Combining Your Practice and Fitness in a Remote Contact World

Combining Your Practice and Fitness in a Remote Contact World

Sue Shapcott, PhD, PGA GB&I

Nick Randall, PGA Tour and Golf Australia Trainer

 

The Awakening of 2020

If nothing else, 2020 encouraged us to think differently about how we live and work. For leisure industry professionals – like us – this meant questioning our business models and thinking harder about the unique value that we bring to the golf industry. 

 

Meet Sue and Nick

Sue and Nick both grew up in England. Sue now lives in Madison, Wisconsin. In terms of weather, Nick made a smarter move and landed in Queensland, Australia. 

Nick Randall has a background of developing fitness plans for golfers ranging from recreational to tour level. He was more ready for 2020 than most due to having established a business, and an app, that delivers online fitness training for golfers. 

 

 

Sue Shapcott has a successful instruction business but wanted to also use her expertise in learning to develop remote practice programs for golfers (It is one thing to know what will improve your technique, it is another to ensure you practice it well!). These programs can be utilized by Sue’s existing clients, but also new clients from afar.  

 

 

 

Evidence-Based Practice Plans for Golfers

Sue has a PhD in education. The focus of her study was learning and motivation (of recreational golfers no less!). She combines her knowledge of golf instruction and learning in personalized remote practice programs, this is how it works; 

Step 1 - Sue takes the time to understand a golfer’s goals and benchmarks their core competencies through testing in order to establish baselines and measure future progress. 

Step 2 - Sue then develops personalized practice plans that aim to improve the core competencies that are most closely linked to the client’s goals. Depending on the goals, a practice plan may include technical work, skill-development drills and course-management strategies.

Step 3 - Each month, Sue has review chats with her clients about their practice, its difficulty, time constraints, and listens to feedback. She then makes the appropriate adjustments to the next month’s practice plan and sets new targets for the core competencies.

Wherever you’re at with your golf, Sue’s evidence-based practice plans and sessions often look very different to what you might normally expect. For example, when we start hitting the ball solidly, the temptation is to keep on going. But instead, we know from the research that deeper learning occurs if we actually STOP hitting, do something else and then come back to it. That way you’re forced to remember what it was that got you hitting well in the first place!

 

 

 

Tour Proven Fitness Plans for Golfers

Although Nick does not have Sue’s academic clout, his 10+ years of experience working with all standards of players, combined with a methodical and systematic approach has led to the development of a robust and effective golf fitness service. 

As the top level of players are proving, improving physical capacity can have a dramatically positive effect on practice effectiveness. Being stronger, fitter, more stable and more mobile will allow you to move your body better and practice for longer without fatigue or pain.

Like Sue, Nick focuses on a personalized approach, informed by detailed assessment and delivered with targeted training programs:

Step 1 – Assessment questionnaire and video call with key questions about golf, lifestyle, training experience, past injuries, goals and logistics of the training program. In-depth, live video analysis of posture, golf movement patterns, basic strength, mobility and stability.

Step 2 – Nick writes a fully customised training program using the Golf Fit Pro app and the client gets stuck into the training program to get stronger, fitter, faster, more mobile and move better for golf.

Step 3 – Nick connects with his clients via video call 1 x per month to conduct assessments, review progress and write new training programs.

 

 

Joining Forces

If you have invested in a practice program, then you are on your way to improvement. Although we know there are no magic pills for improving your golf game, we do know that with good practice strategies and physical conditioning, you will start edging towards your golf goals. 

Because Sue and Nick are now combining their services and sharing essential information, clients can ensure their fitness is complementing their practice and vice versa. No matter where you are with your golf, we can provide you with the directed and personalized strategies and encouragement you will need to improve. 

 

More Information

You can check out Sue’s remote practice programs here

and

get more info on Nick’s online training service here.

 

Case Study

In subsequent blogs, we will be following the progress of Chris who is integrating Nick’s golf fitness regimen into the practice plan he has developed with Sue. Watch this space to follow Chris’ progress!


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