Golf Tip: Better Practice = Better Play

A common complaint from golfers is that they hit the ball great on the range but can’t take the same level of performance to the golf course. 

The problem is they aren’t simulating play when practicing. When most golfers practice, they start with a sand wedge or pitching wedge and then work their way through the bag and finish off with a bunch of drivers. 

The next time you go to practice try the following routine:

• Warm Up
  To get warmed-up, hit five to ten sand or pitching wedge shots. Then hit three 9-irons, three 7-irons, three 5-irons, three fairway woods and finish with three drivers.
• “Play” a Hole
  Once you feel warmed up, simulate the par-3s on the course.  Look at the yardage on the scorecard to imagine the hole and hit the club you would use if you were teeing-off. If you hit a good shot, imagine making birdie or par on that hole. If you believe you missed the green, hit the chip shot recovery you would on the course.
• Alternate Clubs and Targets
  Take all the clubs out of your bag and lean them against your golf bag.  Alternate between hitting a driver, then an iron and then a wedge. Keep working through your practice balls, never hitting the same club consecutively.

Each time you pull a new club, don’t look at what club it is; just grab the club and hit it toward a target. This will help you work on your tempo and adapt to different clubs. On the golf course, you usually have to hit different clubs during the course of a hole. On a par-5, you may hit a driver, then a hybrid to lay-up and then a wedge into the green.

Since that is how you play, you might as well practice the same way. Make it a habit of imagining the holes and change your targets and clubs on each shot when you practice. The results will show in your round.

Wishing you solid shots!