According to Mark Broadie (who created the "strokes gained" metric and book ‘Every Shot Counts’)... Approach shots account for the biggest scoring advantage between golfers of every skill level. Check out the data... From 150 yards; PGA Tour pros hit half of these shots within 23 feet of the hole (and hit the green 77% of the time) While 80-golfers average 40 feet (hitting 50% of greens) And 90-golfers to around 55 feet (hitting just over 30% of greens). Anything surprise you about the data above? Let me know in comments below, And to help you hit more greens from 150 yards and in? Follow the points below - Know your distances (Carry distances, NOT total) - Play forgiving equipment - Club up (most trouble is short) - Have a consisent pre-shot routine - Work on your low point control in practice - Pick better targets, the middle of the green will help with your shot dispersion There may be some obvious points above, but we golfers are quite good missing the obvious at times! And if you need help with your approach play, technically or mentally, pop me a message so we can talk about it!

Are you guilty of any these with your practice? 1. Not Warming Up Start with wedges, then graduate to irons, fairway woods, and driver. It's truly terrifying how many people get out of their car and go straight to driver. Slow down to avoid injuries and warm up properly. 2. Not Having a Clear Practice Plan Don't just show up and hope for a good session. Instead show up preapared to work on your weaknesses (by tracking your stats) and having a schedule to get the most out of your session. 3. Not Having Any Fun Golf is NOT your job, if you dread going, chances are you're not having any fun. While block practice might be boring (but essential) mix it up with creative practice, pre-shot routines, and challenges to stay mentally engaged. 4. Always Making Swing Changes Stop going to the range and always tinker with your swing. Spend more time learning how to shape shots, hit from different lies, playing imaginary holes, and working on wedges to build confidence in your skills. 5. Not Taking Breaks Just like working out, you need rest between sets. Stop rapid fire hitting golf balls, it's not a race! Focus on being intentional with every shot, having a clear shot shape, and target to increase your chances of hitting good shots. 6. Not Creating a Wedge Matrix When you have 2-3 distances with each wedge, golf gets a lot easier. Use a launch monitor to train yourself to hit more distances with each club so you have more confidence on the course. 7. Ignoring Your Routine Another way to slow down is to practice your pre-shot routine so you can improve your mental game. Dial in the timing of your routine (full swing, short game, and putting) to walk into every shot with 10x more confidence.

Another quote for today’s post; "It’s not the number of hours you practice , It’s about the number of hours your mind is present during the practice!" - Kobe Bryant - Kobe’s (sadly no longer with us) quote couldn't be more spot on. Kobe's mindset and attitude to practice was legendary, and if there was a sportsperson who got the most from his practice/training... it was Kobe! Now whilst he was a legend of Basketball (though I do believe he played a little golf) the quote above rings true to any sport, let alone golf! You can slog away practicing for hours, but if your mind isn't present or in the wrong place, then that practice is going to be, largely, ineffective. The takeaway here is to be as present and engaged as you can be over each and everything move, drill, shot etc that you do in your practice sessions. This will ensure you’ll get the most out of your time and, subsequently, your game!

“I’ve never played a perfect 18 holes. There is no such thing I expect to make at least 7 mistakes per round. Therefore I when I make a bad shot… I don’t worry about it, it is just one of the seven” - WALTER HAGEN - An interesting quote from one of the best players to have played the game, And you may think ‘But you’ve posted and said about having no expectations when you play!?’ Well that is still something I very much believe and encourage, but despite this I think it’s also realistic to know we will make some mistakes during a round of golf, even on the best days! Go easy on yourself when you make a mistake on the course. No player is immune, including the best in the world, from making errors, both mentally and physically. When playing, the key is learning to accept & move on and not let a mistake compound. This is where the quote above becomes a tool you can use on your own game by giving yourself an amount of mistakes allowed per round (can be 7, can be more pending on your ability/preference) This way you can chalk them off and not let them fester! Then, post round, it's important to identify the mistakes you made and consider if it was mental or physical, and whether a mental or physical error then led to the other, or compounded one of the same faults. From here it's applying ideas and processes to guard against, or be prepared for, if the potential for the same mistakes arise again.

Are you truly working on your skills when you practice golf, or are you solely focused on perfecting your swing technique? It's easy to become engrossed in the aesthetics of our swings while forgetting to cultivate true skill with the golf club. Today’s post explores the importance of skill development and how it can enhance your overall performance on the course. Find That Inner Junior golfer/Kid: When building skills, the process can often feel messy and challenging, and at times, it may seem like you're making things worse rather than better. However, it's essential to recognize that significant learning is taking place in the background. Remember when you played as a junior and had to collect your own practice balls? The seemingly unnecessary skill of flicking the balls into the bag actually helped you improve your hand-eye coordination, develop familiarity with the club, and enhance your overall feel for the game. Embracing this mindset of skill-building can be transformative. The Driving Range ball collector’s nightmare: Before we became so systematic in our practice routines, hitting unconventional shots on the range was an integral part of improving our game. Who would have thought that aiming at the range collector while trying to replicate Tiger Woods' famous "stinger" shot could contribute to our progress? In those moments, without even realizing it, we were honing our clubface awareness and understanding the nuances of ball flight. We learned how to control trajectory, shape the ball, and refine our awareness of the clubface. Sometimes, a playful approach to practice can unlock hidden skills and propel our game forward. Tiger’s 9: Tiger Woods once mentioned the concept of hitting "the 9 flights" in practice, encompassing low, medium, and high draws, fades, and straight shots. You might be thinking, "That's beyond my current level of golf." And you're absolutely right. The idea here is not to expect immediate success or mastery of these shots. Even Tiger himself likely failed numerous times while attempting this drill. The key takeaway is that by setting clear intentions and striving for specific shot shapes, you can unlock new dimensions of your skill set. Your mind and body will begin to develop the necessary pathways to execute those shots effectively.