PRACTICE WITH A PURPOSE

HOW DO YOU PRACTICE?
Let’s face it, sometimes going to the golf range, standing there just swinging away, ball after ball, can get a bit boring. Especially if you have no idea why you are up there or what you are supposed to be doing. Getting mad, frustrated, no idea why the ball is going where it’s going, not lining up, not knowing how to line up, etc.
Good players and players that ‘know’ practice with a purpose. It’s not the amount of time you put it, it’s the quality of the time you put it. I’d rather have quality over quantity all day long.
First, you need to warm up before your practice session. I cringe when I see so many people pull out the driver first thing. Are you kidding me!!!
*Warm up with your wedge. Preferably half wedge shots. Feel your hands, feel your wrist, feel the bottom, or the bounce, of the club bounce off the ground. If you watch any golf on TV you will hear announcers say she/he has great hands. That means they can feel the clubhead, feel the shot. If you can’t feel your shot you need to figure that one out.
*Figure out what you are there for? Do you need to work on your alignment, do you need to work on your ground contact, do you need to work on your take away, do you need to work on your balance/holding your finish? Make sure you stick to the ONE thing you need to work on. Get this – you can not work on TWO moves at the same time.
*Practice as you Play.
Recently I had a student who had to work on her posture and her distance from the ball. After we got the feel of this she had to work on her pre shot routine, incorporating her new posture. So that is what we did. This is how we did it …
*Always, always have an alignment stick down when you are practicing.
*You will hit 5-10 balls with three/four different clubs. Preferably the clubs you will use when playing a golf hole. Ie, Driver, 5 wood, hybrid, short iron, wedge.
*Start with your wedge. Get behind the ball as you would on the course to line up. Approach the ball as you would on the golf course. Look once or twice at your target and make your move, with NO SWING THOUGHTS, just the target in mind.
*If you hit it well, good, if you hit it not so well, good. Go onto the next ball
*Do this with the four/five clubs you brought up to the range. Do not judge the result of your swing. Stay positive, focus on feels and visualize where you want the ball to end up.
*This is how you will take your driving range swing/mentality to the golf course. Remember, driving range is not a golf game.
*There are also times when the quality of your range time will be working on your takeaway – working on your finish, maybe you need to get comfortable with your grip, placing your hands on the handle properly. Whatever it is you are doing, work on just one thought.
I hope this helps you become the golfer you always wanted! Any questions email me at