Golfing: You also can Part 6—Practising (Part)1

Sport
Once you have been introduced to how golf is played it will be the start of a long and baiting sporting relationship full of enjoyment, whether on the course or at the nineteenth hole as well as frustrations at times.

 

Whether you have mastered the game or you are still having problems, you are all equal as far as practising is concerned, as will be unveiled. But do we all appreciate or understand what is meant by practising or practice?

To help bring some level of understanding from the beginner up to those who are among the top golfers of the world, it is highly important to first look at the definition of the words practising or practice. I shall quote below some parts which I take to be relevant to what I want us to appreciate;

a) “Repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it.”b) “Currently proficient in a particular activity or skill as a result of repeated exercise or performance of it.”c) “Regular exercise of an activity or skill is the way to become proficient in it.”d) “To do exercises to improve one’s performance in a particular skill.”

From the above quotes, I hope we all now have some appreciation of what practising entails. But where do we practise from?  Most people will likely give the answer as a driving range (also known as practice range, or golf range). Before I comment on that answer I would like us to also have an equal understanding of what a driving range is conceived to be. I shall as well quote the definition as defined by Brent Kelly:

“A golf practice facility that is included at most golf courses; driving ranges also commonly operate as standalone businesses away from golf courses. Typically a driving range will consist of a large open field with teeing ground at one end.

 

Golfers line up side-by-side pounding golf balls out into the field.The landing area may be, literally, an empty field, or it may include target greens and yardage markers. Most ranges sell buckets of balls of varying sizes and prices. Many driving ranges also have practice putting greens and may have areas for chipping, pitching and bunker practice.”

To sum up: people practise in order to improve their performance and acquire the highest proficiency possible. This is a never ending process.

 

On many occasions I have heard people saying that they rarely have time to go for practice (at practice range or golf course). I then wonder, why the range or golf course?  It is my submission that about 75%  or more of what people go to the range to practise can be equally done at home (lounge, bedroom, toilet, passage, yard); office or field.

We should modify our definition of practising so that it does not give the impression that practising is done only at a range or golf course.

 

Do you need to go to the range to practise most of the golf fundamentals e.g holding the club (three common types of grips), set up; golf swing concepts of putting, backswing and downswing, quarter, half , three quarter, and full swings; as well as the mental part of the game?

 

I totally agree with the definition of practice from GGA as, “ any time spent working on fundamentals, regardless of location, time, or conditions, qualifies as practice.”

You also can.For any feedback/ comments and any assistance you may need contact the writer, Tavenganiswa Mabikacheche at The Centre for Training and Research Services on email: [email protected]  or mobile no. +263712200922 /+263772319612

 

By Tavenganiswa Mabikacheche