Virginia Golfer Mar / Apr 2016 | Page 12

Instruction

Better information allows coaches like McGuire to
offer more pertinent hands-on instruction.

real thing. An example would be hitting
50 putts from scattered locations around
green, meaning the number of conversions
is likely lower.
“Any student of any skill level can take
what they’ve learned in a lesson, can quickly go out and test it and create a belief system in the brain, and then have validation,”
McGuire said.
Taking a lesson to the course does not
need to be a painful experience. Although
the methods of McGuire and the RGA are
unconventional, they are revolutionizing
golf instruction simply by adapting to the
growing technology and information.

RASPBERRY GOLF ACADEMY

RGA student Hamza Amin, who has
played on several professional tours
around the world, said, “The information
[McGuire] gives us, once tested and
proven right in practice, in turn reduces
fear, stress, anxiety and doubt on the golf
course.”
It is also important to note the difference between “block” and “random” practice. Though both methods are useful,
many players focus on the former.
Block practice is high repetition, which
helps to create a belief system when a new
skill can be repeated on the driving range
or practice green. An example would be
hitting the same five-foot putt 50 times
and making 45 of them. However, this has
a low transferability to the golf course.
Random practice makes creating that
belief system more difficult because the
high repetition or success rate isn’t there,
yet it transfers to the course better because
it is a more accurate simulation of the

Northern Virginia-based freelance writer
Josh Apple has participated in numerous
VSGA championships as a player. This is
his first contribution to Virginia Golfer.

2016 U.S. Open Championship
June 13-19 Limited Tickets Still Available
usga.org/2016tickets
© 2016 United States Golf Association. USGA®

10

V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 6

vsga.org