Juniors Only

Build a Callous

I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be involved with helping to train some of the top players in the world. When training a golfer to achieve their peak performance, one concept that we continually keep in mind is one that I call "building a competitive callous". One of the goals of mental training is for the golfer to be challenged in his or her training on a daily basis such that they feel continual "positive pressure". This helps minimize the differential between the practice and competitive environments. Many golfers, amateur and professional alike, train with a level of intensity and purposefulness that is much less rigorous than the actual competitive environment. When we design a schedule for peak performance, we want the golfer's practice protocols to be fixed, intentional, and very specific. As an example, when practicing chipping just prior to an event, we will usually suggest the player change targets after every chip. Additionally, we want the player to set a goal of getting a certain number of chips within a certain radius of their target before moving on to the next drill. This "forces" the player to take more time on each shot, be more deliberate and thorough in preparation, and evaluate with a tangible number of successes to count. Another example is when practicing putting. With the exception of those times when a player is working specifically on a technical aspect of their putting, we like the player to prepare for each practice putt the same way s/he might prepare for a putt in competition. That involves the full pre-putt routine, which always includes reading the green. The concept of "positive practice" is as follows ... why would you expect 100% results in your practice if you don't put forth 100% preparation to make the putt? This is in stark contrast with the many players that are seen practicing putting who simply drop down five or ten balls, striking one after another in the general direction of a hole in machine gun-like fashion. This type of practice is immeasurably inefficient and bears little resemblance to the procedures followed in tournament play. The bottom line here is, quality practice develops the callous that mentally toughens the golfer to endure the rigors of competition. Make sure your practice plan challenges you to stay focused, remain on task, and maximize productivity!