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The European Tour has continued to evolve into a multinational tour that has some of the best players in the world competing for huge prize funds and some of the most prestigious tournaments. The tour plays on 3 continents and they play tournaments virtually all year round. In recent years the top players on the European Tour and in the world ranking have seen a number of British and Irish players at the top of the game with players like Luke Donald, Rory Mclroy, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose playing very well and competing for the games top prizes. Currently there are 5 players in the world top 20 who are from Great Britain. They represent the top of the pyramid of the game in the UK and all of them have learnt and developed their game in the UK. When the top of the pyramid is so strong, it is a good indication that the roots of the game are strong and that there is a lot of good work going on at grass roots level. Statistically the chances of becoming a top tour player are very low, which is the same for any sport. To produce a number of top performers in any sport there has to be a wide base of participation which will push the players to the top. This is not always the case but by doing this you are more likely to find players who can and want to be at the top of the game. By having more numbers it increases the probability that this will happen. So who are the people and organizations that are doing so much good work to raise the level of the game in the UK?

The Professional Golfers Association.
The PGA has over 7000 members in the UK and has been at the heart of golf in the UK since 1901. Its members receive a high level of training in all areas of golf including coaching and sport science plus have a commitment to ongoing professional development. The standard of coaching has become very high which means players are receiving the correct information to raise the standard of their game.

The Golf Foundation
The Golf Foundation believes that golf can equip young people with skills for life and assist in organising and delivering golf projects throughout the UK. They also facilitate co-operation between various groups such as schools and golf clubs so that they can set up links and programs to deliver golf.

The English and Irish Golf Unions
These are the governing bodies of Amateur Golf in the UK whose job it is to train the elite players, organise major amateur championships, look after the handicapping system, apply the rules of the game and much more. Their elite programs have trained many current tour players in all parts of the game.

Sport England
Sport England are a national lottery and government funded body that aims to make sport a habit for life by nurturing talent, investing in sporting infrastructure and coordinate funding for all sports including golf.

Whole Sport Plan
All of the above organisations have contributed to different parts of the Whole Sport Plan where they have come together to develop a strategy for the development of the game. This co-ordinated approach means that best practice is shared and everyone is working together for the betterment of the game of golf.
With the work these organisations are doing this demonstrates a healthy foundation for the game of golf which must mean that the highest levels of the game will continue to have talented players competing for golf’s top prizes. As these top players, like Rory, do so well they will inspire greater participation ensuring that it continues to grow. This circle of growth means the game is very healthy and this great game will continue to be enjoyed by many for many years to come.

For more information on the European Tour please click

A great article I have read.

Expert performers tend to practise for 1000 hours each year for 10 years to be at the top of their game.

Australian psychologist Andrea Furst works with elite players from across the world including the Ladies European Tour. In this latest article she outlines the value of making practice count with the recommendation of asking your PGA professional to help establish routines and drills to improve your golf.

When it comes to practice conduct, few players that can compete with the discipline Annika Sorenstam (pictured) brought to her practice. Annika provided spectators and competitors with nothing short of professional conduct both on and off the course over the last two decades as a dominating force on the ladies professional tour.

With over 80 tournament wins and 10 majors she contributed hugely to the professionalism of the ladies tour. And while her presence on tour is missed, there are many useful lessons that can be taken from her.

There are numerous techniques and strategies that top golfers such as Annika integrate into their game with one of the more important aspects, their conduct at practice.

If you take a look at the long term athlete development model there is a stage called ‘training to compete’ when athletes typically select one sport to focus on and learn to increase their training effectiveness to maximise their skills and thus potential to achieve success in the sport.

Anders Ericsson has conducted several research studies and promotes that expert performers tend to practise for 1000 hours each year for 10 years to be at the top of their game.

He claims that elite performers engage in what we call ‘deliberate practice’ – an effortful activity designed to improve individual target performance. Additionally, he found that there are certain criteria that must be met for practice to be considered conducive to producing expertise.

One of the dimensions of training to compete involves differentiating ‘technical time’ from ‘practice time’. The aim is to practice the skills required to maximise your competitive game.

