Performance Archives - Lifetime Performance

The Junior Tennis Player Dilemma

by Ken | Apr 8, 2018 | Performance, Training

How Much Is Enough – The Junior Golf Player Dilemma

Working in South Florida as a Sports Performance Specialist, I come across a lot of athletes who play their sport year-round. While this does have its obvious advantages…getting in a lot of practice, more options for competitive play, full time coaching, etc., the never slow down pace can be detrimental to the athlete’s physical health as well as their mental well-being. Tennis is a great example of a sport where year-round play is commonplace. The concept of more is better seems to be shared all too often by parents and coaches. While on a surface level this sounds like the right approach, when we look at the research, the reality is we might be doing more harm than good.

It is important to remember why our children got involved with the sport to begin with. It was fun! For the child to exceed at the sport long term it must stay fun to them! There is a fine line between motivating your child to stay disciplined to achieve the most out of their potential and becoming overbearing, forcing continuous play. Growing up I played golf in high school. I was not very good my freshman year averaging 46 for nine holes. My sophomore year I improved exponentially, averaging 39. Part of that was due to my father joining a country club over the summer. This obviously allowed me to play and practice more often. I should mention that I grew up in New Jersey, a state known for its high temperatures in the summers and low temperatures in the winter. This made playing and practicing from November till May nearly impossible as it was just too cold. As a result, I played other sports! By the end of my senior year I earned a scholarship to a division one school for golf. This was accomplished by only playing and practicing for half a year and without much coaching supervision. Yes, I worked hard, but I had other interests and because of the forced break due to the weather, I was able to become passionate again about the game every spring. This also kept me healthy as I never had to deal with overuse injuries. You would think my performance would suffer, however each summer I improved and won more and more tournaments. In fact, if you do the research you will see that the best athletes of today in all sports were multi-sport athletes up to the age of about 15.

You might be saying well tennis is different…you need to be playing all the time to get better. The competition is just too stiff. There was a study done in Poland taking over 1000 junior tennis players from over 40 countries and tracking them from 1994 to 2002. The average age was 12 to 13 years old. What they found was the better players as adults were smaller than average for their age, were less powerful, were faster and more agile, started playing tournaments at age 11 and only played about 45 to 50 singles matches per year. They also only practiced around 10 hours per week which was below average for the group. Some of the athletes documented in the study were Roger Federer, Kim Clijsters and many other notable tennis professionals. They also participated in more fitness sessions than their peers as juniors during the study. Their parents were supportive but not overly involved.

In another study done taking into account 1200 kids between years of 8 eight and 13, The researcher found that kids who spent more hours a week then their age at that one sport were 70% more likely to have a serious injury or burn out from the sport.

ITF recommendations:
9-11 yr olds: One hour a day, 3 to 4 times a week playing or practicing tennis. 70% of their time on tennis and 30% of their time on other sports.
12-14 yr olds: 2 to 3 hours a day, 4 to 5 times a week practicing or playing tennis with fitness included. 85% of their time on tennis and 15% of their time on other sports.

My recommendation would be to play multiple sports up until freshman year in high school and make sure to take time off throughout the calendar year…that means no tennis. We need to make sure the sport stays fun and that our children continue to play at a high-level while reducing the risk of injury by monitoring their hours each week.

Power and Speed For the Senior Golfer

by Ken | Jun 16, 2017 | Performance

Power and Speed For the Senior Golfer

The Facts Behind Resistance and Power Training for Older Adults In The Sport Of Golf

Power and speed for the senior golfer can be challenging, but manageable with the right training. Lifetime Performance understands that as we age, our body experiences certain physiological changes that have a direct affect on strength and power production. Consequently, we may lose the functional capacity to carry out everyday activities. In addition, it becomes difficult to maintain a high degree of ability in sports such as tennis, racquetball, and golf. Golf is becoming an increasingly popular sport with more and more seniors playing later, and longer, in life. A main concern with golfers is how to get more distance off the tee. It is theorized that resistance and power/speed training will not only elicit improved functional movements, but also help to increase club head speed even among middle aged and older adults.

