Better Practice Better Golf

The way you practice golf is the way you play golf.

Most golfers “hit a few balls” and hope to get better. The best golfers practice with purpose. Better Practice Better Golf shows you exactly how to do that—step by step.

Written by performance coaches Dr Nicky Lumb and Dr Dave Alred MBE, this practical guide combines learning science, skill acquisition, psychology and on-course performance to help every standard of golfer, from beginner to tour player, get more from every minute of practice.

Inside you’ll discover:

• How to structure effective practice sessions so you stop wasting time on the range
• Simple principles of learning and skill acquisition that make changes stick under pressure
• Practical tools to build confidence, focus and a strong golf mindset
• How to transfer your practice game onto the course and lower your scores where it matters

Part One – Practice & Performance Essentials

Clear, easy-to-apply chapters explain how to:
• Set meaningful goals for practice and play
• Design sessions that challenge you at the right level
• Use feedback and statistics to track real improvement
• Prepare mentally and physically to perform your best on the course

Part Two – 75+ Practice Drills for Every Part of Your Game

A complete library of practices for use on the range, short-game area and putting green, including drills for:
• Driver and fairway woods
• Iron play and approach shots
• Wedges and pitching
• Chipping and bunker play
• Putting and distance control
• On-course routines and performance under pressure

Many practices include progression levels so, as your skills improve, you can keep each session challenging and game-like. Use the drills again and again to build a practice blueprint that fits your goals, schedule and ability.

If you’re ready to stop guessing, practise with purpose, lower your scores and enjoy your golf more, Better Practice Better Golf will show you how.

About the Authors

Dr Nicky Lumb is a performance coach and PGA Professional with a PhD in Optimising Practice for Peak Performance in Professional Golf and an MSc in Sports Coaching specialising in elite performance. She has presented her research at the World Scientific Congress of Golf and the World Golf Fitness Summit. Her proven methods in practice design, learning and performance have helped tour players, elite amateurs and club golfers optimise their practice and play their best golf on the course.

She is also the creator of Golf Practice Buddy, a practical training app designed to help golfers structure and track purposeful practice sessions. The app complements the principles in this book by giving players simple tools to plan, record and review their practice more effectively.

Dr Dave Alred MBE is recognised as one of the world’s leading performance coaches. His achievements include helping Luke Donald reach World Number One and supporting Francesco Molinari in winning The Open Championship. He also coached Jonny Wilkinson to become rugby’s most successful kicker and played a major role in England’s Rugby World Cup victory. He holds a PhD in Performing Under Pressure and is the author of the best-selling book The Pressure Principle.