Is More Practice Better?

This is a topic that can be very controversial amongst players and coaches. We all hear the stories of how Tiger Woods would pratctice 12-14 hours in a day, and assume that is what made him the greatest to ever do it. However, I don’t believe this to be true. I see players on the range working 3 hours a day, every day of the week and never improving. I see other players who practice 3 hours per week, and they are sometimes better. It is not about the time you spend, but how you spend the time.

To be clear, if I have a player who is practicing 3 hours per day and that time is focused, purposeful, and intentional, they will be better than the player who is practicing three hours per week and doing the same thing. I have been fortunate enough to watch tour pros, and endless high level players practice. They are not hitting a million balls. They take a lot of breaks. They are replicating the cadence that they are playing their rounds of golf with. They are going through their routines, every single time.

Most of us are on time constraints to practice and this is why you hit balls so quickly. Challenge yourself the next time you are at the range. Keep all of the balls in your bucket and pull them out one at a time. Buy that small bucket instead of the large one when you have one hour. If you are working on technique, film every shot. Look at it and see if it what you were working on was better or not. If you are trying to hit to targets, go through your routine. Change clubs a lot. Replicate what you do on a golf course. Practice intentionally, and you will be better. Practice frantically, and all you build are bad habits.