Today I want to talk about what sets the elite apart from the rest… Their secret sauce to success.
The best athletes in the world know that good practice isn’t just about showing up and going through the motions. It's about having a plan, executing it with precision, and then reflecting on your progress.
Think about it this way: Olympic athletes, and professional players—they don't just wing it. They have a roadmap for success, and they follow it religiously.
In other words.. They plan, do, and review.
If you want to follow in the footsteps of the pros, you need to do the same.
Let’s dive into this framework step by step to see how you can expedite your athletic development by practicing like the pros.
The best athletes in the world know that good practice isn’t just about showing up and going through the motions. It's about having a plan, executing it with precision, and then reflecting on your progress.
Think about it this way: Olympic athletes, and professional players—they don't just wing it. They have a roadmap for success, and they follow it religiously.
In other words.. They plan, do, and review.
If you want to follow in the footsteps of the pros, you need to do the same.
Let’s dive into this framework step by step to see how you can expedite your athletic development by practicing like the pros.
Plan Your Roadmap
The journey begins with a plan. Before hitting the field, the court, or the course, you need to know where you're headed.
It's not enough to say, "I'm going to practice today."
You need a game plan, for practice.
What specific skills are you working on? Why are they most important right now? What areas of your game need improvement? Having a clear plan sets the stage for focused and effective practice.
Let’s use golf as an example.
You could go and buy a bucket of a hundred balls today and hit all of them one after the other.
But since you didn’t have a plan, what did you actually gain? Nothing. In fact, you’re more than likely going backward ingraining bad habits. You’ll likely be thinking about dozens of things over the course of the range session. But none of it will stick because none of it was intentional.
This also ties into another vital component of your success: Periodization.
Periodization is a strategic approach to training that involves breaking down your overall training into distinct phases, each with specific objectives and focuses.
This concept is well known in the majority of team sports with clearly defined seasons e.g. football, soccer, basketball) . But I’ve found that it can get lost in individual skill sports (e.g. Golf, Tennis, Weightlifting).
In these individual skill sports, athletes often just practice and play with no real goal or post-training breakdown of specifically defined goals.
Sound familiar? Let’s make today the day to stop making this mistake. From now on, simply show up to your practice with specific, detailed practice objectives.
Think about it this way.
Say you want to run a half-marathon. You’re not going to go from “I want to run a half-marathon” to actually running a half-marathon overnight.
Once you understand your end goal, it’s pretty easy to lay out a plan of how to get there.
You’d work backward from your goal and run an extra mile every week on your run.
Before you knew it, you’d be ready for that half-marathon since you broke down the overall goal into smaller, more manageable pieces.
The same should be applied to every sport. Start with a specific outcome or goal, a timeline, and work backward from there.
Trust me. Adding intention to your practice can make all the difference.
It's not enough to say, "I'm going to practice today."
You need a game plan, for practice.
What specific skills are you working on? Why are they most important right now? What areas of your game need improvement? Having a clear plan sets the stage for focused and effective practice.
Let’s use golf as an example.
You could go and buy a bucket of a hundred balls today and hit all of them one after the other.
But since you didn’t have a plan, what did you actually gain? Nothing. In fact, you’re more than likely going backward ingraining bad habits. You’ll likely be thinking about dozens of things over the course of the range session. But none of it will stick because none of it was intentional.
This also ties into another vital component of your success: Periodization.
Periodization is a strategic approach to training that involves breaking down your overall training into distinct phases, each with specific objectives and focuses.
This concept is well known in the majority of team sports with clearly defined seasons e.g. football, soccer, basketball) . But I’ve found that it can get lost in individual skill sports (e.g. Golf, Tennis, Weightlifting).
In these individual skill sports, athletes often just practice and play with no real goal or post-training breakdown of specifically defined goals.
Sound familiar? Let’s make today the day to stop making this mistake. From now on, simply show up to your practice with specific, detailed practice objectives.
Think about it this way.
Say you want to run a half-marathon. You’re not going to go from “I want to run a half-marathon” to actually running a half-marathon overnight.
Once you understand your end goal, it’s pretty easy to lay out a plan of how to get there.
You’d work backward from your goal and run an extra mile every week on your run.
Before you knew it, you’d be ready for that half-marathon since you broke down the overall goal into smaller, more manageable pieces.
The same should be applied to every sport. Start with a specific outcome or goal, a timeline, and work backward from there.
