Constant Practice:  as the name suggests is constantly practicing the same thing over and over again.  This is the most common form of practice we see on the driving range from day to day.  But is it working?  Are we learning or changing anything?

Variable Practice is the opposite of constant, changing things, lies, clubs, targets, shots, shapes.

What type of practice is better for you will be partly answered by your level of skill.  The better golfer you are the more variability you should create during practice.

Constant practice is easier than variable practice; it takes less effort and thought.   The novice or beginner golfer will improve more rapidly using constant practice than variable practice as they learn.  With constant practice you are solving the same problem over and over again.  This is great for the novice golfer who doesn’t need or want to be bogged down with too much information.

Constant practice provides very little challenge to the better player and will actually hinder your ability to learn.  This is why the better the golfer you are the more variability you should create during practice.  Variable practice creates situations where you must start to problem solve.  The more you start to problem solve on the range the better you will problem solve on the course under pressure.

Remember

• Quality of practice, not quantity, is the key to successful practice.
• Take a little more time and think about what you are doing before, during and after practice.
• Challenge yourself in practice to help decrease your challenge in competition. But always challenge at the appropriate level.
• Concern yourself with how much you are learning, not how good you look on the range.