Gamify Your Short Game
By Bradley Turner MBA, PGA – Keiser University College of Golf Director of Online Golf Instruction
In the first Conversations with a Golf Coach, my guest, Brendon Elliott, mentioned the importance of making practice fun for his juniors. He said, ‘gamification will engage junior golfers and make the learning experience measurable and enjoyable.’ The term gamification has been used in the business world for the last decade to encourage employee participation and completion of business objectives. According to Dr. Zachary Fitz Walter at Gamify (www.gamify.com), gamification is defined as ‘…a set of activities and processes to solve problems by using or applying the characteristics of game elements.’
Golf coaches are always encouraging their students to practice and work on fundamentals. Sometimes that message can get boring and repetitive. Making practice an activity that is fun and challenging is the reason golf coaches encourage playing practice games instead of pounding golf balls aimlessly on the driving range. One area that has always been a challenge for coaches is getting their students to practice short game shots from 40 yards and in. The following ten-hole scoring ability game is designed to challenge students to solve the various short game problems they will face on the golf course. The premise of the game is simple. Students will play 10 holes that are all par 3’s. The maximum length hole is 40 yards and the shortest at 10 yards. I have always liked to have students estimate their performance in this game before playing. Managing expectations is an important aspect of the improvement process. As anticipated with most golfers, the student will expect to score much better than reality. This is one of the benefits of gamification – it provides feedback on performance in a positive and educational format.
Ten Hole Scoring Ability Game
Hole #1 Putt from the fringe (40 ft) – drop the ball
Hole #2 Short chip from light rough (30 ft) – drop the ball
Hole #3 Long chip from fairway/fringe (75 ft) – drop the ball
Hole #4 Short bunker shot (15 yards) – place the ball in the sand
Hole #5 Long bunker shot (25 yards) – place the ball in the sand
Hole #6 Short pitch from light rough with SW or LW (20 yards) – drop the ball
Hole #7 Medium pitch from rough with SW or LW (30 yards) – drop the ball
Hole #8 Long pitch from the fairway with SW or LW (40 yards) – drop the ball
Hole #9 Flop or lob shot over a bunker to a tight hole location – drop the ball
Hole #10 Putt from the fringe (60ft) – drop the ball
Scoring Assessment
30+ strokes
A score over 30 in this game indicates the need to allocate most of your practice time from 40 yards and in. Estimated USGA handicap index (25.0+)
28-29
If you score in this range, there are clear weaknesses in your short game that can be improved with some good instruction and focused practice sessions. Estimated USGA handicap index (18.0 to 25.0)
26-27
This score identifies a good short game for an average skilled golfer. There are opportunities for improvement, but you may need to work on ball striking improvement first. Estimated USGA handicap index (10.0 to 17.0)
24-25
A score in this range identifies your short game skills as a strength indicating a single-digit USGA handicap index (1.0 to 9.0)
22-23
A scratch golfer can occasionally score in this range, but an average PGA Tour player can expect to shoot 22 or 23 all day long. If you can consistently score in this range, you have a world-class short game!
Gamification is simply a way to make practice interesting while providing performance feedback to the golfer. This example of gamification is just one of many practice games that have been designed to inspire golfers to get better. Be sure to challenge yourself to this game the next time you are at the practice facility. What will you shoot in the 10 Hole Scoring Ability Game?
If you’d like to study with Bradley Turner and other PGA Master Professionals, contact the College of Golf today.
