young, naive athlete, and I thought I knew it all and that I would conquer everything. Mr. Nelson and I, were in his home, surrounded by his awards, his many accomplishments and his many, many trophies of great, Major victories. I was honestly in awe looking at them all, while we spoke of his time in golf and mine. In my mind, I knew I would one day hold one of the trophies as my own, celebrating victory, and that's all I could focus on. As we talked, Mr. Nelson knew what I was thinking, he knew the pursuit of athlete's ... he lived it ... he prevailed thru the peaks and the valleys that we all face. He looked at me and asked

"Do you know what those trophies are for?"

Every Athlete Needs Goals

Goals are what keep athletes engaged in their sport. There are really 3 types of goals, short term goals, long term goals, and ultimate or career goals. We will use "switchback" stairs as analogy for our goals. The short term goals are the landings between staircases. The long term goals, are the stories you climb, and the ultimate goal or career goal is at the top.

Short term goals can be accomplished usually in a day or a few weeks, they only require a short period of time to reach and are what we use to track our progress as we move along our path.

Short term goals can include:

Have fun
Enjoy the sport
Learn more
Make friends
Get better at a specific skill

Long term goals take time, a longer period of time and require us accomplishing our short term goals to reach the long term goals.

Typical Long term goals can include:

Making a team
Breaking personal records
Winning an Event

Then we have the ultimate goals. Ultimate goals are along ways away from where we currently are. They require years to reach, sometimes entire careers. I won't list those, you know what they are, they are your desires, they are the dreams you have, the reason you push your self thru each valley and up to the top of the next peak. Ultimate goals give you the passion and desire to continue climbing the stairs.

Athlete Development

has many components that you should ultimately be in control of. As an athlete, one component is your team. The team around you is your choice. That team should put you and you reaching your goals at the center of the circle. The team should be comprised of your coaches and your family or support system. This team (with your input) should create each step that you will climb in route to achieving each short term goal. Adjusting and pivoting the steps of your development along the way to help you achieve your long term goals. Be sure that your plan follows the cycle of Athlete Development.

The steps for Athlete Development are:

Skill Building
You gain competence and confidence
You compete in drills or in competitions
You evaluate your failures or deficiencies
You repeat the cycle

As you continue along your journey of development, your team may change, your long term goals may change, and your ultimate goals may change as well, but be sure that you achieving your goals is always the driving force of your team.

Recreational Golfers

Recreational golfers make up the largest segment of golfers in the world. One of the many reasons you play this great sport is for the challenge and to improve. You are n athlete, and The Golf coaches are going to help you develop and enjoy your game more. Golf is a great sport for you, and you can play it your entire life, with family and friends of all abilities.

We have started talking about the steps you need to take to develop, so let's look at how to actually do that.

Your practice should be broken down into thirds.

What does that mean? Each time you practice one of the 5 skills you should break the amount of time you spend into 3 equal parts. Each third will have it's own focus:

The first third, the focus is on the how to hit the shot, the movements, the technique to perform the skill.
The second third your focus is going to be on a drill. You are focusing not on the technique, but on accomplishing the tasks of the drill.
The final third your focus will be on simulating play. You will incorporate your full pre-shot routine and execute the shot.

Let's break that down into an example. You have an hour to practice and you want to work on chipping. The first 20 minutes of your practice will be on your technique. Focusing on how you move the club, and the shot you produce. Making adjustments to your technique and evaluating the results of those adjustments. The next 20 minutes, you will spend performing a drill. It can be a distance control drill, accuracy drill, carry distance drill. If you need drills, as they are a vital part of your development, access The Golf Coaches Video Database. For the final 20 minutes you will simulate playing on the course. This is where you put your technique work and drills to the test. Full pre-shot routine and execute.

This is the best way to develop a skill faster and implement it in play.

Here are some additional short game drills

For Advanced to Elite/High Performance Players

Each numbered practice block is to be practiced for only 45 minutes.

Pitching

1. Land on towel from 20, 25, 30, 35 & 40yds - 5 balls from each yardage, then repeat in reverse order moving forward to each yardage.
Then pitching to the hole from 20, 25, 30, 35 & 40yds – 5 balls from each yardage, then repeat moving forward to each yardage.

