Free · Built on Motor Learning Research

The 45-Minute Practice Plan

Most golfers practice for two hours and get worse. This is the exact 45-minute structure I give my own students — blocked work, random practice, and transfer pressure, in the right doses — so what you build on the range actually shows up on the course.

It's not less practice. It's practice that transfers.

The research on motor learning is blunt: after about 45 focused minutes, quality collapses and you start rehearsing your misses. The plan splits that window into three blocks, each doing a different job for your brain.

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Build — blocked practice

One focus, one external cue, controlled reps. This is where technique changes start — and where most golfers wrongly spend their entire session.

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Mix — random practice

Different club, target, and shot every ball. It feels worse and works better — the contextual interference effect is one of the most replicated findings in skill learning.

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Transfer — pressure games

Consequences, scoring, one ball per shot — the conditions of real golf. This block is why the plan shows up on the scorecard instead of staying on the range.