Developing Skills Through Transfer Training

By Blake Jirges, PGA

As a specialized golf coach, I recognize the importance of practice and how students acquire skills. Through proper training and support, you as the student can shoot the lowest scores possible if first, you start believing that you can and second that you have the proper training to get there. 

I ensure my students recognize their potential and work with them to attain the audacious goal they want to achieve. Now some goals may take longer then others and some need bigger changes then others, but at the end of the day, the belief is inside you. 

Skill development occurs with understanding cause and effect, practicing under supervision (with a golf coach), transferring the practice under pressure situations, and lastly playing the game. 

The two skills that are missed in development is usually supervised practice and transfer training. Students see a coach, figure out why they are slicing, then go and play. The student wonders why they are still slicing the ball when they are playing for money with their friends. Well, they missed the two most important steps and wonder why they can’t transfer the skills from the driving range to the course. 

Here is a great game that you can start doing that will help develop your transfer training skills and improve your scoring in the short game area. 

9 hole short game challenge 

A player will pre determine nine shots around a green that ranges from rough, fairway, side hill, down hill, up hill, lob, and bunker shots around the green. Within the difficulty of the game, make 3 shots easy, 3 shots medium, and 3 shots challenging. Your goal is to hole the putt out in the lowest score possible. 

Level 1 – 27

Level 2 – 24

Level 3 – 21

Level 4 – 18

Start benchmarking your scores each time you complete the challenge to see here your skills are at and understand where your strengths and weaknesses are at inside the short game area. 

Again, I cannot stress on the importance of proper skill development to transfer a skill from the practice tee to the golf course. Try this game and see your skills in the short game area improve.