Golf Tips

The 4 P's to Simply Great Golf

Learning to Play Simply Great Golf

Chapter 1: Create Your Game Improvement Plan

Anyone can learn to play Simply Great Golf! However, my experience working with more than 40,000 students has revealed that very few golfers had a plan that would allow them to achieve the maximum enjoyment and results they were capable of. Playing your best golf begins with the four P’s: Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. Plan your work and work your plan!

In this chapter you will learn the first steps to improving your game using what I believe is the best approach to learning and playing the game of golf – my Simply Great Golf approach. There will be a number of Simply Great Golf chapters to follow which will instruct you step by step to help you achieve the best results from your “Golf Time”.

“Golf Time Management” is the #1 key to playing your best golf. This is the one area that almost every golfer can improve. Each golfer has their own available “Golf Time”. I categorize basic Golf Time into 4 sections:

1. Playing Golf
2. Practicing at the Range/Practice Facilities
3. Taking Lessons
4. Homework Practice

In coordination with proper instruction, Homework Practice is the form of game development that can improve your game the most. Homework Practice can be performed at home or in your office and consists of various exercises from stretching to mental game and swing technique practice.

Most golfers don’t even consider doing Homework Practice, but the best golfers do their Homework and pass their tests. Repetition is the bottom line key to consistency and homework gives you the most repetition in the least amount of time.

Learning to play your best golf begins with Creating Your Game Improvement Plan:

STEP 1 :
Determine and record your “Average Weekly Golf Time” - the amount of time you will spend playing golf and practicing at a practice facility. Now add a minimum of 10 minutes per day for Homework Practice Sessions, the most important Golf Time for improving your game.

STEP 2:
Determine and record achievable goals for long-term, mid-term and short-term (based on your Golf Time).

STEP 3:
Work your plan. Determine your Golf Time for week one and how you should split your time.

You adjust your game improvement plan occasionally to meet your changing schedule and to benefit your game. For example, practicing more at the range may be more important than playing more golf a certain week because you need more repetition to be more consistent. (You could hit 100 full swing shots at the range in 45 minutes when playing 9 holes on the golf course only gave you 18 full shots in two hours.)

Begin a daily 10-minute Homework Practice routine by practicing your putts, chips and pitches. This is the fastest route to lower scores since these golf shots account for 60% of your score. 

Spend a few minutes practicing short, medium and long putts (photo to the left) and a couple more minutes practicing short and long chips (photo below). Spend a few more minutes practicing your short and long pitching motion which is also great for working on your full swing mechanics as the pitching swing is a shorter version and the base of the full swing (photo sequence pictured at the top of the page).

Chapter 2 in Learning To Play Simply Great Golf will cover the second 10-Minute Homework Practice Session with the following chapters detailing the simplest, most effective fundamental techniques for playing your best golf.

Check out my website for outstanding lesson programs at www.simplygreatgolf.com.