Focus: Tasks versus Technique

In a light discussion a few days ago an older client of mine began to talk about how “learning” was difficult for him.  After a few seconds it was very clear the “learning” he was talking about involved technique.

Here is the thing: The Driving Range is no place to TRY AND LEARN A NEW TECHNIQUE.  This statement is not true if :  A)  your coach is there with you guiding your mind and feedback B) you are not paying any attention to ball flight and don’t care how you play in the near future.  Under ALL OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES the statement is true.

One thing we can’t fight is our brain and it delicious desire to multi-task but its very poor ability to do so.  Sprinkle in each of our own unique differences in the way we think and BAM!  In a very short period practicing technique on the range can really cause problems.

I want to encourage each of you to build your body motions or technical skills at home.  By doing so your brain, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and fascia will give you a FEEL.  There is nothing wrong with FEEL so long as it comes from your technical work at home and you are trying to accomplish a TASK (external – like take a divot in front of the ball, get the ball on the green from the bunker, etcetera) on the range.

More will be coming on this.  For now I so encourage you to stay task oriented when you get to the range.

For more on this check out Angela Duckworth’s book GRIT.  She lays it out simple:

Skill + Effort = Achievement

For us, here today, the effort you are putting in should be to build an external skill.  Coaches like myself and others across the country will help you associate the mechanical or technique to the external skill.