Lifetime Performance works with mostly recreational golfers who fall within this age category. More often than not, the desire to hit the ball further with the irons and driver is the most frequently given reason for beginning a golf specific exercise program. While flexibility and lower body and core stability are essential and preceding requirements for a powerful and efficient golf swing, let’s face it, the golf swing itself occurs in less than two seconds. We need to produce a large amount of force quickly if we want to hit par 5’s in two, or par 4’s for that matter! How do we enhance that ability to produce movement rapidly? Through strength and power training!

The Physiology of Aging Muscle

As we age, our ability to sustain skeletal muscle mass and produce power greatly diminish. This drop in the cross sectional area of muscle is referred to as Sarcopenia. Sarcopenia can greatly impair physical function and contribute to a look of frailty among older adults. Therefore, it can become increasingly difficult to carry out simple daily activities that require some degree of power, strength and balance.

Recent research has shown that after the age of fifty, men and women lose close to 1-2% of their muscle mass and 3 – 5% of their power potential per year. Tissue growth can become impaired through age related hormonal changes, such as a decrease in testosterone levels and growth hormones. The loss of muscle mass because of the death of motoneurons within the spinal cord will lower the muscle fiber numbers. A muscle fiber without a neural drive from the brain is like a car without a battery. With the loss of muscle fibers comes a loss in muscle mass affecting our force producing ability.

Muscle power involves a speed and strength or force component. Within the body, type II muscle fibers are responsible for generating quick, explosive movements. They can produce four times the power of a type I muscle fiber. Our trainers utilize explosive and ballistic type exercises to extract the power potential of these type II muscle fibers. Getting type II muscle fibers to activate becomes increasingly difficult as we get older and are affected by age for a number of reasons. First, the tension within the muscle fiber decreases as we get older. This can occur in both type I and type II muscle fibers. This means that our force producing capabilities are reduced. Second, the speed at which the muscles contract in older adults is reduced by about 25%. Third, the electrical signal sent from the brain slows down or can become delayed resulting in reduced excitability of the muscle. This can affect the number of muscles recruited, the muscles’ firing rate, and co-activation of the muscles.

Effects of Resistance and Power Training on Golf Club Head Speed

The sport of golf is widely played by many middle age and older adults and involves a high velocity movement with multiple accelerating and decelerating parts. To control this high degree of force; the body must possess stability, mobility, and balance, all in the correct areas of the body’s kinetic chain. If that chain is dysfunctional, both force and power, found in club head speed, may be sacrificed.

In a recent study, eleven middle to older age male golfers’ full golf swing was analyzed for club head speed (CS) and driving distance (DD) before and after an 8-week training program. The experimental group consisted of 6 participants. They each did weight and plyometric training twice a week while the control group, consisting of 5 participants, continued their normal training. The experimental group performed three sets of 6 – 8 repetitions of a combination of free weight resistance training and plyometric medicine ball work. The control group did mainly cardiovascular work with light machine exercises. After eight weeks, the experimental group showed an increase of 1.5% in CS, which equated to an increase in DD of 4.3 meters. The control group showed no improvement.

The affect of functional training on club head speed among older golfers was also published in a recent report. Eighteen male golfers, mean age of 70.7 years, were randomly assigned to an exercise group of 11 golfers, or a control group comprised of 7 golfers. The subjects participated in an 8-week functional training program including mobility exercises, stability exercises, core exercises, balance exercises, resistance exercises, and power exercises. They were all instructed not to take any golf lessons during the program. The exercise group showed a significant increase in club head speed amounting to 4.9%. Club head speed for the control group showed a slight decrease. In summary, this study detailed the significance of functional and power training behind the goal of increasing golf club head speed.

As with all sports, power is dependant on other factors like elasticity of the muscles, tendons and ligaments, rate of force development (ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch muscle fibers), and stability within the joints. Golf is no exception, placing a considerable emphasis on core and lower body stability. Since power is produced from the ground up, deficiency in the core area can result in faulty swing mechanics and an altered swing sequence. To elaborate, from the top of the back swing, power is generated by the initial acceleration of the hips, followed by the trunk, followed by the arms, and finally through the hands at impact. Each sequential body part must decelerate to allow for force transfer to the next moving part. This must all happen over a stable base of support. As part of the aging process, we lose joint space, flexibility will begin to decrease and rate of power development can slow. However, by engaging in a performance based training program that emphasizes mobility and power generation, the slowing of this decline may be achieved and even improved. Training will make power and speed for senior golfers obtainable.

