Stop Grooving, Start Adapting: The Putting practice That Actually Works
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(World-Today-News.com) – As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. But what if yoru practice is… imperfect? Many golfers spend countless hours on the putting green, mindlessly drilling putt after putt from the same spot, hoping to “groove” their stroke. But according to leading golf instructors, this approach might be doing more harm than good.
Are you realy thinking about how you practice? Chances are, that repetitive motion isn’t preparing you for the unpredictable realities of the golf course.
GOLF top 100 Teacher Ed Oldham explains the power of variable practice – and shares three drills you can use today to dramatically improve your putting game.
An Easy Way to Improve Your Putting
We’ve all been there. You’re on the practice green, relentlessly knocking in 50 identical three-footers, convinced you’re building muscle memory. Then you step onto the course and… everything falls apart. Suddenly, those straight putts become elusive, replaced by breaking 10-footers, tricky downhill sliders, and challenging lag putts. Your putting game stalls. Sound familiar?
That’s as conventional, repetitive putting practice simply doesn’t prepare you for the dynamic conditions you’ll encounter on the course. The solution? Variable practice – a smarter, brain-friendly approach that mirrors the unpredictability of real golf. By mixing things up, you build adaptability, feel, and confidence, whether you’re a high-handicapper or a seasoned scratch golfer.
Let’s explore why repetition falls short, how variability boosts performance, and three drills that will transform your putting game.
Why Repetition Doesn’t Work
While hitting 100 of the same putt might feel productive,it only prepares you for one specific scenario. Real golf greens, however, are constantly throwing curveballs: varying slopes, speeds, and breaks.Successfully navigating these challenges requires adaptability – not robotic repetition.
Think of repetitive practice like memorizing a single song on the piano. If someone changes the key – or even the song itself – you’re left scrambling.
Motor learning research supports this. According to Dr. Richard Schmidt’s Schema Theory, variable practice helps create a flexible mental blueprint. The brain learns