Trust me. Adding intention to your practice can make all the difference.
Do the Work
With your plan in hand, it's time to take action and actually put in the work. This is where your preparation meets action, and the magic starts to happen.
Whether you're hitting balls on the driving range, running drills on the court, or perfecting your stroke in the pool, every moment counts.
But remember, it's not just about going through the motions.
It's about deliberate practice—pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and making every minute count.
Stick to your plan. Put quality reps into your deliberate practice.
Rest. REPEAT.
Obviously, you need to do the work to see any results. Just make sure it’s the right work so you get the results you’re looking for.
Whether you're hitting balls on the driving range, running drills on the court, or perfecting your stroke in the pool, every moment counts.
But remember, it's not just about going through the motions.
It's about deliberate practice—pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and making every minute count.
Stick to your plan. Put quality reps into your deliberate practice.
Rest. REPEAT.
Obviously, you need to do the work to see any results. Just make sure it’s the right work so you get the results you’re looking for.
Review Your Performance
You made your game plan and did the work. Now it’s time to measure your performance.
After each session, take the time to review how you did: What went well? What could you have done better? Did you achieve your practice objectives? How do you feel?
This is where feedback becomes invaluable. Reviewing your practice allows you to celebrate your wins, identify areas for growth, and make adjustments accordingly.
In the old days when I was actively coaching, I had a friend who would diligently take notes on every practice, jotting down what was going well, what wasn’t, and anything else important.
He kept all this information in a small physical notebook, with years full of insight, information, and learnings from his athletic journey.
He gained SO much from this practice. Looking back and seeing your progress and struggles can be the perfect motivator during those times where you need a reminder of why you love your sport in the first place.
Unfortunately, that story has a sad ending.. One day that notebook accidentally went through the washing machine and it was ruined. Years and years of insight into his own development were literally washed away.
That’s why I recommend always keeping a digital copy of this progress, to ensure it stays safe and secure.
And with CoachNow Analyze, you can create this journal for your own progress directly in your private feed.
You can take pictures, videos, documents, and other notes and post them during your practice to capture those key moments.
You can add additional tags and comments to find what you need, when you need it.
And you can leverage our advanced Video Analysis tools, directly on the platform, to give you that valuable 3rd-person insight when you need it most.
With CoachNow Analyze, all of your videos and training content are in safe one place, creating your very own personalized digital training journal.
It’s easier than ever to track your progress and it’s like having a playbook for success, always within reach.
After each session, take the time to review how you did: What went well? What could you have done better? Did you achieve your practice objectives? How do you feel?
This is where feedback becomes invaluable. Reviewing your practice allows you to celebrate your wins, identify areas for growth, and make adjustments accordingly.
In the old days when I was actively coaching, I had a friend who would diligently take notes on every practice, jotting down what was going well, what wasn’t, and anything else important.
He kept all this information in a small physical notebook, with years full of insight, information, and learnings from his athletic journey.
He gained SO much from this practice. Looking back and seeing your progress and struggles can be the perfect motivator during those times where you need a reminder of why you love your sport in the first place.
Unfortunately, that story has a sad ending.. One day that notebook accidentally went through the washing machine and it was ruined. Years and years of insight into his own development were literally washed away.
That’s why I recommend always keeping a digital copy of this progress, to ensure it stays safe and secure.
And with CoachNow Analyze, you can create this journal for your own progress directly in your private feed.
You can take pictures, videos, documents, and other notes and post them during your practice to capture those key moments.
You can add additional tags and comments to find what you need, when you need it.
And you can leverage our advanced Video Analysis tools, directly on the platform, to give you that valuable 3rd-person insight when you need it most.
With CoachNow Analyze, all of your videos and training content are in safe one place, creating your very own personalized digital training journal.
It’s easier than ever to track your progress and it’s like having a playbook for success, always within reach.
Elite athletes didn’t achieve their success by chance; they formed a plan, executed it, and measured their performance - time and time again.
By breaking down your training into actionable steps, practicing effectively, and reflecting on your practice consistently, your goals will get closer each and every day.
So, as you prepare to train, remember the power of "plan, do, review."
It's not just a formula for success—it's your roadmap to greatness.
By breaking down your training into actionable steps, practicing effectively, and reflecting on your practice consistently, your goals will get closer each and every day.
So, as you prepare to train, remember the power of "plan, do, review."
It's not just a formula for success—it's your roadmap to greatness.