Programme home
Purpose of the programme
Why are you trying to improve?
Golf is hard!
Today’s learning is tomorrow’s performance
Overcoming the biggest barrier to learning
Getting the most out of the programme
Getting set up
Make use of this section
Programme home
This area of the website is reserved for our programme clients with resources to help you get the most out of the programme and your golf.
Getting set up
There are two bits of IT you need to do first. Download the free Google sheets app as it will help navigate sections using this software when using your smartphone. The Video Sharing app is called Hudl Technique (link). Download it and search for me (alex.nicolson@premiumgolf.co.uk) and "add me to your team". This will allow you to easily share a video you took of your swing and for me to view and comment on it. For swing work there is another app called Instant web cam which allows you to view yourself in real time which can further improve your awareness training..
Getting set up
There are two bits of IT you need to do first. Download the free Google sheets app as it will help navigate sections using this software when using your smartphone. The Video Sharing app is called Hudl Technique (link). Download it and search for me (alex.nicolson@premiumgolf.co.uk) and "add me to your team". This will allow you to easily share a video you took of your swing and for me to view and comment on it. For swing work there is another app called Instant web cam which allows you to view yourself in real time which can further improve your awareness training..
Getting the most out of the programme
These coaching programmes are designed to make a meaningful difference to your experience of the game. Having run them since 2015, there are some traits that the golfers who made the most progress had in common. 1) Become invested in the learning process. Develop an interest in the nature of your practice not just "what you're working on". 2) Foster a growth mindset (see video below), it will keep you help you turn frustrating days on the course into future improvement. 3) Practice little and often (one dry swing indoors is of value) so time and location needn't put a complete halt to progress 4) Give me regular feedback. If you go to the range once a week, send me a video. Staying on track in between lessons is not easy, so make use of the service I offer. 5) Enjoy the journey. You will learn more effectively and have more fun if you treat bad shots and rounds with curiosity and a longer term perspective.
Videoing tips
Using the Hudl app keep these guidelines in mind to allow us to get the best feedback from videos you take of your swing. 1) Set the view to see all of the clubhead's arc and no more 2) By whatever means (tripod best) position the camera level and at hip height 3) From down the line, position the camera halfway between your feet and the ball to target line - if you can see your end target in the distance all the better 4) From face on make sure the camera is central to you and at right angles to the target line. The better the lighting and the faster the shutter speed, the more detail of the clubhead you will see at speed.
Practice principles
Although WHAT to work on gets 99% of attention in the golfing media, as important is HOW you practice. Here are some of the fundamental principles that could turn practice from aimless ball-beating to meaningful training that genuinely takes you closer to your goals.
1) Be clear on WHY you are practicing. Clear context will inform what happens next. Are you preparing for a match, learning new technique or exploring a new concept about impact for example? We will discuss this in your face to face sessions. The Practice session tool prompts you to be clear about this.
2) Physically warm up - in as little as 2 minutes you can give yourself much more chance of a good session.
3) Be present - make a conscious attempt to get engaged with the task in front of you - immersed.
4) Use the sweet spot of learning and be ready to adjust the difficulty of the task (video)
5) Make a decision about where you are going to place your attention (video). It is essential to learning that you are able to make sense of the feedback you receive, and placing the spotlight of your attention effectively is key.
Home/indoor practice
Unless you live on a golf course with unlimited time to practice, indoor practice is an accelerator to your improvement, and in many cases, essential. Little and often practice creates the momentum required to make changes. Adding as little as 1 minute's worth to your daily routine will speed things up. Tools like a shortened club, a putting mat, the magnet tool etc. all make meaningful practice possible. Discuss with me and we''ll see what you could set up with the space available.
Games and skills tests
Central themes to our coaching are that becoming more skillful is the ultimate performance aim (technique simply serves skill). Secondly practice needs to be engaging. Gradually we are developing practice games and tests which forge skill and aid learning.
Games and skills tests
Central themes to our coaching are that becoming more skillful is the ultimate performance aim (technique simply serves skill). Secondly practice needs to be engaging. Gradually we are developing practice games and tests which forge skill and aid learning. In time I will add a full range of tests to this section.
Understanding impact
One of the aims of programme coaching is to aid self-coaching in between face to face sessions. Meaningful improvement will rely heavily upon your ability to identify the problem, then apply the appropriate solution. 99% of golfers are not able to do this because they can't relate the ball flight to what the club did wrong at impact. Without clarity here, any solution is guesswork.
In our face to face sessions we discuss the physics of impact a lot. As a result of your brain becoming clear on what effect needs to be created to turn a slice into a draw for example, your instincts can get to work solving the problem.
Learning the terminology and principles of impact and ball flight can greatly boost your physical skill. I'd recommend you have a look at the following links:
FAQ's
Life can get pretty busy, and practice opportunities can be limited, can I make progress?
Whilst some skills need range time to flourish, others can be nourished with indoor rehearsal (shortened clubs available!), mental rehearsal and much of the impact concept work is theoretical so can be done away from the course also. The drills I give you can often benefit from not having a ball to distract, as you naturally will be more invested in the process over the outcome.
If I miss a month what happens to my allocation of lessons?
They will be rolled over to the next month where the extra time can be used for a different game area or time on the course.
More to be added