Getting the Most out of Practice

Getting the most out of practice . . . that is a question posed to me quite often. The answer is quite simple. Practice should be broken down into equal parts of driving range and short game. If your schedule allows for an hour of dedicated practice a half hour should be spent on the driving range and half an hour on the chipping and putting greens.

On the driving range it’s important to stretch first, then hit half of your shots with a wedge or smaller irons to get shorter targets. The bulk of the range balls you hit should be targeted to 150 yards and in. Lastly, hit a few long irons, fairway woods and a few drivers.

After the range session head over to the short game area with a few balls, the clubs you usually chip with and your putter. Use a “realistic” practice where you chip 3-5 balls to various targets from different lies and then try to make your putts. The technique makes your practice more realistic and will help shave strokes off of your game.