LA Feaz

March 9, 2022

What I Learned in Virtual Putting League 4—A Better Way to Practice

🥏 Welcome to the fourth post in this series on improving Disc Golf Putting! You can read the first post introducing this series here.
Write about what you don't know about what you know. —Eudora Welty  
  
This series is tailored for intermediate level players so we won't cover much in the way of beginner concepts and I assume you have knowledge of the jargon.
———

In the last post, we talked about building good putting form and how that happens at the anatomical level through the growth of myelin on our nerve pathways from repetitions during practice. The more of it we we have, the better we can execute.

While there is no substitute for repetitions, there is a way to practice to build myelin faster so that we can optimize our limited practice time.

Disclosure: the recommendations in this post are a product of the two references listed at the end.


On the edge and with intention

Turns out we learn faster when we stretch our abilities just a bit, when we are working on the edge of our capabilities. At the place where we are making mistakes but aren't so far from our target that we always miss.

This forces us to move slowly and to think about the gap between target and execution, two keys to learning faster. To building myelin faster.

I also like to think that this error-centered practice gives us a healthier view of failure. When we've intentionally set our target and put in solid practice that slowly builds our capability, we retain the skill better and can then view mistakes as a path to success rather than as failure. We'll talk more about this when we cover mental game. 


So, what are the steps to practice putting better?

While some of this sounds daunting, remember this is about higher quality practice which ultimately leads to more efficient practice that will require less time overall. We have the dual goal of rapidly improving performance and doing so in the least amount of time possible. The ultimate goal is to execute smoothly without conscious thought.

Focus. Know what you will practice before you arrive at the basket and limit distractions while you are practicing. Keep your mind on the task:
  • Use quality form and figure out where and how you want the disc to hit the chains.
  • When form goes awry or the disc didn't act as intended, think about what caused the error and try it again.
  • I like to hold the follow-through for an extra second to really think through how my form felt & if the flight of the disc was what I intended and then what I can do to improve.

Slow Motion. Until proficiency, it's difficult to smoothly execute your putting form in haste and rushing through does not permit the examination of the errors that is critical to improving. We will naturally speed up once we become more proficient; in fact, it's a sign we are improving. Better to take 20 quality putts with intention and to make adjustments to correct errors than to take 100 impetuously.

Frequent practice sessions with allotted breaks. Top athletes do this. Every source I consulted encourages short and focused sessions with breaks in between that take your mind and body to completely different places. I don't know the underlying physiology, but do know it's true in my life from mental fatigue and joy-in-the-game standpoints.

Visualize. We've all heard of this concept and we now know it's true. The first reference below cites a study of basketball free-throws that supports this. The key is that we do it after proficiency so that we don't reinforce undeveloped form. When you can't get to the practice green, or need to work on other DG skills, take a few minutes and visualize the perfect putt from your longest proficient distance to build more myelin and improve performance.


How to apply to putting practice

I encourage you to join a putting league to motivate this intentional practice because it's hard work at first. Mid-way through this league season, I began to employ the methods and I have no doubt they work. We also know it works from 16-year-old Gannon Buhr's performance in the 2022 Las Vegas Challenge for he practices his putting this way. You can see him and his amazing putting in coverage in rounds 2-4.

It also explains why my putting in-tournament is better when I take just a short warmup session before tee time. This time should merely be warm-up and not all out practice focusing on errors...it's a different head space.

Develop your practice routine that includes the elements: edge-of-capability, focus only on putting with attention on closing the gap on errors, slow-mo until proficient, and keep the sessions short & do them several times each week.

If you're looking for a way to begin...
  • Set up a basket in your yard/basement/garage and mark the distance that assures you will make many and miss many.
  • Commit to 2-3 short, 10-20 minute, undisturbed sessions 5-6 days a week for a month.
  • Putt slowly and thoughtfully. Focus on form and flight and correcting your errors.
  • Once you pick up speed and experience few errors, move your mark further away and go back to slow putting again. Or, add some other challenge like straddle or obstacle or anhyzer.
  • Visualize when you have a few moments away from the green for more benefit.

If you can't/don't get to proficiency on your own after following the principles, think about attending a clinic or coaching session to improve your form.

It does take effort and time. But, if this is something you want for more confidence and to improve your game, it's well worth it. It makes putting more enjoyable and lowers the mental load on the course.

Next time: Managing Fatigue

———

References

—
You can subscribe to this blog by email or RSS feed to be sure you don't miss any posts. There is a no-questions-asked, unsubscribe link included with every post.
 
For your privacy protection, I don't use spy pixels or analytics and will not share your email address or use it for promotion and neither does the platform Hey.com

I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking. —Joan Didion