Terminology

Training Glossary.

Every term you'll encounter in the DYALR training system — from skill areas and algorithm stages to analytics metrics and golf concepts.

TECHNIQUE

The mechanics of movement. Focus on quality of motion, not ball result.

SWING

Full Swing mechanics (backswing, transition, balance, etc..).

FINESSE

Wedge/Short Game mechanics (contact, low point control, etc..).

GREEN

Putting stroke mechanics (path, face angle, tempo, etc..).

LONG GAME

The engine of scoring. Shots taken with full swings to advance from tee to green.

COURSE

Real-world application. Scoring, management, and bad lies.

TEE SHOTS

Accuracy, dispersion, and distance off the tee.

APPROACH

Iron play and hybrids. Focus on GIR and proximity.

SHORT GAME

The art of getting up & down. Shots within 80 yards where touch is crucial.

WEDGE PLAY

30-80 yards. Launch angle and distance control.

CHIPPING

Inside 30 yards (green-side). Getting close from various lies.

BUNKER

Green-side sand play. Escaping and controlling landing spots.

PUTTING

Where the score is finalized. Roughly 40% of total strokes.

LONG RANGE

Outside 15ft. Speed control and preventing 3-putts.

SHORT RANGE

Inside 15ft. Conversion rate and 'must-make' pressure.

READING

Predicting the break and matching speed to line.

Macro AreaOne of four top-level training categories: Technique, Long Game, Short Game, and Putting. Your weekly plan distributes time across these areas based on your priorities.
Micro AreaA specialized sub-skill within a Macro Area. There are 12 micro areas total (3 per macro). Example: Tee Shots, Approach, and Course are the micro areas within Long Game.
Genetic AlgorithmAn optimization technique inspired by natural selection. DYALR evolves 1,000 candidate training plans over 300 generations to find the best possible time allocation for your week.
Fitness FunctionThe mathematical formula that scores each candidate plan. It penalizes deviations from your requested macro split, with your top-priority area receiving the heaviest penalty multiplier.
Block BuilderThe stage that converts the algorithm's optimal time split into concrete, actionable training sessions — grouping drills by practice location (Driving Range, Short Game Area, Putting Green, On Course).
Technique Concentration ModeWhen weekly technique time is under 60 minutes, the algorithm concentrates all technique work into one area per week (Swing → Finesse → Green), rotating automatically for effective focused sessions.
Training ThemeA practice location grouping: Driving Range (30–90 min), Short Game Area (30–60 min), Putting Green (30–60 min), or On Course (120–240 min). Each theme has time constraints and associated micro areas.
Technique BlockA dedicated block of time at the start of a session for mechanics-focused practice. Technique drills don't have performance scores — they're tracked for volume only.
Performance BlockThe portion of a session filled with scored drills targeting specific micro areas. Results contribute to your Performance Index and all analytics.
Session CapMaximum time allowed for a single theme session (e.g., 90 min for Driving Range, 60 min for Putting Green). Based on motor learning research showing focus drops after extended practice.
User PreferencesThe settings that shape your weekly plan: Weekly Hours, Daily Split (equal or specific), Macro Allocation (%), Micro Allocation (optional), and Equipment access (Launch Monitor / Trackman).
Program GenerationThe complete process of building your weekly plan — from submitting preferences through the 5-stage pipeline (GA → Block Builder → Filler GA → Optimization → Finalization) to your structured program.
Want the full technical deep-dive? Read the Methodology →

Core Analytics

Skill Radar

Radar chart plotting your average performance across all 12 micro skill areas. Toggle between time periods to track how your player profile evolves.

Performance Trends

Line chart showing your score trajectory over time. Click any macro area to drill into individual micro areas. Rising lines = improvement, flattening = plateau.

Strengths & Focus

Automated analysis that ranks your micro areas by average performance index. Identifies your Top 3 Strengths (maintain) and Bottom 3 Focus Areas (train more).

Efficiency Matrix

Bubble chart plotting Performance Index (Y) against time invested (X) for each micro area. Reveals four quadrants: High Return, Maintenance, Low Efficiency, and Neglected.

Training Diet

Stacked bar chart showing where your training time actually goes, compared against what you requested. Reveals allocation drift between target and actual.

Drill Deep Dive

Select any specific drill to see your complete result history. Dual-axis chart shows both raw score and normalized Performance Index over time.

