COACHING NOTES · COMPETITIVE GOLF

Make practice count on tournament day

By Leslie Cloots · PGA & LPGA Class A Professional

A good range session feels great. The next question is whether you can take that skill to the course, where you get one ball, one target and one decision at a time. Your practice should give you a chance to rehearse that part of the game, too.

Start with evidence from your rounds

After a round, write down three things: a shot you committed to, a decision you would change and a skill that needs attention. Look for patterns across several rounds before rebuilding your practice around one bad hole.

Be specific. “My short game was bad” gives you less to work with than “I struggled to control my landing spot from tight lies.” A clear observation makes it easier to choose a useful practice task.

Separate learning from playing

Give technical work its own space. When you are learning a movement or testing a ball-flight change, repetition and feedback can help you understand it. Then spend part of the session practicing as you play: pick a target, choose a club, use your routine and hit one shot.

On the range, try six shots to six different targets. Change clubs between shots and decide what a successful result looks like before you swing. Record the outcome. This turns a bucket of balls into a small test of your preparation and choices.

Build a plan around your usual shot

Course strategy starts with the shots you actually hit. Choose targets that allow room for your normal pattern and consider what happens if you miss. A comfortable club or a wider target can be a useful choice when the alternative brings a penalty area or a difficult recovery into play.

Before each shot, settle on the target and the shot you intend to play. Afterward, separate the decision from the result. A sensible plan can still produce a poor shot; that does not automatically make it the wrong plan.

Use technology to answer a question

TrackMan and SwingCatalyst are available in the North Ridge Learning Center. They can help us explore your swing and ball flight, but start with a question: what pattern are we trying to understand, and what would improvement look like on the course?

The useful outcome is a task you understand and can practice, with a way to check whether it is helping. Collecting more numbers is not the goal of the session.

This week’s takeaway

Choose one pattern from your last few rounds. Spend a short session working on it, then finish with a six-shot test using your full routine. Keep the result and repeat the same test next week. Compare what you learned as well as your score.

My experience at UNC and on the Epson Tour shapes how I approach preparation and competitive golf coaching in Raleigh. Coaching can include putting, wedge play, short game, full swing and course decisions. Read more about my playing and coaching background.

For parents, my junior golf Coaching Note covers building confidence and purposeful practice. To talk through your own goals, schedule an intro call or explore current coaching options.