A Golfer Should Learn How to Learn

Last week, I had one of those teaching moments that reminded me why I love coaching golf. I was out with Niel, one of my regular students, for an 18-hole playing lesson. What started as a typical round turned into something much more valuable—a lesson about learning itself.

The Problem I Noticed

By the 4th hole, I could see the issue clearly. Niel was executing technically sound swings, but he looked frustrated with every shot. Even his good ones seemed to leave him unsatisfied. When he lined up his approach shot, I watched him go through a mental checklist: grip pressure, left foot position, follow-through—all the things we'd worked on in previous lessons.

"Nice shot," I called out as his ball landed pin-high, fifteen feet from the flag.

He shook his head. "Doesn't feel right, Coach. I keep trying to do exactly what you showed me last week, but it's not clicking."

That's when it hit me. Niel wasn't learning—he was just trying to remember. He'd become a passive absorber of tips rather than an active learner. By the 12th hole, after watching him chunk a wedge shot following three beautiful swings, I knew we needed to have a different kind of conversation.

The Shift to Active Learning

"Niel, walk with me," I said, pulling the cart over. "I want to talk about something I've been observing."

I explained what I was seeing: he was playing like he was trying to remember a script instead of actually playing golf. When I asked what he was thinking about on that chunked wedge, his answer confirmed my suspicion.

"I was trying to remember everything—keep my weight forward like you said, maintain that grip pressure we worked on, keep accelerating through impact...."

"And how did that work out?" I asked.

"Obviously not well."

Here's what I did next, and it's something I now use with many of my students: I introduced him to experimentation.

"Forget about replicating everything perfectly," I told him. "Let's run a little experiment. I took five balls out his bag and said “Hit five balls with your 8-iron, and your only focus is feeling the club release through impact. Nothing else matters."

After those five swings, I asked what he noticed. "The third and fifth swings felt... different. More connected, I guess?"

"Good. That's data," I said. "You're starting to understand what works for your swing, not just copying what works for someone else."

Building Awareness Through Reflection

Next, I introduced what I call metacognition—simply paying attention to your own thinking process. I had him hit three more balls, but this time focusing on what his mind was doing: Was he tense? Rushing? Overthinking?

As we continued through the round, I introduced the "Plus/Minus/Next" approach after each hole:

• Plus: What went right?

• Minus: What went wrong?

• Next: What will you adjust?

"On 15, you said your putting rhythm felt good—that's a plus," I noted as we walked to the 16th tee. "But you also said you felt rushed over the ball before your approach shot—that's a minus. So what's your next adjustment?"

"Take one deep breath before I pull the trigger?"

"Perfect. You see what you just did? You diagnosed your own issue and created your own solution. That's infinitely more valuable than me telling you what to do."

The Power of Small Adjustments

By the 18th hole, I could see a shift in Niel's entire approach. The quality of his shots hadn't dramatically changed, but his engagement with the process had transformed completely. He was no longer frustrated—he was curious.

This is where iteration comes in. Instead of trying to overhaul everything at once, Niel was making tiny adjustments based on his experiments and reflections. Maybe that grip change didn't feel natural, so he modified it slightly. Perhaps focusing on his rhythm made a difference, so he emphasized that more.

The Lesson for All Golfers

As we loaded the clubs into Niel’s car, I pulled out the scorecard and on the back I wrote three words: Experiment. Reflect. Adjust.

"This is your new practice routine," I told him. "Every time you work on your game, design little experiments for yourself. Next time you’re on the range, try focusing on just one thing for ten swings. Then reflect on what you learned. Finally, make a tiny adjustment and try again for the next ten swings."

Why This Matters

Here's what I've discovered: golfers who learn how to learn improve faster and more sustainably than those who just collect tips. They become curious about their own game instead of trying to copy someone else's. They ask better questions: Why did that shot feel good? What was I thinking when I rushed that putt? How does my tempo change under pressure?

The golf swing might be complicated, but learning how to learn is simple. You just need to stay curious and trust the process.

Your Next Step

If you're reading this and recognizing yourself in Niel's story, try this approach in your next practice session:

1. Design a simple experiment: Pick one element of your swing to focus on for 10 swings

2. Reflect on what you discovered: What felt different? What patterns did you notice?

3. Make a small adjustment: Based on your findings, try a slight modification

Remember, in a world where golf advice changes constantly, your most valuable skill isn't what you know about the swing—it's how you learn. Experiment, reflect, adjust. Do this consistently, and you'll discover you don't need someone else's map but the right mindset to chart your own path to lower scores.

Think About This

If you had to choose between knowing the "perfect" swing technique or knowing how to continuously improve your own swing, which would serve you better over the next 5 years of golf?

Until next time, less swing thoughts, more great shots!

Owen.