2. Flop shots from 20, 25, 30 & 35yds landing on a towel - 5 balls from each yardage, then repeat moving forward to each yardage.

Flop shots from 20, 25, 30 & 35yds to a hole - 5 balls from each yardage, then repeat moving forward to each yardage.

3. Start by hitting a shot at a 20yard target, then hit the next shot just passed the first and see if you can continue that up to 75 yards and track how many balls you can make. When you miss start over. Repeat it until 45 minutes is up and record your best score. Try to beat that record in 2 weeks.

Bunkers

1. Create and hit from Bad Lies to 10' of pin or better & Good Lies to 5' or better - 20-25mins for each lie condition
2. Shots to 10' or better from 10, 15, 20, 25, & 30yds - 5 to 8 balls per distance, with full pre-shot routine before each shot.

3. High soft shots for 30 minutes to short sided target & Mid running shots for 15 minutes to a target across the green.

4. Fairway Bunker shots from 60, 90, 120 & 150yds onto green (or space for green) 5 to 8 balls from each yardage with full pre-shot routine.

Chipping

1. Chipping from 30' & 45' to two paces or better
2. Chipping from 45' with Bad Lies to 3paces & chipping from Good Lies to 1 pace (Bad Lies for 30 mins & Good Lies for 15mins)

3. Chipping 2 Ball Drill – 2 balls, full pre-shot routine for each shot to one hole at least 45’ away.

If both balls are within 1 pace or one goes in, move to another shot/hole and repeat the process. If you don’t hit both inside of that or make one, stay at the same shot for up to 3 total tries with both balls. You must go thru your full pre-shot routine for every shot.

4. Make a 15yard long track with “Out of Bounds” sides and start and finish line. See how many balls you can chip just passed starting line while staying within OB lines and hitting each shot just passed the previous until you reach the finish line. If you miss start over. Record your best results, and try to beat in 2 weeks.

5. Just like 4 above but chip to finish line first then see how many you can hit just shorter than the previous until you reach starting line. Track results and try to beat in 2 weeks.

Remember you are developing 5 skills

5 skills to Master

Most of us have heard of the 10 year or 10,000 hour rule of practice to develop mastery in a skill. That is one skill, playing a musical instrument is one skill, golf has 5 skills to master. They are Full Swing, Pitching, Chipping, Bunkers and Putting. Each skill possessing a multitude of speciality shots, such as low, high, draw, fade, soft, running, etc. Not only is there 5 skills, but the environment we are practicing in, or playing in is always changing. Your body changes due to exercise, sleep patterns and diet. Along with your mind, it changes as you develop, age, and it changes based on fatigue, rest, exercise and diet as well. Finally we are trying to manage the equipment as we work thru the development of your 5 skills. Golf takes 17 years of quality and consistent practice to master your skills and to apply whatever skill you need when ever it is called upon.

An athlete in Golf has a long journey, the staircase has many landings and many stories before you reach your ultimate goal.

The Golf Coaches

What are Trophies For?

I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Legend Byron Nelson

First, let's figure out what this journey is all about.

Every Athlete Needs Goals

Second, let's talk about the steps on the stairs.

Athlete Development

Recreational Golfers

Competitive & Elite Golfers

Here are some additional short game drills

For Advanced to Elite/High Performance Players

Access our Video Database for more drills

Remember you are developing 5 skills

5 skills to Master

Which brings us back to Mr. Nelson's question

Need drills for your practice?

Need more resources

Let us know how else we can help

The Golf Coaches

What are Trophies For?

I had the opportunity to spend some time with the Legend Byron Nelson

First, let's figure out what this journey is all about.

Every Athlete Needs Goals

Second, let's talk about the steps on the stairs.

Athlete Development

Recreational Golfers

Competitive & Elite Golfers

Here are some additional short game drills

For Advanced to Elite/High Performance Players

Access our Video Database for more drills

Remember you are developing 5 skills

5 skills to Master

Which brings us back to Mr. Nelson's question

Need drills for your practice?

Need more resources

Let us know how else we can help

The Golf Coaches

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