Instruction
Practice with a
PURPOSE
When a golfer says ”I’m heading out to practice”, most people just assume
they are heading to the driving range. Obviously there’s a lot more that goes
into the game of golf than just practicing your full swing.
E
veryone that plays golf realizes how
important practicing is when trying
to lower your scores. We hear a lot
of technical talk about the golf swing and
putting stroke, but we don’t hear much on
how to get the most out of your practice
time. Hopefully the following tips will help
you get more out of your practice time and
help you fi gure what to practice and how
often.
For most golfers, practice time is limited,
so the big question is if I only have an hour,
what do I focus on. Most experts agree that
your practice session should mirror the
strokes you take on the course. If 70% of
your shots are from 100 yards and in, then
spend 70% of your practice time on it. With
about half of that practice time on putting.
One good thing to remember when you’re
heading out to any part of the practice
facility whether it be the driving range,
putting green or chipping area to practice
is to have a plan. Practicing isn’t a race to
see how many balls you can hit in an hour.
There are plenty of other less expensive
ways to just get exercise. The fi rst part of
your practice routine should be to stretch
and loosen up. A lot of PGA TOUR
Professionals stretch for 30 minutes before
they hit the fi rst ball. This probably isn’t
realistic for most golfers but many people
forget that golf is a sport just like any other
and you need to stretch. If you do start
your practice session on the driving range,
remember that most good players loosen
up with a short club like your pitching
wedge and then make their way to the
longer clubs.
Now that you’re working your way
through the bag, do yourself a favor and
practice to a target. Golf is one of the most
target oriented sports that you can play.
So your practice should refl ect this fact.
It can be a target green at a driving range
or a tree in the fi eld behind your house.
Remember to pick as small a target as you
can. For example, instead of trying to hit
a ball down the middle of the range, try
to hit the telephone pole that divides the
range. Picking a target will get you quality
practice instead of simply hitting golf balls.
As strange as it seems, most golfers like to
practice the shots that they already are good
at hitting. Everyone likes to stay in their
comfort zone and feel good about them.
A big difference between an experienced
player and a beginner knows what they
need to work on and then actually putting
20
GolfPlus Junior March-April 2020