Have you ever left the golf course after a
practice session and felt like you’ve
accomplished nothing? Are you uncertain as to
which areas in your game need attention in
practice? Do you allocate enough practice time
to improving your short game? After taking a
lesson, do you find yourself constantly hitting
balls on the range and never playing rounds on
the golf course for score?
As a collegiate golf coach, I worked regularly
to help each player on my team address these
and other related issues that affected the
quality of their practice sessions. I
encouraged my players—before they practiced—to
think about what they wanted to accomplish
during a session and how much time they had
available to do so. This mental exercise was
the first step in designing an effective
practice program. I suggest that junior
golfers participate in a similar exercise
before they practice.
To help a player know exactly where his
practice time should be spent, I recommend that
he analyze his past several rounds on a
statistical basis (fairways hit, greens in
regulation, short game conversions, putts,
etc.). Some will argue that score is the only
statistic that matters. In the long run, I
agree with this argument but would encourage a
player to pay close attention to this
statistical feedback, using it as a means to
identify specific areas that are adversely
affecting his score. Generally, short game
weaknesses will be identified once a player
completes this exercise.
Most college golf coaches will tell you that
the best players in the nation spend at least
two-thirds of their practice time working on
their short games. This includes putting,
chipping, pitching, bunker play, and partial
wedge shots. In my 13 years as a collegiate
coach, I never witnessed a player who spent too
much time on these areas. The best players I
coached made sure their short games were sharp
first and then worked on their golf swings
while hitting balls on the range. To see
improvement, junior golfers must be disciplined
to work on their short games every time they
practice.
I would like to make a few suggestions on how
to work on your short game:
· Always practice your short game with
the same type golf balls with which you
normally play. Do not use range balls to chip
and putt.
· Integrate competitions with a friend
into your short game routine. This makes
practice fun and helps you focus.
· When you practice your chipping,
pitching, and bunker play, always practice from
both good and bad lies around the green.
Consider how many times during a round you will
draw a “less than ideal” lie on one of these
shots. Always create challenging shots and
work hard to master them. Attempt to hole out
as many shots as possible around the green. Do
not leave the short game area until you have
holed out at least three shots from off the
green. Increase this quota over time and set
tougher standards for yourself.
· When practicing putting, I recommend
that long putts (20 to 40 feet) be practiced to
the edge of the putting green or to a tee, not
to a hole. This strategy allows a player to
work on the feel of his stroke with no concern
as to whether or not the putt is holed.
Furthermore, a player should not practice
missing long putts over and over again.
Putting to the edge of the green or to a tee
eliminates this negative reinforcement.
· Short putts should be practiced
daily. A junior golfer should always try to
hole out at least 50 three-footers in a row
before he completes his session. Over time, he
should increase his quota to 75, 100, and so
on. This exercise will create confidence and
determination.
· A player should always focus on his
routine during putting sessions.
It is important for a player to differentiate
his range sessions between “technical work”
and “shot making” practice. I recommend that a
junior golfer allocates no more than two range
sessions per week to technical work. These
sessions include working on drills and video
taping his golf swing. Additional range
sessions should focus on shot making practice,
including controlling trajectory, shaping
shots, and varying speeds in his swing. In
determining how many balls to hit, a junior
should always consider quality over quantity.
During shot making practice, a player must pay
very close attention to his preshot
fundamentals (grip, posture, ball position,
alignment, etc.) and always practice his
routine. This routine includes selecting a
target and predetermining the type of shot he
would like to execute. The ultimate goal in
practice is to simulate on-course situations as
closely as possible.
Finally, a junior needs to play scoring games
on the golf course while he practices. I
recommend playing from the forward tees on your
home golf course to see how low you can score.
Set a target score for yourself that is
challenging. Maybe 29, 30, or 31 would be
appropriate for you. Once you have achieved
the first goal, move one set of tees back and
set a new target score. Continue this process
until you are once again playing the
championship tees. This game is fun to play
with one of your friends and may take several
weeks to accomplish.
Another scoring game on the golf course
involves playing with a partial set of clubs.
Initially, I recommend using your even numbered
irons only and playing with only half of your
set of irons. This will create the need to hit
½ shots and will improve feel and distance
control. A challenging target score should be
set from the tees you normally play at your
home course. Once this score is achieved,
remove a few more clubs and play with only six
clubs total. Set the same target score.
In summary, how effectively you practice will
determine how quickly you improve as a player.
Before your practice sessions, decide exactly
what you would like to achieve and how long it
will take you to do so. Analyze your game
closely and identify specific areas that need
improvement. Short game is an area that always
needs attention. When you hit balls, spend
some time working on drills and then the
remainder of your time playing shots to
targets. Scoring games on the golf course are
excellent ways to allocate your practice time
as well.
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