Keep It Cool On The Course

by Ken | Feb 3, 2017 | Performance

Keep It Cool On The Course

Here in Florida, where heat indexes can exceed 100 plus degrees, the on-set of heat related illnesses should be a matter of concern from a health and performance standpoint particularly for children. With the advent of golf carts, most adults enjoy a reprieve from the effects of the heat; however most tournaments and golf courses for that matter require the child to walk with their bag. During my days of junior golf, I remember playing the Big I Junior Championship in Nashville, Tennessee. Temperatures reached upwards of 105 degrees Fahrenheit and before the tournament was over three children were hospitalized with heat exhaustion. Knowing the signs and symptoms and taking the proper precautions can not only save your child’s life, but improve performance as well.

Parents should be aware that children are more prone to dehydration and heat illness than adults. This is for a number of reasons. Children have more body surface area per pound of weight causing a greater heat gain from the environment on a hot day. Children produce more metabolic heat per mass unit than adults during activities like walking a golf course and children don’t sweat as much as adults hindering the body’s ability to cool itself.

The nervous system is responsible for maintaining a healthy body temperature, but when the temperature rises too much and the body cannot transfer enough heat to the skin to keep us cool, a heat illness can occur. Bottom line, the higher the temperatures the greater the toll on the child.

It is important to understand that dehydration can set in before the child becomes thirsty. If this occurs they can expect to feel fatigue, irritable, overly hot and dryness of the mouth. After dehydration has set in the early stages of heat illness may soon follow. Painful cramping, weakness, nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, vomiting, chills, vision problems, excessive thirst are all signs of heat syncope and exhaustion.

Preventative measures:

- Enforce periodic drinking – 5 oz every 20 minutes for a child under 90 pounds
- Enforce periodic drinking – 9 oz every 20 minutes for an adolescent over 130 pounds.
- Add sodium chloride (salt) to the child’s flavored sport drink – a half teaspoon (1g) per 32oz sport drink. This will enhance voluntary drinking.
- Avoid drinks with caffeine
- Have your child use an umbrella to shade him/her from the sun
- Drink plenty of fluid the night before and the morning of a tournament.

From a performance standpoint, it has been shown that just a 2% loss of body weight due to sweating is enough to have a considerable impact on performance. Additionally, when your body begins to thermoregulate itself, blood is taken from the working muscle to the skin to help initiate the cooling process. As a result, the individual’s heart rate will increase making the chances of draining that four foot putt to force a playoff even that much harder.

Unfortunately, there are times when the initial stages of heat illness go unseen and the full blown effects of dangerous illness like heat exhaustion and heat stroke become painfully obvious. There are some steps you can take to help curb the symptoms of these illnesses.

Cool them by fanning them

While golf cannot be compared the physical demands of sports like football, it is an outside sport non-the-less making its competitors subject to the dangerous exposures of the sun. Taking the proper precautions may help keep your child safe and may even give them an advantage over the rest of the field.

The World Golf Fitness Summit

by Ken | Feb 3, 2017 | Performance

The World Golf Fitness Summit

Last weekend I spent three days at the World Golf Fitness Summit listening to lectures, checking out new vendor products, networking with other fitness professionals and working out. This gathering is a huge “nerd fest” for fitness enthusiasts and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it!

Although it is called the World Golf Fitness Summit (I listened to lectures on a variety of subjects from Neuro-learning for golf to centrating the shoulder joint) the topics really encompassed all aspects of fitness, not just those relating to golf. I think it’s important to attend these events for a number of reasons: It can qualify as continuing education for most trainers and physical therapists; it offers an environment to network; and most importantly, I always seem to walk away with at least a few nuggets of wisdom that I can immediately apply to my current training. With that in mind, I must now thank my Monday clients, who inevitably become the victims of my new-found ideas and training approaches..