Hall of Fame

Your personal best drills ranked by average continuous score. Only drills with 3+ logged sessions qualify — prevents one lucky attempt from dominating the leaderboard.

Pro Intelligence

Consistency Radar

Three concentric radar layers showing your 10th percentile (worst day), mean, and 90th percentile (best day) per skill area. Narrow gap = consistent, wide gap = volatile.

Momentum Dashboard

Uses EWMA smoothing to detect trends per micro area: improving, plateaued, or declining. Includes slope detection and breakout probability calculation.

Skill Correlations

Heatmap showing Pearson correlations between paired weekly scores. High positive correlation (r > 0.6) means improving one area likely improves the other.

Smart Recommendations

AI-prioritized focus areas combining performance gap with training volume. Includes a Balance Index (0–1 scale) and identifies your Weak Link.

Session Intelligence

Analyzes your practice session patterns to find your optimal session length (Sweet Spot), score decay from first to last drill (Fatigue Effect), and highest-performing day of week.

Efficiency Deep Dive

Time-series view of how each micro area's Training Efficiency Ratio has evolved. Spots areas where more practice yields diminishing returns.

Scoring & Measurement

Performance IndexA normalized score on a continuous 0.00–3.00 scale. Every drill has criteria defining Good (3.00), Average (2.00), and Needs Work (1.00). Scores are interpolated, not bucketed — a near-miss on "Good" gets 2.8, not 2.0. Technique drills are excluded from scoring.
Continuous ScoreThe interpolated 0.00–3.00 value derived from your raw drill score. Unlike simple buckets (1/2/3), continuous scoring preserves nuance and enables precise trend tracking across all analytics.
Training Efficiency Ratio (TER)A normalized metric measuring performance improvement per minute of training time invested. Higher TER = more efficient practice. Used in the Efficiency Matrix and Efficiency Deep Dive.
Balance IndexA 0.0–1.0 score measuring how evenly your skills are distributed across all areas. 1.0 = perfectly balanced, 0.0 = all effort concentrated in one area. Derived from the Coefficient of Variation.
Plateau DetectionWhen the Momentum Dashboard's trend slope is near-zero for 3+ consecutive weeks, the system flags a plateau — signaling it may be time to change your training approach.
EWMAExponentially Weighted Moving Average. A smoothing technique where recent weeks have 3× the influence of older ones (α = 0.3). Used in the Momentum Dashboard for trend detection.
Weak LinkThe micro area with the lowest average Performance Index, identified by the Smart Recommendations card. Prioritized for additional training focus.
DYALR Player CardYour personal "trading card" on the Dashboard showing Overall Rating, macro area breakdown, and badge tier. Flip it to see the full micro-area radar view.
Badge TierYour overall performance label based on cumulative data: Rookie → Amateur → Advanced → Expert → Pro → Elite. Displayed on your DYALR Player Card.
Block PracticeHitting the same shot repeatedly to groove a feeling. Good for technique changes — builds the initial motor pattern before transferring to random conditions.
Random PracticeChanging targets or clubs every shot. Simulates real golf and builds long-term retention. Harder in the moment, but research shows it produces better on-course transfer.
DispersionThe spread of your shots (left-right and short-long). Tighter dispersion = better consistency. A key metric for approach play and tee shots.
GIR (Green in Regulation)Reaching the green in the regulation number of strokes (par minus 2). On a Par 4, that means reaching the green in 2 shots. A core stat tracked by every tour player.
ProximityThe distance remaining to the hole after your approach shot. The ultimate measure of iron play quality — tighter proximity creates easier putts.
Up & DownTaking only two strokes to hole out from off the green: one chip or pitch + one putt. The fundamental measure of short game effectiveness.
Course ManagementStrategic on-course decisions: club selection, target picking, risk assessment. Often the biggest factor separating high and low handicappers beyond raw skill.
Launch MonitorA device that tracks ball and club data (speed, spin, launch angle). Required for some DYALR drills involving distance control and dispersion measurements.
TrackmanAn advanced dual-radar launch monitor providing detailed swing and ball flight analysis. Some DYALR drills require Trackman for full data capture.
Favorite DrillA drill you've marked with a heart in the Library. Favorites can appear up to 3 times per week in your program (standard drills appear max once).
Drill SwapThe ability to replace any drill in your weekly plan with an alternative of the same micro area and compatible duration. Maintains plan integrity while giving you flexibility.