The table below provides comparisons and examples of ‘technical time’ and ‘practice time’ for each aspect of the game:

Aspect Skills Technical Time Practice Time
Technical The way you hit the ball – your ‘technique’. Use a mirror to get feedback on your swing plane at home or on the range Playing shots from the third tee box with full pre-shot routine.
Physical Your body’s fitness and recovery – strength, aerobic capacity, power, rest, sleep and diet. Pilates classes strengthen your core or stretching classes to help maintain flexibility. Warm up before every practice session and every round just like a competitive round.
Tactical Shot selection, decision making, organisation and preparing for the course conditions. Test 10 chip shots on the green by trialing different clubs, landing spots and swing speeds. Play one chip shot with full pre-shot routine on the green that forces you to live with the result.
Mental Manage your emotions – think productively, stay diciplined, maintain confidence, communicate effectively, keeping your goals clear. Spend 15 – 30 minutes each day doing diaphragmatic breathing. Use breathing between shots or before you walk into each shot.
Elite performers engage in what we call ‘deliberate practice’ – an effortful activity designed to improve individual target performance.

These are a few examples differentiating between training to learn, improve, and/or maintain skills in each of the four areas versus practising them as you’d like to use them in a competitive round.

Golfers of all levels will have skills that they are better or worse at compared to other players so it is helpful to review your goals so you can then plan your practice schedule to match those goals.

It is beneficial to ask yourself, “How do I want to spend my time working on my golf game?” Here are two potential answers to your question:

“Becoming a master of technical training and be continually saying, ‘I can do it on the range, but when I come out on the course to play…’ or

“Learning how to use my practice to ensure it transfers to competition”?

It’s no surprise to learn that standing on a range hitting ball after ball with the same club is about as far away from competitive golf as you can get. Liken this to hitting a ball on to a wall if you are a tennis player. Yes, there is a role for this technical training and it must be a part of a practice schedule, however it is strongly recommended that it is not the only facet nor does it fill the majority of your practice schedules.

Mental Notes:

Review your current goals for your golf game and your practice schedule.

Develop a list of activities for your practice schedule; make sure you have those that are technical time and that are practise time.

Incorporate both of these types of activities into your practice schedule.

Ask your PGA professional for ideas of how you can make your practice schedule effectively prepare you for the competitive game; find activities that are more ‘game-like’.

Andrea Furst is a sport psychologist with a Masters of Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of Queensland.

Hank Haney on Purposeful Practice from MyGolfGamePlan .Com on Vimeo.

The Head PGA Coach at South Essex Golf Centre has been selected to write for the most popular golfing magazine in the country, “Today’s Golfer”.

Matt Stables, who has been playing golf since he was 9 years old, and who has been Head Coach at South Essex GC for 1 1/2 years, wrote a feature as an “elite coach” in the October issue of the publication, which has a circulation of over 72,000 readers.

34 year old Stables has been nominated as an “elite coach” for the Today’s Golfer, and as such, writes articles instructing readers how to improve their technique. Elite coaches are required to fulfil certain criteria in order to write for the magazine. They need to have a PGA qualification, a good reputation as a coach and a player, and a commitment to professional development. Stables sails through all the criteria.

This is not the first time that the accomplished coach has been written for the golfing press. In 2007, he wrote articles for “Greenside Magazine”

Stables said: “I am really pleased to have been selected as an Elite Coach by Today’s Golfer. It is thrilling to see my words in print and to know that over 70,000 people may read my article.

“The October issue of the magazine showed players how to improve their posture and how to build your swing. If the article helps golfers to improve their game, I will be delighted.

“I hope to write several more articles for Today’s Golfer in the near future.”

Shaun Bakker, General Manager of South Essex Golf Centre, added: “We always encourage our golf professionals to go one step further, and in writing for Today’s Golfer, Matt is certainly doing that. He is totally dedicated to his job, and takes not only pride, but also great pleasure in coaching golf. I am delighted that people learning golf outside the Brentwood area now have access to his coaching capabilities!”