Over the years I have spent a great deal of time actively pursuing information from a variety of sources – the web, newsletters, website memberships, online articles and books. I have acquired a broad understanding and knowledge of the latest fitness, nutrition and corrective exercise trends and theories. I also typically attend 3-4 events a year ranging from small intimate seminars to large gatherings like this most recent. After a while, there becomes very little “new” information. What I DO walk away with from these events are the two “R’s”: REMINDERS and REINFORCERS. Both hold tremendous value with me. The “Reminders” are ideas, exercises and concepts that I had learned at one time, but had forgotten about or programmed them out of my fitness repertoire without realizing it. The “Reinforcers” can be anything from confirmation that my exercise programming is on par with the industry’s best, to knowing how to coach my weight-loss clients to lose the most weight possible through exercise. I took away three big “R’s” from this past conference.

1. The notion of Recovery as an essential part of the process towards a fitter and healthier life. Recovery can be but is not limited to massage, hot/cold showers, nutrition, corrective exercise, stretching and sleeping. Essentially it’s anything that allows our body to better adapt to the continuous stresses we put on it through exercise. While the exercise we do breaks down our body, its the recovery we must follow through with to maximize our results. Below are some tips to help enhance your recovery time:

A. Drink a plant based protein shake immediately after your workout

B. Supplement with a free form amino-acid drink before your workouts

C. Keep up with your stretching and corrective exercises on off days

D. Take complete rest days!

E. Get 8 hours sleep

F. Eat protein at every meal and don’t skip breakfast

G. Drink plenty of water throughout the day

2. Instructing junior golfers in the 6-9 age range must focus on FUNdamentals. In other words, trying to teach kids the same way you would teach adults will not work. The main point here is to avoid early specialization with kids. To develop a great golfer, kids must learn to play all sports and continually put themselves through learning based movements like kicking, striking, throwing, catching, jumping and running. This is a major part of what is called the Long Term Athletic Development Program. The point being, learning to play great golf requires building the overall athlete. I have utilized this approach in the past when designing summer training programs for junior golf camps. Our drills had to achieve three things to capture a junior’s attention. First, kids want to have fun so every drill had to be enjoyable to them. Secondly, kids want to learn, so each exercise is related to one of the specific movement skills I described above. Thirdly, kids want to compete, so at the end of every session we awarded prizes to the winning teams or we made each drill an event where one child could compete against another.

3. The most thought provoking and informative lecture I attended was by a man named Don Tolman. When you hear him speak concerning the state of education and learning, you will know why he proudly states that he holds no credentials, certifications or degrees. He does claim to have spent many of his early years gathering a wealth of knowledge on holistic healing through real life experiences spending time with age old native tribes in countries across the world. He was introduced by the MC as the man who to prove the resilient powers of the human body, went 40 days without food and then ran a marathon after drinking a quart of grape juice immediately before the race. While I disagreed with some of his points, his main message was clear and undeniable. If we pollute our bodies with processed, unnatural, and toxic food, drink and medicine we open ourselves up to a variety of widespread and all too common diseases, deficiencies and toxicities. If we just ate what the land offered us and supplemented when we suffered symptoms of deficiencies we would live a longer, healthier and more active life. The way God intended. He challenged me to think beyond what was fed to me by the endless bombardment of commercials and ads on the latest energy drinks, nutrition fads, E.D. meds, and fast food. I could go on a huge rant here, but I won’t. Instead I will offer your some small tips about eating well that I needed to be reminded of.

A. Eat REAL food

B. Eat REAL food and mostly fruits and vegetables

C. If you want “Buns and Rolls” eat Buns and Rolls. (Sorry I can’t take credit for that one, that was a Tolman line!)

D. If you are deficient in a nutrient, supplement

E. Drink lots of water

A Developmental Guide For The Junior Golfer: What Parents Should Know

by Ken | Feb 3, 2017 | Performance

Junior Golf Training In Palm Beach Gardens

Here is a guide for junior golfers and what parents should know. I am often asked the question; at what age should my child begin working out for golf? The answer to this question is not as cut and dry as one might think. Most of us know children mature at different rates. What most of us do not know is that every child has an optimal time or “window of opportunity” for developing the various physical qualities that will propel them towards high levels of athletic achievement. These periods of physiological development are known as “sensitive periods”. These periods occur when a child’s potential for physical adaptation to specific sports training stimulus is greatest. Each child’s “sensitive period” is different particularly when comparing males to females. For example, the rate of strength development for girls occurs earlier than boys due to the onset of puberty at a younger age. This difference in the developmental stage indicates that girls are more likely to benefit from strength training at an earlier age than boys. If the child does not engage in sports or physical activities during these periods, the result will be a permanent loss of fitness and athletic potential.

