Development program for learning to play golf
Introduction
At the moment my HCD is 47 and I will design a program to drop it under 10 during next summer. This is "learner managed learning", but I need all the help I can get. I started to learn golf last August and got my greencard by training by my self. My understanding about golf comes from internet and television.
My golf – what is it all about?
Here are six principles that I think are import for me. I don't know how these principles affect my development plan. If the principles are important, they should be present in the development plan. I think that to learn and enjoy golf, I have to think of it from many points of view, like social, mental and physical activity.
1. "Ubuntu" means I am what I am with help of others. Golf is a social game. (Rule is not to instruct others. Even asking advice should be very well thought, BUT we learn from others ANYWAY!
2. "BMAN" = Body, mind, activity and nutrition. Physical capacity is developed with “BMAN" elements. What You Do Is What You Get.
3. Bag of shots. Use your own clubs and your own shots. On the course do the things you practiced earlier and use range for learning new shots. Play the game with what you have!
4. Learn more shots – and keep your tools sharp. Essential is a good swing. It will be modified in to different situations (shots).
5. Learn to evaluate your performance. Learn to get feedback. Try to understand what happened and why the ball did what it did. (This is not rocket science even though there are various reasons for missing a shot.)
6. My swing routine:
a) Image the shot.
b) Do a relaxed warm up swing
c) Find a target line (standing about 5 - 10 meter behind the ball)
d) Go to the ball and stand feet together - line up.
e) Get the right distance to the ball
f) Make my stance - ball placement
g) Stand straight and check my grip.
h) Activate my inner abs (Core muscles to stable my hip.)
i) Check the target
j) Warm up back swing
k) Wiggle wrists and check balance (toe - heal)
l) Breath 2 times as thinking of timing.
m) Exhale and make my shot just trying to execute the learned shot and to get a clean hit to the ball
This looks like a long list, but it takes only few seconds to do.
How to get it right?
Just some random thoughts about how to build my learning environment and how to tackle the task of finding the right technique and practicing it until it comes naturally (almost unconsciously).
Learning any skill needs repetition. It's even harder if one learns a wrong way of hitting. It's hard to unlearn automated ways of doing things.
It is important to get feedback (- but my problem is snow. We have a winter here and range does not open until late April. We have a inside golf range, so I can afford to use it once a week.) So most logical way to get feedback is to look how the ball flies. I don't have the luxury of actually hitting a ball very often. (I need to develop other ways to get feedback.)
To get feedback can be managed by different setups of mirrors. (I would like to be looking at my ball all the time - so one mirror should be under the ball. And other can be set so that you see yourself from the target line and a front view (face).
For the ball I think I will use a rubber marker. (One that T's a ball on a practice range will do fine.) Maybe I can find a board or a weight to hold the t in it's place, when I practice my swings.) So I need to build an environment to practice my swings.
Putting and chipping are easy to practice at home…
Practice can be done:
a) to practice the hole movement (but with out a ball)
b) to improve physical performance that helps the swing - different drills
- balance
- tempo
- hand - eye coordination
Starting with what I have
Development starts with an evaluation of current skills and abilities. I will skip social, mental and fitness issues - and start with golf technique. What shots do I have in my golf bag? (I think all shots needs to be improved, but I have an idea on how it is done.)
For every shot, except putting, I use the same routine. I fell it is important that I focus my eyes on the ball at a spot where I am going to hit it. A logo or a letter of in a logo helps me.)
My shots
1. Put - I found a way that might work for me. I focus on my right arm. It dominates and left is just holding the club. Arms move - mostly no action in wrists.
2. Chip - I hit the ball with my "shoulders". Weight is 70% on my left side. No hip or wrist movement. (It's just a turn of shoulders.) I tend to leave my club open and shoot right from my target line.
3. Punch - It's a "chip" with a weight shift. (Also means that I work with my legs and rotate my hips.) This is very much a 1/4 of normal swing. (I divided my swing length in four levels - more after listing my shots.
4. Regular swing - this is the basis of most shots. (Not for putting.)
5. Pitch - more wrist action than regular swing.
6. Sand shot (I do not have much practice in this.) Idea is to control the length with follow-through. Club open or even controls the lift of the ball.
7. Fairway drive (3 - 5 woods). Regular swing, but more sweeping like. It helps me to imaging my body swinging (curving like a banana) to opposite direction than my club swings.
8. Driving swing. I tend to slice, but find a straight line quite easy. (Just by looking at my swing path and by doing a few drills - or warm-ups.)
I have system for controlling - modifying the shot.
A. Swing is divided in four lengths.
1/4 is hands on hip level - club horizontal
2/4 is arms horizontal - club is near 90 degrees angle. Longer clubs or wood are not.
3/4 left shoulder is on the line with the ball. Hands a just over shoulders and club head is over my head.
4/4 Full swing - all the movement I have:-)
B. Control on ball flight, spin and roll
This is controlled by timing and by ball placement.
