There is a right way and a wrong way to practice golf. And most people believe the proper way is to copy the swing of their favorite pros. The reason those men and women are on the PGA and LPGA tours is because they are the best at what they do. And if you are not trying to be like Tiger Woods, you are still getting more points than you can handle from pros on TV and in magazines.
Now let’s return to this planet for a second. It would be terrific if you could turn into the next Tiger Woods, but turthfully, the betting odds are stacked against you. Very few ever get to that level and odds are you won’t either. Your goal should merely be to improve. Yea it would be wonderful to play like Tiger, but to emulate his game, or that of any other master, is clearly a mistake.
Pro golfers don’t do their practicing after they end their occupation for the day. Golf is their 9 to 5 occupation. They wake up and hit the links, putting in a great amount of hours working to get better at their craft. You plainly cannot do that since you still have to make ends meet. You might wish you could practice golf 24/7, but let’s be practical and make the best use of the time you do have.
It truly is a thing of beauty to see a pro drop a shot gently on the green, stopping it just a couple of feet from the cup. As a weekend golfer, it isn’t in our best interest to spend hours and months on end trying to execute this. We need to focus on the fundamentals and work within our own style.
Recall the last time you practiced and remember how you spent that time. You were probably teeing it up, and utilizing your driver on the range. But exactly how many drives do you hit during a round of golf? Sure it’s an important club, but others are more important. The thing you need to realize is that the short game is where you should be spending the majority of your practice time.
You will realize astounding gains by spending your time practicing this, although admittedly, it’s not the most exciting way to practice. Ask any touring professional how much time they spend on this facet of their game and they’ll probably say roughly 80% of their practice time is devoted to this. They’ll practice different shots from different angles, different lies and in different conditions. We already said it’s better not to copy their swing, but their practice habits are something we all can learn from.
If you’re like the majority of golfers, your scores are likely in the 90’s. And that’s in spite of the fact that you may have the longest drive in your group. It should be pretty apparent that the trouble is with your short game and that’s what you should practice most. Get better here, and watch your scores go down dramatically.
So the next time you get off your job and want to travel to the driving range to blast a few drives, alter your plan. Instead work on any shot that’s under 75 yards. That means putting, pitching, chipping and short shots from the trap.
Still not a believer? Think about this. Shots from 75 yards or less make up more than half of your shots in a normal round of golf. This includes putts, chips, etc. So doesn’t it make sense that you should spend at least half your practice time working on these shots? If you’re still shooting in the 90’s, less than 20% of your shots are with a driver off the tee. If you are truthful with yourself, you will recognize that this is where you should practice most.
We realize that it’s not as much fun as banging away off the tee, but it will be a lot more fun when you start to whack at least 10 shots off your game.
The optimum way to practice at home is by acquiring a golf practice net. You can get more golf tips similar to this, as well as read course and golf equipment reviews and information by going to http://www.AllThingsGolfBlog.com.