Hey there,

You know what I see all the time? Golfers who are absolutely crushing it on the range. I mean, they’re out there hitting ball after ball, working on their swing, really focused on getting everything just right.

And then they get to the course and…it all falls apart.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the thing (and this is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately), you might be practicing golf all wrong. Like, fundamentally wrong.

Let me explain what I mean.

What Everybody Thinks About Practice (And Why It’s Wrong)

So conventional wisdom says you need to hit tons of balls on the range, right? Get those reps in. Dig it out of the dirt. 

And look, I get it. That makes sense at a basic level.

But here’s what’s actually happening: You’re out there on the range, hitting the same shot over and over. Same club, same target, same everything. You’re getting really good at… hitting balls on the range.

The problem? That’s not golf.

Think about it. When you’re playing an actual round, you never hit the same shot twice. Every shot is different – different lie, different distance, different club, different situation. You’re walking between shots. You’re thinking about strategy. You’re dealing with pressure. The range and the course are basically two different games. And we wonder why our practice doesn’t translate.

The science guys have actually studied this, and they call it “transfer of learning.” Basically, it’s how well what you practice carries over to the real thing. And here’s the kick in the ass: That repetitive range practice we all do? It doesn’t transfer nearly as well as we think it does.

I see this with my students all the time. They’ll come to me and say, “Tony, I’m hitting it great on the range, but I can’t take it to the course.” And I’m like, yeah, because you’re practicing a completely different skill.

That’s why the retreats we run through the winter (down here where it’s warm!) have a balance of swing instruction, on-course strategy and troubleshooting, mental performance and physical training. The best players in the world know you need all those ingredients to compete. If you add just a little of that diversity to your practice, you’ll see how the benefits multiply, not just add up. 

How to Practice Like You Play

So what does this look like in real life?

1. Play the game on the range

Instead of just hitting balls, actually play holes in your mind. Imagine you’re on the first tee at your home course. What club would you hit? Hit that shot. Where did it end up? Okay, now what’s your next shot? Hit that. Go through your whole round this way. It takes longer, yeah, but you’re actually practicing golf, not just ball-striking.

2. Change it up every shot

If you don’t want to play imaginary holes, at least change your target and club every single shot. No two shots the same. Make yourself go through your full routine each time – pick your target, visualize the shot, step up and hit it. This is more like what you do on the course, right?

3. Add some pressure

Here’s something I love: Give yourself challenges. Like, “I need to hit 7 out of 10 shots inside this circle.” Or “I’m going to play the back nine, and I need to shoot under 40.”

When there’s something on the line – even if it’s just your own personal challenge – it changes how you practice. You start feeling that little bit of pressure, that little bit of consequence. That’s good. That’s something that needs to be familiar when you’re playing, not a shock to your system.

4. Practice your short game the same way

This applies to putting and chipping too. Don’t just hit the same 10-foot putt over and over. Hit one from 10 feet, then one from 25 feet, then one from 6 feet with a break. Mix it up.

Same with chipping. Different lies, different clubs, different situations. Make every shot a new problem to solve.

On a Monday or Tuesday of tournament week, I’ll go out with a tour player and randomly scatter three golf balls around a green. We compete try to get two out of three up and down, and you play the ball as it lies. We do that three and six times and try to get six or 12 out of 18, which is close to our average. Loser buys the wine that night! 

What I’m Watching

It’s so hard to win tournaments at any level, and I’m always interested in learning what gives players confidence and what contributes to more nerves. That’s why it was so fun to have a great group on the podcast last week to discuss the realities of competing. We had my friend Dr. Greg Cartin, a peak performance coach who works with a ton of great players, my student Avery Weed, who is the No. 1 ranked player in women’s college golf and plays at Mississippi State, and Will McFadden, who just started his pro career. Watch the pod on YouTube or listen at your favorite podcast destination to get the full prescription, but the essence of the talk was that there’s no substitute for experience. You have to put yourself in position over and over so that it starts to feel more “normal.” Another big key? Stop thinking of losses as “failure.” Everything contributes to what you do next, and if you don’t learn from an experience, then it’s just wasted. 

Another interesting conversation I got to be a part of was with three of my good friends, Morgan Hale (a terrific young coach), tour caddie Donald Cooper (who carried for Lucas Glover when he won the U.S. Open) and Connor Luke (another terrific young coach). We talked about the ways players can get better without doing any work on the mechanics of the swing. Just making better decisions on the course and keeping your composure instead of adding bad choices on top of each other can make a massive difference. Watch it here. 

Feels Like Christmas!

Talking to my friends up in the Northeast and Midwest, it’s for sure winter—and the holiday season. If you’re searching for the perfect gift to help the golfer in your life get away from the cold (or get better if he or she is already down this way!), I have some great lesson gift certificates available where they can come down and get one-on-one help. It’s a great way for them to improve and have fun at the same time, and you don’t even have to wrap anything! You can find the options here.  

If you or a friend want the convenience of a remote lesson, those are available as well. It’s even possible to get in a lesson between now and the new year. I work with students from all over the world, and I check in with local students who are on the road for tournaments. Go here to check out the options.

Retreat Schedule

We’ve got five retreats coming up now through the month of February down in Florida. Like I said, they’re great places to improve all the parts of your game—and a great hang, too. I always have guest instructors and experts there to share their knowledge, like Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Wayne Flint, Golf Digest Best in State Teacher Morgan Hale, PGA Tour trainer Kolby Tullier and Dr. Greg Cartin. Each one has a different them, like competition, power and mental game. 

Click here for the full schedule, and we’ll get something on the books.