Common Mistakes Made By Coaches And Parents

Coaches often make the mistake of training children between the ages of 10 and 16 based on their chronological age rather than their developmental age. Research has shown that chronological age is not a good indicator to begin athletic development training programs for young golfers. There is too much variation in the physical, cognitive and emotional maturation of athletes within this age group. Taking a physical training program and scaling it down for a junior is not a great alternative…kids are not mini adults and should not be trained like them. The best way to determine a child’s developmental age is to identify their Peak Height Velocity (PHV) or their growth spurt. This typically occurs between the ages of 12-14 in both girls and boys. At this time their ability to adapt to the physical stressors demanded of them is heightened and results can come quickly, ultimately dictating their future in athletics. This optimal window of accelerated adaptation will include improvements in stamina (endurance), strength, speed, skill, and suppleness (flexibility).

A mistake parents make, is that they have their child specialize in golf (or other sports) at too early an age. If the child is only playing one sport during their developmental years (5 – 12) their “physical literacy” (a term coined by the Titleist Performance Institute) will never have a chance to progress. Physical literacy means the development of fundamental movement skills (FMS) and fundamental sport skills (FSS). This should allow a child to engage in a wide variety of physical activities with confidence and efficiency before the onset of the growth spurt. It is widely written that the best golfers and athletes were multi-sport competitors whose natural athleticism was cultivated before their sport specific skills. Some of the best athletes and golfers in the world played other sports during their college and professional careers. Below is a list of some of the best golfers on tour and retired who played multiple sports well into high school and college:

Gary Woodland: College Basketball

Dustin Johnson: High School Basketball

Hale Irwin: College Football

Martin Kaymer: Professional Soccer

Sergio Garcia: Amateur Tennis

Matt Kuchar: Amateur Tennis

Jerry Kelly: College Hockey

John Brodie: Professional Football

Johnattan Vegas: Baseball

Ricky Barnes: High School Football and Baseball

Rickie Fowler: Motorcross

Sam Snead: High School Football and Track

Fred Funk: Golden Gloves Boxing

Stuart Appleby: Rugby

Jack Nicklaus: High School Basketball and Football

Tiger Woods: All around athlete

Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD)

This term and most of the research done on this topic was brought to attention by Istvan Balyi, a doctor from the National Coaching Institute in British Columbia, Canada. He has concluded, through intensive study and research, that long-term commitment to practice and training is required to produce elite players in all sports. “Ultimately, sustained success comes from training and performing well over the long-term rather than winning in the short-term.” By applying well thought out training programs and devoting the appropriate amount of time to competition and practice during a child’s peak years of development, the coach or parent will ensure optimum development throughout the athlete’s career. LTAD is defined by its five-stage model. Each stage details how to enhance the appropriate physical development of a child from the age of 5 through college.

FUNdamentals: Males 6-9/Females 6-8 years of age

Learning to Train: Males 9-12/Females 8-11 years of age

Training to Train: Males 12-16/ Females 11-15 years of age

Training to Compete: Males 16-18/ Females 15-17 years of age

Training to Win: Males 18 and older/ Females 17 years and older

Stage 1 – FUNdamentals (Males 6-9; Females 6-8)

It is during this stage of development that children should learn and master Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS). The foundation for future athletic prowess is established during these years. The focus should be on building basic motor skills like running, jumping, skipping, throwing, kicking, balance, coordination, speed, and agility. These are all skills that should naturally develop through play. Unfortunately, in an age where technology is so advanced, it is more appealing now for a child to sit around and play video games and watch TV instead of going outside to climb trees, play on jungle gyms, and throw and kick balls.

