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Go Small Before You Go Big
Issue: 2020/07 – July
The old saying, “Go big or go home” does not apply here.
I feel fortunate – over the past nine years at Old Edwards Club, I have had the opportunity to work with and observe a variety of players.
From beginners, to returning beginners, to avid golfers, they all invariably approach the game from the same direction, from the tee box to the green.
I took the same approach until a few years ago. After being introduced to a player development program called Operation 36, I switched my approach and now move backwards from the green to the tee.
Working from small to big makes for a more conducive learning environment. Think about different areas of your life where you were/are trying to learn a task or skill. I often use basketball as an analogy. Anyone who’s played basketball knows that the first shot you learn is a layup. You know, the easiest one, the one right next to the basket. No one would hand you a ball and send you out to the 3-point line, so why should I send someone out to a 500-yard par 5 with a driver in their hand and expect it to end well?
This season is the first year that I’ll have the chance to really test this small-first theory. With our addition of The Saddle, a 12-hole short course by Beau Welling Design, students will have the opportunity to sharpen their short game skills and learn how to shoot actual golf scores, i.e. birdies and pars, before they progress back to their longer clubs. Each player must determine what the appropriate length course is for their game.
The best way to determine this is to go out and play nine holes from 50 yards out. If you can shoot 36 or better, then the next time you play move back to 100 yards. If you can break 36 from there, then move back again. Keep progressing back until you find what distance is right for you! I am willing to bet that focusing your time and attention on the short game will pay huge dividends when you total up your scorecard at the end of a round.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, or with thoughts and suggestions on upcoming articles.
by Erika Mason, PGA
Director of Instruction
Old Edwards Club
