I love the game of golf since the tender age of 12 Ive seen the sport grow and change tremendously. I recall playing the 9 for $9 at the country course, and using my left over dollar for fries at the halfway house. Back in that day, the driving range was a stop and sock. Oh- and golf carts didnt have roofs!
In a moment of clarity, I compared how golf was taught and what you need to do to shoot great scores against the marking noise being whipped around nowadays. This game has changed into this slick power machine where long drives outweigh touch and feel. Fedoras are only worn at parties and buying a $300 driver with screws in it will change the way you play golf. Believe me, Im not bitter whatsoever. I applaud all advances in technology, but for the common golfer I know, without a doubt, that what is being preached by marketing efforts is really not the answer to shooting better games.
Let me get philosophical for a moment"and I have over 30 years of golf experience to back me up " Ive taught golf and won my share of rounds, but the reality is that if you want to improve your game, you have to PRACTICE! Ask any professional golfer and theyll agree. I know- I know, NOT exciting is it? The magic cure to golf is[drum roll]practice. And Im not talking about a driver. Dont even start to work on the long-ball until you can CHIP-PITCH-PUTT. If you need help, seriously consider paying for a good lesson or working with professional golfers. The last thing you want to do is develop bad golf habits and then have to put a lot of time and effort into unlearning them. You need to get the basic mechanics of the game and then practice chipping, putting and pitching. I know it isnt glamorous to practice. Watching your ball soar through the heavens is way more exciting than plain old practice, but without practice, youre game is going to go nowhere. Practice is whats going to develop your touch and feel sensitivity the same sensitivity professional golfers use every time they walk onto the course. And how did they get this touch and feel sense? YEP- they practice, on real grass, chipping, pitching and putting the ball, time after time until every shot is great. So now that Ive brought up the standard answer of practice, youre probably asking Ok- how long do you expect me to practice?? The simple answer to this is: When you know that you no longer need to guess, then take it to the course! Let me apologize if this seemed like a rant, Im trying to help contribute to your game, based on my personal experience with the golf game, as a player and coach. The gold game is not about the longest drive or a putter with moon rocks on it. The gold game is about YOU and what YOU bring to it mentally. All great golfers base their careers on this, and now so can you!
Finally, theres a lot involved in practicing and here are a few tips:
1. Be mentally there when you are practicing.try imagining you are on the course shooting a round when you are chipping, pitching and putting. Theres a HUGE difference from practice to playing. Try to put yourself in the position that you are making these shots during a round.
2. We are all human and we all are fighting the billions of thoughts that run through our minds at any given moment. Before you rush to a round, calm down and calibrate yourself. You want your mind and body to be at ease so you can optimize your swings. Dont just run out to the course (and all golfers do- including me!), but rather, do a warm up. Assess how youre swinging today so you know what you need to work on. Youre shot is always changing and you have to learn to work with this. That is one of the great qualities of golf!
I also created a little tip sheet..its pretty funny. If you want to see the 15 blunders made at a driving range, take a look at my website. Its funny. Its free and it will help you out!