At this stage participation in as many different sports (3-4 is ideal) as possible is of key importance. Speed, power and endurance are developed through the design of FUN games that are competitive and keep the kids interested. Proper techniques on throwing, running, and kicking can be taught to ensure correct form is cultivated and carried over to the next stage of development. It is during this time that the first “window of opportunity for accelerated adaptation” occurs for speed development in boys and girls. Exercise programs should focus on challenging the child to run as hard as he/she can, change direction as quickly as possible and as related to golf, swing a lightly weighted instrument with speed and velocity. Acquiring the basic motor skills during this stage will have a strong carryover to the development of their Fundamental Sports Skills (FSS) during the next stage.

Stage 2 – Learning To Train (Males 9-12; Females 8-11)

This is arguably the most important and pivotal stage to the development of the young golfer. It is during this time that children are physiologically ready to obtain the general overall sport skills required for athletic development. In the prepubescent athlete, all athletic qualities correlate highly with one another .This means that gains in one physical attribute – speed for instance- will also result in gains in flexibility, endurance and coordination. The “window of opportunity” stressed here is motor learning and coordination. This is when our young golfer will begin to learn the grip, backswing, follow-thru, weight shift, and set up. All of this is achieved by creating fun and challenging games for the child as this is still the optimal learning environment. Stretching and body weight exercises are also introduced in conjunction with the FMS learned in the previous stage.

Stage 3 – Training To Train (Males 12-16; Females 11-15)

This training phase is usually categorized by the onset of Peak Height Velocity or the major growth spurt. This is the ideal time for strength and aerobic training since the hormonal changes occurring in the adolescent body promote an improved ability of the body to repair itself, increase strength, increase muscle mass, and increase endurance. The introduction of strength and aerobic training with emphasis on body weight training and cardiovascular conditioning will not replace the skill, speed, and flexibility training that preceded it. In fact, it is equally important for golfers to maintain flexibility levels during growth spurts since the bones and ligaments tend to outgrow the muscles creating tightness throughout. Junior golfers spend too much time competing at this age and not taking advantage of the “window of opportunity” for developing the two “sensitive” periods of development. Missing this critical time will negatively influence their athletic development and could cause a plateau during the latter stages of their careers.

Stage 4 – Training To Compete (Males 16-18; Females 15-17)

By this time, athletes should have optimized their physical preparation by competing in numerous sports, practicing technical skills, and improving their fitness levels. It is now time to become more sport specific in practice and competition. Devoting time to one sport more than others is accepted and the practice to competition ratio should be approximately 50/50. Fitness training now becomes more specific to the sport and individually tailored to the golfers physical restriction and limitations.

Stage 5 – Training To Win (Males 18 And Older; Females 17 And Older)

The final phase of athletic preparation should focus on maximizing performance in all facets. The golfer should be devoting attention to all physical modes of improvement by training to peak for the major competitions and events. As golfers tend to play year round at this stage of development, creating periodization programs may not be as realistic as it would with a football player who has a set established season. Because of this, training activities will be reduced putting a special emphasis on maintenance of physical qualities while competing more frequently. The golfer should be training but with less volume and focusing on maintaining flexibility, strength and power levels without creating soreness that may impact performance in a negative way.

TABLE OF DEVELOPMENT

Stages of Development	FUNdamentals Males 6-9; Females 6-8	Learn to Train Males 9-12; Females 8-11	Train to Train Males 12-16; Females 11-15	Train to Compete Males 16-18; Females 15-17	Train to Win Males 18 and Older; Females 17 and Older
Windows of Opportunity	General Athleticism, Speed, Power; Central Nervous System Development	Motor Skills and Coordination; Develop golf specific movement skills	Speed, aerobic and Strength; Consider growth spurt in programming	Strength and Sport Specific Training	Optimizing development of all physical abilities
Physical Proficiencys	ABC’s (agility, balance, coordination), throwing, catching, jumping, striking, etc.	Continue from FUNdamentals with emphasis on technique. Introduce body weight exercise	Supervised strength training with free weights, nutrition factors, flexibility	Comprehensive development of all physical qualities; Advanced nutrition; Plyometric training	Introducing the team concept of coaching: therapist, trainer, golf coach, biomechanist; Advanced golf coaching
Complementary Activities	Daily activity, as many activities as possible	Participation in 2-3 other sports; 50% golf, 50% other sports	Participation in 1-2 other sports	Specialization in golf with 1 other sport to complement it.	Specialization in golf with other activities to complement.

