When a golfer looks to improve, I often hear the phrase ‘Just to become consistent’. Golfers are very consistent.

Consistent in regard to making the same movement pattern time and time again. Consistently playing the same hole on the course the same way over and over. Using the same club to hit greenside chips again and again.

Golfers make the same movement pattern to video and the naked eye with every swing. The variables which change from a technical perspective are the clubface position at impact and the impact location (where the ball and clubface come into contact).

Those variables can display a massive difference in the outcome of the shot but even then, players will have a pattern of strike and flight, or spectrum thereof.

I’d argue that to improve, a golfer has to become less consistent, or at least more adaptable. Even though you’ll play the same course most times you play, the weather and ground conditions, tee and green positions will differ greatly.

Therefore the shots you hit and the order in which you hit them will vary to get the best from your game.

The trouble with adult golfers is, they very rarely try to hit anything other than a ‘normal’ or ‘standard’ shot in the hope it turns out the way they wanted.

Speaking from a personal perspective, I used to become bored of ‘normal’ practice and my friends and I would see who could hit the biggest hook, the lowest flight, the highest cut or play ‘cross country’ from one tee to a different green. It taught us a huge amount about how a ball curved the way it did. What we as golfers had to do to control the ball so it flew matching our intention (Pic 1).

Tour pros will hit different shots in different situations depending on how they see a particular shot (Pic 2 shows a pro tracer image of players’ flights).

Next week I’ll show you ways to adapt your practice and/or on course winter practice to bring an element of variability into your practice. You’ll have more fun and control the ball better in the long term.