I recently had the opportunity to catch up with NZ touring professional golfer Gareth Paddison and learn the secrets behind his successful career in golf.
Bio
37-year-old Gareth turned pro in 2001 and was named the Australasian PGA tour rookie of the year in 2002. Since then he has played on the European Challenge Tour for a number of years, with a victory in the Open des Volcans in 2007. He also played a full season on the European Tour in 2008, recording 5 top 25 finishes. Gareth is currently competing on the Australasian, and ONEAsia tour.
How often do you practice?
I practice 5 days per week (during a non-competition week) for around 5 hours per day. I will have one additional day where I train for around 3 hours and then I have one day off.
Are there any areas of the game you prioritise?
I tend to break down my practice to spend time on all parts of the game, as I feel I need to be good in all areas. I also make sure I spend time practising in the wind and rain, to get use to conditions that I may encounter during tournaments.
Is fitness an important part of your training?
Definitely, I spend around 45-60 minutes per day on fitness, approximately 5 days per week. I tend to mix up my training so I am covering different aspects, such as strength, flexibility, power, etc.
How to you prepare for important competitions?
I will look at the golf course to get an idea of what kind of conditions I can expect. For example, if an upcoming event is to be played on a course that is likely to be windy, then I will spend a few days working prior to the tournament on my ½ and ¾ swings, working on keeping the ball low. I may also look to ‘house’ myself at a links course for a few days before an event to get acclimatised to playing in windy conditions.
If the course is hilly, I will spend more time than usual leading up to the event, practising shots from side hill and downhill/uphill lies. I do spend time to look at the par 3’s and see how long they are. If the course requires a high percentage of long iron shots into the par 3’s, I will spend a bit of time working on my long iron tee shots.
Whatever the conditions on the days just prior to the event, I will focus more time on my short game. I don’t want to get too wound up hitting balls before a tournament (i.e. get too technical) and will look at hitting just 45 minutes of quality balls over each of those days.
Do you get nervous before competitions?
Yes I do. I get nervous, as I don’t want to do anything bad. I have also experienced negative thoughts at certain times while competing.
How do you cope with that?
Firstly, I tell myself that I love the challenge from situations that come with nerves. If I am nervous it usually means I have an opportunity to excel and be successful so that’s great.
I remind myself I am not the only professional golfer at the event who is nervous. I am not the only one who may be worrying about hitting it out of bounds, into a hazard, etc. We all experience these feelings from time to time and I am no different to anyone else.
In regards to my golf I acknowledge that I am nervous and I choose to commit to the shot. I focus on my process (e.g. pre-shot routine) and what I am trying to achieve but I need to do this without having a care for the result. The trouble/danger is there regardless of whether I get nervous or not.
It is important that I remember that the outcome is not life or death so I do my best and accept the rest. I am only human.
Finally, what advice would you offer a young golfer wanting to have a career playing golf?
- Be confident (confident people tend to get what they want).
- Find the right coach for you.
- Maintain a high work ethic.
- Be committed to change in your technique, and be diligent when you practice.
- Don't give up! Have an undying belief that you will reach your goals
- Make sure you have enough funds to last when you turn pro. You need time to adjust. Too many give up too quickly.
My comments
There are a number of things any golfer can learn from Gareth. His amount of practice fits with the research conducted by Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Romer who suggested many experts engage in deliberate practice for about 4-5 hours per day.
It is important to notice that Gareth is having rest days. Rest is critical to allow an athlete to recover, both physically and psychologically. It is interesting to note that Gareth also takes a complete break from golf for 3 weeks each year, over the Christmas period.
Dealing with anxiety and fear is a common experience for many who compete in sport. However, I think it is important to realise that even the best athletes in the world experience nerves. Therefore, we shouldn’t feel bad or think our performance is going to suffer if we feel anxious. The focus needs to be on how to manage ones feelings of anxiety as opposed to trying to eliminate them.
It can be a hard career mentally, as it is important for humans to feel good about themselves, but this can be difficult when we are often faced with failure and struggles. You can work hard but often without reward.
Gareth has considered quitting a number of times. However, Gareth spoke about tenacity and the need to have an undying belief that you will reach your goals. Any golfer with ambitions will experience failure throughout their journey but it is the golfer who pushes through the adversity, and learns from the failure that will leave the majority behind. Any athletes should spend time reading about the journey of others to get a realistic appreciation of how the process of long-term success unfolds.
I don't think there was anything surprising in the processes that Gareth follows in his drive for success. However, the difference I saw in Gareth compared to amateur golfers, is that amateur golfers may be aware of what they should be doing but don't, whereas Gareth is actually doing it. One of the things I guess that separates a professional golfer from an amateur.
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