How do you know if you are making progress?

So I have recently completed the 3rd week of our Supervised Practice sessions. This is a session where the golfer brings what he/she is currently working on, as well as other standard practice procedures that I throw into the mix. The session looks a bit like this:

PUTTING GREEN
* 5 minutes focusing on your putting TEMPO. Putt to a tee. Use Block practice.
* 5 minutes - Short Putting within 1 meter. Use the "STAR" drill, Start each shot with your routine. If you miss, start over from the beginning.
* 5 minutes - Long putting. Play the "LADDER" drill or the like. Get the feel for distance.
* 5 minutes ending the session focusing on your TEMPO. Putt all the balls to the edge of the green.

RANGE
* 5 minutes with your 6 iron focusing on TEMPO. Use BLOCK practice.
* 5 minutes - Work on ONE aspect of improving your technique. Feel the movements, start each shot with your routine. Slow down and take time between each shot. Concentration!
* 5 minutes hitting 7 shots, with 7 different clubs to 7 different targets. Start each shot with your routine. Play parts of the golf course on the range!
* 5 minutes ending with TEMPO. Hit wedges to a close target and feel the rythym in your body.

So how do you know if you are making progress whilse doing this practice session?

For me, the "result of the shot" is only part of the picture. I think the player must be in an attitude of long-term development or growth to understand what I mean. Quick fixes here or there don't really lead you anywhere. So here are my responses to how you know you are making meaningful progress during your golf journey:

(1) Stay Process Focused. This seems like an easy one, but it's not. The process (or journey for development) should give you just as much satisfaction as the end result. Your golf journey is like the Stock Market. There will be highs and lows but the process of improvement will make you better over the long term.

(2) Maintain a high level of concentration during practice. I set up my practice sessions between 5-10 minutes each because I want my students to concrentrate 100% on each shot. If you are thinking about what you are going to do for dinner or your plans for the next day, you might as well not be there. BE PRESENT! What did Ben Crane say? "I am speaking to you as we speak from the NOW in the middle of the NOW!"

(3) Give yourself time between shots to understand. When you are trying to learn or remember something, you must give yourself time to digest the information. Try this: Do your pre-shot routine and hit a shot. No matter the result, watch the ball the entire way until it stops and access what happened. Describe everything about that shot and what you did with the club and your body to hit that shot. Now, is that the type of shot you want to hit? If not, describe to yourself (BEFORE YOU SCRAPE FOR ANOTHER BALL) what you would like to do instead. Rehearse this motion. When you got a feeling, put a ball down, do you routine and hit the ball. Then Repeat this process.

(4) Lose the Control! You can not fully control a golf ball. You can have a great routine, align your body and mind to the starting line, have excellent tempo and a perfect strike. The ball might take a hard bounce and go out-of-bounds or end up in a bad lie. Instead of judging yourself, lighten up on the control. Accept bad shots/breaks as part of the game and focus on the entire process instead.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, now go out and practice!

Regards,
Steven

Book Recommendation: The Game Before the Game by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriot (with Ron Sirak)