Arnold Schwarzenegger famously said, “Consistency is key. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”
The former Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe knows something about it. The Terminator himself, still a legend in the world of strength training, achieved greatness in his sport because of his discipline, focus on his goals, and willingness to align all his energy toward being his best.
If you’ve ever spent time in the weight room, you know about the pump. After 30 minutes of strength training, you can feel it – a rush of endorphins and dopamine, and because of the accumulation of blood in the muscles being worked, you feel bigger and stronger. There is a noticeable result from your hard work.
The next day, you feel the burn. Your muscles are sore and tight; going up and down the stairs might feel like a chore if it was leg day. The more regular the strength training, the more the pump you experience and the less the burn – and soon, noticeable results show in the amount you can lift, the number of reps, and all the other tangible and intangible benefits.
What does this have to do with playing golf at an elite level? A LOT!
The Cornerstone of Playing Bigger
Every time Arnold stepped into the gym to train – his sport’s form of practice – he did so with an intention. Lifters know that to pull a bigger deadlift and push more on the squat bar or bench press, it is not only the big muscles that need strain – there are a lot of other muscles that need accessory work. After all, you are only as strong as your weakest muscle.
Lifters spend hours in the gym – they work on their form and follow a strict regimen of lifting and movements weekly. The hard work is repetitive and builds upon itself.
Without consistency in practice, the burn would always hurt more than it should, and the pump will not be enough to offset the mental and physical frustration experienced.
It’s no different in golf; the same principles apply. Practice is the proving ground for playing bigger.
Practice is a Mindset
Practice is the deliberate effort to hone skills, refine your technique, prepare yourself for competition, and elevate your game.
Practice is the bridge that connects your aspirations with reality – practice gives you the pump! The more you practice, the more dedicated you are to your practice the more proficient you become at your craft.
Practice is not a THING TO DO. Practice is a WAY TO THINK.
The Truth about Practice
According to behavioral science, deliberate practice is the secret sauce behind skill development. This concept, popularized by psychologist Anders Ericsson, emphasizes that true mastery comes from focused, purposeful, and challenging practice sessions.
It’s not about mindlessly hitting balls on the range but about pushing yourself outside your comfort zone and grinding through set after set until you can reliably pull off a shot. Do you see the similarity now? Getting strong in your game requires repetition, consistency, a focus on the big and the little, and a willingness to train what is weakest.
For most golfers, the word “practice” feels heavy, cumbersome, and oppressive. So, let’s change the context – instead of “practice,” let’s TRAIN! Let’s get out and get those gains, feel the pump, embrace the burn!
Training Deliberately
Anders Ericsson’s research involved comparing experts’ practice habits and performance with those of amateurs. One of the classic examples of this comparison is his study of expert musicians, particularly violinists.
Ericsson and his colleagues examined the practice habits of violinists at the Music Academy in Berlin. They classified the violinists into three groups:
- Elite: These were the world-class violinists who played solo and had achieved international acclaim.
- Intermediate: Highly skilled players but had yet to reach the elite level. They were typically employed as orchestral musicians.
- Less Accomplished: Students at the academy who aspired to become professional violinists.
Ericsson and his team collected extensive data on the practice training routines of these violinists, including the number of hours they practiced trained and the nature of their practice training. They found significant differences in the patterns between the three groups, and these differences had measurable results in their performance levels.
Here are some key findings:
- Practice Training Hours: Elite violinists, on average, practiced trained around 24 hours per week, while the intermediate group about 9 hours, and the less accomplished group around 6 hours.
- Deliberate Practice Training: The elite violinists spent considerable time engaged in focused, structured practice training to address specific weaknesses or challenges in their playing. They would often break down difficult passages, work on intonation, and refine their technique.
- Purposeful Feedback: The elite violinists actively sought expert feedback from their teachers or through recordings of their sessions. They used this feedback to make adjustments and improvements.
- Mental Representation: The top performers also demonstrated a solid ability to mentally represent music. They could visualize the sheet music, imagine the sound they wanted to produce, and practice mentally when not physically playing the violin.
- Performance Results: The results were clear—the elite violinists outperformed the other groups significantly. They achieved a level of skill and musicality far superior to the intermediate and less accomplished groups.
The study supported Ericsson’s idea that deliberate practice training, focused, purposeful, and effortful, played a crucial role in developing expertise. The expert violinists didn’t just train more; they trained differently, with a clear intention to improve specific aspects of their performance, which ultimately led to their exceptional skills and achievements.
Four Quick Tips for Purposeful Training
In the quest to “play bigger” on the golf course, training is life.
The next time you step onto the range, think of yourself as a powerlifter stepping into the gym. Your training for something – your training to fulfill your vision for yourself. Train like it’s the difference between hitting that 300-pound squat or not – same as shooting even par versus an 80. Start here:
- Set Clear Goals: Define specific, measurable objectives for each training session.
- Train with a Purpose: Mimic on-course scenarios to simulate pressure situations.
- Feedback: Use training aides to give you proper cues.
- One Set is not Enough: Put down ten balls, hit them to your spot, and keep track of your results. Rest, do it again. Repeat.
Look, everyone wants to feel the pump! To be elite, you gotta embrace the burn. As Arnold said, “The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character.”
