The Practice Gap: Will Stubbs on Why Range Skills Don’t Transfer to the Course and How to Change It

In this episode of On The Mark, Mark Immelman welcomes back Will Stubbs from Zen Green Stage / Zen Swing Stage for a conversation that hits a major truth about modern golf: the game doesn’t have an attraction problem—it has a retention problem. Golf participation has surged, but most new players don’t stick—largely because golf is hard, practice isn’t realistic, and learning infrastructure hasn’t kept up with access. Will breaks down the “practice gap”—why sterile range/simulator reps don’t translate to the real golf course where slopes, lies, turf conditions, and wind change everything. Then he shares actionable ways to improve faster: build situational awareness, train on uneven lies, and learn to read greens using a simple clock-face method that teaches you to see gravity like a blueprint. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Why golf has a retention problem (not an attraction problem) The stat that should shock everyone: only ~25–27% become “committed golfers” Why most beginners never get lessons (and how golf learning hasn’t scaled) The “practice gap”: why simulator/range practice can be misleading Why slopes (not length) are a course’s greatest defense A simple putting read framework: Zero-grade line + clock face How Zen Green Stage helps golfers train compound breaks and real-world pace/reads How Zen Swing Stage recreates your lie instantly after each shot in sim play Why better practice turns fear into confidence (tension comes from doubt), and Where to find Zen + resources. Key Takeaways Access has exploded, learning hasn’t. More people try golf, but most don’t become committed players. Information ≠ understanding. Data is everywhere, but experience is what teaches. Practice should look like golf. If you only train flat lies, the course will expose you. Read greens by finding gravity first. The clock-face method simplifies the entire problem. Better puzzle-solvers score better. Golf is problem solving—practice needs variety and constraints. This podcast is also available to watch on YouTube.  Search and subscribe to Mark Immelman.