(Adapted from the LTPD Guide for Golf in Canada, sponsored by the Canadian PGA)

Avoid Junior Golf Burnout

While following this guide for junior golfers, parents should also note that it is critical during the pre-pubescent years that parents support their children without pressuring them or forcing them into early specialization and without exposing them to a variety of sport and athletic activities. All too often I get a junior client whom I quickly discover is void of fundamental motor skills like throwing, kicking, jumping, or catching. Because of this constant attention to one sport, the child lacks the necessary athletic skills needed for long term success. Even worse, that same child will often show signs of burnout from golf.

Some of the best memories a junior golfer will have is the time he spends playing with his parents and friends. I can say this because I was a junior golfer who competed every summer in tournaments around the North Jersey/ New York area. Because of the weather, my season was limited forcing me to play other sports during the winter and fall months. My love for the game flourished during these years. Some of my fondest memories are of late evening rounds of golf with my parents and brother. This may seem irrelevant to the scope of the article, but after all is said and done, we need to remember that it is a game, and sometimes the memories we make are more valuable than any hardware we receive after a tournament win.

Practice!? We Talkin’ About Practice, Man!

by Ken | Feb 3, 2017 | Performance

Practice!? We Talkin’ About Practice, Man!

Does practice make an expert golfer? I think we have all heard the 10,000 hour rule. It takes 10,000 hours of doing something to be considered an expert. That’s a lot of hours! By applying that to golf means if we practice 6 hours a week for 30 years we will be just short of 10,000 hours! Will that make you an expert golfer? There are too many variables involved to reach a definitive answer, but I will say one thing, if I am no better after 1 year, I will probably quit the game. According to Golf Digest the average men’s handicap in 2014 was 14.3 and the average women’s was 26.5. Neither one of those numbers reflects excellence in the sport. It stands to reason that if we want more immediate improvement in our game we have to consider better more efficient ways of practicing. Time on the range needs to be devoted to replicating the feelings, challenges, and conditions we experience when we play on the course. As simplistic and sensible as that sounds, it is surprising to me just how few people actually practice this way.

Try this: Hit 20 balls in 1 hour. No more, no less. This means you will hit 1 ball every three minutes (about the time it takes to hit a shot then walk/ride to the next one). Think you can do it? Answer that question now in your head, but keep reading…I will outline the rules later on in this article

According to Dr. Bob Rotella in his book, Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect, there are two states of mind in practice – the training mentality and the trusting mentality. “In the training mentality, the golfer tries to make things happen. In the trusting mentality, the golfer lets things happen.”( Rotella, 1995) We can relate the training mentality to someone who beats ball after ball working on one variation of a skill. This is referred to as blocked practice. Some of the best players in the world practice this way, but in limited doses only when swing changes need to be perfected. The trusting mentality is applied by those who practice to compete in game time situations. This requires practice variability. Under pressure, the last thing a player wants to do is start thinking analytically, judgmentally, and mechanically. ( Rotella, 1995) Trusting in the club selection, the pre shot routine, and the visual shot itself are what makes great players better than the rest.

Ok, so we know the best players practice this way… so shouldn’t we do the same?

Now do not get me wrong, if you are new to the sport, you have to spend your time in the trenches banging balls to become accustom to making a golf swing and striking the ball with some level of consistency. However, if score improvement is the ultimate goal, then simulating on course situations on the practice range become a must. Going back to the original goal of hitting 20 balls in one hour requires concentration, patience, focus and discipline. Discipline being the most important. All of these qualities are requirements for high level play and proper golf course management.

Here are the rules:

Hit only 20 balls in 1 hour – set a timer to do this
Go through your pre-shot routine for each and every shot
Pick a new target each shot
Pick a new club for each shot
Never re-hit the same shot no matter how poorly you hit it
Keep track of how many shot you hit well and how many were poor. Try to improve over time.

Give it a go and see if you can do it! If time is an issue, just reduce it to 30 min. and try to hit 15 balls during that time span. The bottom line is that you are trying to create a practice environment that creates better carryover to the course. In part 2 of this article I will get into the dangers of “blocked practice” when trying to change movement patterns in your golf swing. I also discuss how varying your exercise routine to create more efficient/proper movement can help improve your swing.

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