- The further ball is near my left foot the higher the ball flies.
- On the moment of impact - hitting the ball - if my hands are further a head than my club head - it will make a lower ball flight path.
First objective would be to master an optimal timing and a standard ball placement so that it will be easier to predict the outcome. (First learn basics - practice skills so that I can repeat it about 90% accuracy?
Feedback and assessment - when to go further?
So accuracy and good technique is the first goal. Technique will mean different shots. Maybe 40% of the game is putting, but my agenda is a little different.
30% basic swing
30% different shots - modifications of my swing
40% short game (Put + Chip)
I need to make my self drills and set goals for learning and developing skills. I need to be able to get feedback and evaluate my own development. I need to set limits of criteria for, when to go ahead. (Six weeks to practice one skill is one way of setting a short term goal - on other would be to evaluate when my skill is good enough for me to go to the next step. I don't know the "steps" - yet:-)
I think that I can work from 30 minutes to an hour per day on my golf skills.
Accuracy over power
For a learner who is trying to manage his own learning it is essential to make priorities. I think that I need to learn accuracy first and power will come naturally when my technique is automated.
By learning accuracy I also get more control. It's easier to time my actions and keep a good form. Of course danger is to learn "slow motion golf" and afterward it will be difficult to speed up my timing. (Well, that is a risk I am willing to take.)
First objective is to learn an accurate and balanced technique - a good form for every shot.
How do I find a technique that is right for me? My swing!
Putting seems to be fairly simple - in theory - only the execution needs practice.
Also chipping is simpler than other shots as it has very restricted movement. (Only shoulders in my short chip.)
For me to learn a motoric skill it helps if I have a mental image on what I am trying to do. First thing is to study my own technique from the point of view of accuracy. How can I make my shots accurate - first to keep my lines?
Building accuracy
For me accuracy in a golf shot comes from:
1) General good technique (Good form and balance)
2) Swing path (inside, outside, straight, high, low)
3) Club head angle (Square, open, close)
4) Timing
a) Club head/impact related to hands,
b) Hands related to shoulder turn
c) Shoulders related to hip rotation
d) Hip rotation related to weight shift
(I start my forward swing by pushing my heal to the ground.)
This will be my steps for each shot. Program will be done so that I always practice stage 1 (good form), but combine with it first 2 (swing path). After being good enough ( 2 weeks?), I will do 1 and 3 (Club head angle). And finally 1 and 4.
I will be playing in Spain for two weeks so I can practice timing then:-)
Introduction
At the moment my HCD is 47 and I will design a program to drop it under 10 during next summer. This is "learner managed learning", but I need all the help I can get. I started to learn golf last August and got my greencard by training by my self. My understanding about golf comes from internet and television.
My golf – what is it all about?
Here are six principles that I think are import for me. I don't know how these principles affect my development plan. If the principles are important, they should be present in the development plan. I think that to learn and enjoy golf, I have to think of it from many points of view, like social, mental and physical activity.
1. "Ubuntu" means I am what I am with help of others. Golf is a social game. (Rule is not to instruct others. Even asking advice should be very well thought, BUT we learn from others ANYWAY!
2. "BMAN" = Body, mind, activity and nutrition. Physical capacity is developed with “BMAN" elements. What You Do Is What You Get.
3. Bag of shots. Use your own clubs and your own shots. On the course do the things you practiced earlier and use range for learning new shots. Play the game with what you have!
4. Learn more shots – and keep your tools sharp. Essential is a good swing. It will be modified in to different situations (shots).
5. Learn to evaluate your performance. Learn to get feedback. Try to understand what happened and why the ball did what it did. (This is not rocket science even though there are various reasons for missing a shot.)
6. My swing routine:
a) Image the shot.
b) Do a relaxed warm up swing
c) Find a target line (standing about 5 - 10 meter behind the ball)
d) Go to the ball and stand feet together - line up.
e) Get the right distance to the ball
f) Make my stance - ball placement
g) Stand straight and check my grip.
h) Activate my inner abs (Core muscles to stable my hip.)
i) Check the target
j) Warm up back swing
k) Wiggle wrists and check balance (toe - heal)
l) Breath 2 times as thinking of timing.
m) Exhale and make my shot just trying to execute the learned shot and to get a clean hit to the ball
This looks like a long list, but it takes only few seconds to do.
How to get it right?
Just some random thoughts about how to build my learning environment and how to tackle the task of finding the right technique and practicing it until it comes naturally (almost unconsciously).
Learning any skill needs repetition. It's even harder if one learns a wrong way of hitting. It's hard to unlearn automated ways of doing things.
It is important to get feedback (- but my problem is snow. We have a winter here and range does not open until late April. We have a inside golf range, so I can afford to use it once a week.) So most logical way to get feedback is to look how the ball flies. I don't have the luxury of actually hitting a ball very often. (I need to develop other ways to get feedback.)
