Many golfers practise regularly and still feel that they are not really getting better. In many cases, the problem is not the amount of practice, but the way they train.
Here are three real situations from today’s golf lesson in Mallorca that show what really matters in training and why small changes can make a big difference.
Example from a training session at Capdepera Golf
Strike training: why many golfers stop progressing here
In this session, two golfers with handicaps of 15 and 17.2 worked on their chipping. The goal was to improve the quality of contact and make it more consistent.
We focused very clearly on the vertical movement of the clubface and on creating the right sequence: ball first, then turf.
This kind of training belongs to the technical phase. That is why we use several balls from the same situation, sometimes even without a clear target. The focus is not on the outcome, but on feel, repetition and control.
Many golfers skip exactly this step and move too early into playing situations. That often means the mistake stays there and becomes even more visible on the course.
Transfer training: when technique suddenly has to work
After the technical training, we moved into the next phase: transfer training from our Practice Lab. The goal was to bring the improved strike straight into a playing situation.
The task was deliberately demanding, especially because both golfers already play to a solid level. They had to solve three things at the same time:
- Clean ball contact and a stable strike
- Hitting the landing spot with 1.5 m and 3 m carry distance
- Changing clubs from lob wedge to 6 iron
Every club was documented. The golfers had to record how many attempts they needed to hit the landing spot. That automatically creates a different kind of focus compared to pure technical practice.
What had been trained in isolation now had to work under pressure, with a target and with changing demands.
What this exercise revealed
- Concentration changes behaviour
In the first round we deliberately allowed the golfers to stand closer together to see whether they could hold their concentration. It did not work. There was too much talking, the focus disappeared quickly and the quality of the shots became inconsistent. After the first round we addressed the issue clearly. The golfers recognised for themselves that they needed more space to concentrate better. In the second round they stood further apart. The results were clearly better. Whether that came from better concentration or from understanding the exercise more clearly after the first round is hard to separate. Most likely it was a combination of both.
- Pressure creates real quality
The situation demands ambition and presence. Suddenly every shot counts. - Competition changes the training
The loser cleans the winner’s clubs. Consequences matter, even when the detail is small. - Strike remains the foundation
Without clean contact, there is no distance control. - Consistent swing length creates control
Especially on short carries of 1.5 m and 3 m, a balanced backswing and follow through help a lot. - Acceleration instead of hitting
The golfers described the feeling as smooth and even. That is exactly what leads to better results.
This is where real progress in golf happens: when technique is not only understood, but applied under real conditions.
Small group coaching: where real progress happens
This image shows two completely different training situations. In the background, a golf teacher is working with a larger group. In the foreground, two of our golfers are training as part of a two person course.
The difference is not the content, but the attention each golfer receives. In small groups, every golfer gets continuous feedback, can ask questions and can work directly on personal priorities.
In larger groups, waiting time is inevitable. Many golfers spend more time watching than actually training.
Our experience is clear: the smaller the group, the faster golfers develop a feel for movement, strike and the flow of the game.
Our courses usually take place in groups of two. If requested, groups of up to four people are possible. Even then, we remain well below the usual group sizes offered by many providers.
Training on the course: why transfer is so important
Decisions on the course: when knowledge is missing, risk takes over
Example from a playing situation on the golf course
In this situation, the ball was sitting in the semi rough. The golfer chose a hybrid and wanted to play the shot into a narrow and dangerous area.
Her comment before the shot was telling: “I’ll take the hybrid. It does not go that far… I hope.”
That is exactly where the problem begins. The decision was not based on clear distances, but on feeling and hope.
The target was between two bunkers, directly towards the edge of the trees. The smallest mistake to the left could easily have meant a lost ball.
What was missing in this situation
- Clear distance knowledge
How far does a hybrid really fly, and how much does the ball release afterwards? - Preparation before the shot
The decision should be made while walking towards the ball, not only once standing over it. - Awareness of risk
A shot only makes sense if a normal mistake still leaves a playable next shot.
Golf is not a game of hope. Good decisions are based on information: GPS, laser, personal distances and a clear understanding of dispersion and release.
Attack only makes sense when a normal mistake is still playable.
This is where strategic golf begins. Good decisions are made before the shot.
That is exactly what we train in the Strategy Lab. Not just hitting the ball, but understanding which options really make sense.
Technique alone is not enough in golf. What matters is whether a golfer can apply what has been learned on the course.
That is why we integrate real playing situations early in our coaching. Decision making, pace of play, routines and handling pressure can only develop properly in the game itself.
Many problems do not come from missing technique, but from poor decisions or a lack of experience in real playing situations.
This is where transfer happens and where the real difference between practice and play begins.
These examples show one thing clearly: it is not about how much you train, but how you train.
Clear structure, personal coaching and the right balance between technique and playing are what make progress visible.
That is exactly what our coaching is built on.
The same thinking also matters for golfers working towards their Platzreife. It is not enough to understand the basics on the practice ground. Real progress starts when technique, decisions and course situations begin to work together.
Progress in golf does not come from more practice alone, but from better structured learning. That is what we, Michel Monnard and Tobias Widmer, work on with our golfers every day.
