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Thursday, 28 September 2017

Low scores and good course management

There’s an old saying in golf, “low scores require good course management”. And mostly that means to plan and think your way around the course. Broken down that then means a plan for each hole and a set of strategies for what to do as the round unfolds. But the idea of managing your way around a course starts in practice rounds. And it’s not an idea special to golf.

I look for signs that my athletes are managing their workouts. For instance, each member of the Kiwi Barbell weightlifting squad has a prescribed programme – a plan of action? Well not quite. I expect athletes to take the session prescription to be well organised around the platform, to be clear about what the finishing weights will be, to have a consistent approach to the bar, to apply optimal recovery times. These are all skills that have to be taught and practiced. How they organise themselves through the workout to achieve their session goals - is about session management. Watch the best athletes. They are well organised and manage their training with goals in mind.

The better your players get at self-managing their training, the better they’ll be in competition, but importantly, you will freed up to do more coaching. This is about athlete accountability. Invest heavily in an expectation of session management and you’ll get much better returns downstream.


(Photo source: Football Gameplan)

Watch German weightlifter, Max Lang, in this eight minute video, managing his workout in the training hall at the 2015 World Championships Max Lang 

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