To get feedback can be managed by different setups of mirrors. (I would like to be looking at my ball all the time - so one mirror should be under the ball. And other can be set so that you see yourself from the target line and a front view (face).
For the ball I think I will use a rubber marker. (One that T's a ball on a practice range will do fine.) Maybe I can find a board or a weight to hold the t in it's place, when I practice my swings.) So I need to build an environment to practice my swings.
Putting and chipping are easy to practice at home…
Practice can be done:
a) to practice the hole movement (but with out a ball)
b) to improve physical performance that helps the swing - different drills
- balance
- tempo
- hand - eye coordination
Starting with what I have
Development starts with an evaluation of current skills and abilities. I will skip social, mental and fitness issues - and start with golf technique. What shots do I have in my golf bag? (I think all shots needs to be improved, but I have an idea on how it is done.)
For every shot, except putting, I use the same routine. I fell it is important that I focus my eyes on the ball at a spot where I am going to hit it. A logo or a letter of in a logo helps me.)
My shots
1. Put - I found a way that might work for me. I focus on my right arm. It dominates and left is just holding the club. Arms move - mostly no action in wrists.
2. Chip - I hit the ball with my "shoulders". Weight is 70% on my left side. No hip or wrist movement. (It's just a turn of shoulders.) I tend to leave my club open and shoot right from my target line.
3. Punch - It's a "chip" with a weight shift. (Also means that I work with my legs and rotate my hips.) This is very much a 1/4 of normal swing. (I divided my swing length in four levels - more after listing my shots.
4. Regular swing - this is the basis of most shots. (Not for putting.)
5. Pitch - more wrist action than regular swing.
6. Sand shot (I do not have much practice in this.) Idea is to control the length with follow-through. Club open or even controls the lift of the ball.
7. Fairway drive (3 - 5 woods). Regular swing, but more sweeping like. It helps me to imaging my body swinging (curving like a banana) to opposite direction than my club swings.
8. Driving swing. I tend to slice, but find a straight line quite easy. (Just by looking at my swing path and by doing a few drills - or warm-ups.)
I have system for controlling - modifying the shot.
A. Swing is divided in four lengths.
1/4 is hands on hip level - club horizontal
2/4 is arms horizontal - club is near 90 degrees angle. Longer clubs or wood are not.
3/4 left shoulder is on the line with the ball. Hands a just over shoulders and club head is over my head.
4/4 Full swing - all the movement I have:-)
B. Control on ball flight, spin and roll
This is controlled by timing and by ball placement.
- The further ball is near my left foot the higher the ball flies.
- On the moment of impact - hitting the ball - if my hands are further a head than my club head - it will make a lower ball flight path.
First objective would be to master an optimal timing and a standard ball placement so that it will be easier to predict the outcome. (First learn basics - practice skills so that I can repeat it about 90% accuracy?
Feedback and assessment - when to go further?
So accuracy and good technique is the first goal. Technique will mean different shots. Maybe 40% of the game is putting, but my agenda is a little different.
30% basic swing
30% different shots - modifications of my swing
40% short game (Put + Chip)
I need to make my self drills and set goals for learning and developing skills. I need to be able to get feedback and evaluate my own development. I need to set limits of criteria for, when to go ahead. (Six weeks to practice one skill is one way of setting a short term goal - on other would be to evaluate when my skill is good enough for me to go to the next step. I don't know the "steps" - yet:-)
I think that I can work from 30 minutes to an hour per day on my golf skills.
Accuracy over power
For a learner who is trying to manage his own learning it is essential to make priorities. I think that I need to learn accuracy first and power will come naturally when my technique is automated.
By learning accuracy I also get more control. It's easier to time my actions and keep a good form. Of course danger is to learn "slow motion golf" and afterward it will be difficult to speed up my timing. (Well, that is a risk I am willing to take.)
First objective is to learn an accurate and balanced technique - a good form for every shot.
How do I find a technique that is right for me? My swing!
Putting seems to be fairly simple - in theory - only the execution needs practice.
Also chipping is simpler than other shots as it has very restricted movement. (Only shoulders in my short chip.)
For me to learn a motoric skill it helps if I have a mental image on what I am trying to do. First thing is to study my own technique from the point of view of accuracy. How can I make my shots accurate - first to keep my lines?
Building accuracy
For me accuracy in a golf shot comes from:
1) General good technique (Good form and balance)
2) Swing path (inside, outside, straight, high, low)
3) Club head angle (Square, open, close)
4) Timing
a) Club head/impact related to hands,
b) Hands related to shoulder turn
c) Shoulders related to hip rotation
d) Hip rotation related to weight shift
(I start my forward swing by pushing my heal to the ground.)
This will be my steps for each shot. Program will be done so that I always practice stage 1 (good form), but combine with it first 2 (swing path). After being good enough ( 2 weeks?), I will do 1 and 3 (Club head angle). And finally 1 and 4.
I will be playing in Spain for two weeks so I can practice timing then:-)