This is a great Performance Game that is to be used in the early stages of skill development. Later stages of development and maintenance should contain a more challenging goal. All practice and performance games need to contain; randomization, accountability and challenge point to maximize learning and retention. “3up, 3down” is a performance game we use daily with our players because it encompasses all three requirements.
Golf is not played by hitting a pyramid of 7 irons and drivers. The only time you’ll ever hit the same club twice is when the first one goes out of play. We need to make our practice more like real golf by hitting different clubs and different shots. This is making your practice more random.
During real round of golf you will be held accountable for every shot you hit. You have to chase them down and count them all! However, most of our practice contains zero accountability since there’s an entire bucket of balls waiting for you and it really doesn’t matter where you hit it. By increasing your accountability during practice you will not only keep yourself more engaged but you will also find out what your new move will do when the pressure is up!
Challenge Point refers to maintaining a level of difficulty that is just barely reachable, therefore engaging and fun. If you were asked to make 20 one foot putts, you would quickly become bored with such an easy task. On the other hand, 20 twenty foot putts in a row would be extremely difficult and would more often hurt confidence than build it. The challenge at hand needs to be attainable with decent effort, thereby keeping you engaged in the process and feeling accomplished.
3up, 3down asks you to begin with a higher lofted club like at 9 iron. If you hit 3 good shots before you hit 3 bad shots, you move up to the 8 iron. If 3 bad shots come first, you move down to the pitching wedge. The goal is to get through the driver. This should be used as a new skill/motion is being found. Once the new skill becomes more ingrained, you will need a more challenging performance game.
3up, 3down encompasses Randomization because it get you hitting every club in your bag and switching clubs frequently. Accountability is achieved by having to deem each shot ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and by being forced to switch clubs based on your performance. Challenge Point is used because every person has a different definition of ‘good’ and ‘bad’. The greatest level of Challenge Point will be found as the player gets into the longer clubs and begins to ‘loose’ the feeling. They will be forced to go back down and find the feeling again before they can go back up. That point where they lose the feeling is when the challenge at hand becomes greater than their use of the new skill. The more you operate in this zone, the higher the engagement and retention become.
Golf is not played by hitting a pyramid of 7 irons and drivers. The only time you’ll ever hit the same club twice is when the first one goes out of play. We need to make our practice more like real golf by hitting different clubs and different shots. This is making your practice more random.
During real round of golf you will be held accountable for every shot you hit. You have to chase them down and count them all! However, most of our practice contains zero accountability since there’s an entire bucket of balls waiting for you and it really doesn’t matter where you hit it. By increasing your accountability during practice you will not only keep yourself more engaged but you will also find out what your new move will do when the pressure is up!
Challenge Point refers to maintaining a level of difficulty that is just barely reachable, therefore engaging and fun. If you were asked to make 20 one foot putts, you would quickly become bored with such an easy task. On the other hand, 20 twenty foot putts in a row would be extremely difficult and would more often hurt confidence than build it. The challenge at hand needs to be attainable with decent effort, thereby keeping you engaged in the process and feeling accomplished.
3up, 3down asks you to begin with a higher lofted club like at 9 iron. If you hit 3 good shots before you hit 3 bad shots, you move up to the 8 iron. If 3 bad shots come first, you move down to the pitching wedge. The goal is to get through the driver. This should be used as a new skill/motion is being found. Once the new skill becomes more ingrained, you will need a more challenging performance game.
3up, 3down encompasses Randomization because it get you hitting every club in your bag and switching clubs frequently. Accountability is achieved by having to deem each shot ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and by being forced to switch clubs based on your performance. Challenge Point is used because every person has a different definition of ‘good’ and ‘bad’. The greatest level of Challenge Point will be found as the player gets into the longer clubs and begins to ‘loose’ the feeling. They will be forced to go back down and find the feeling again before they can go back up. That point where they lose the feeling is when the challenge at hand becomes greater than their use of the new skill. The more you operate in this zone, the higher the engagement and retention become.