Your practice sessions probably miss THIS …
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There is nothing more frustrating than spending hundreds of hours per year on your golf game and not seeing meaningful results. There is a lot of information available about the golf swing, but golfers are never taught how to practice correctly.
In this article, I want to explore one of the most common mistakes that golfers make when they go to the practice range.
Zombie Range Sessions
One of the biggest complaints you will hear from golfers is that they practice for hours, but never see any improvement on the course.
In my opinion, the biggest culprit is something that I call zombie-range sessions. Players reach the range and start searching their bucket. They do not take time to think about what they are doing, choose a target or even give themselves more than 20 seconds between swings. For many golfers it is just a race to see how far they can hit their riders.
In most cases, players reinforce bad habits. They learn nothing new or challenge themselves.
Long story short – if you do the same old, you get the same old.
The Missing Factor
Practice can be a useful tool for improvement. But there must be one crucial factor to make it worthwhile.
I'm talking about intent .
One of the most important differences between highly educated golfers and the rest of the package is that they practice on purpose. They reach the practice range with specific goals and a plan on how they will spend that time.
It does not have to be complicated or to feel as if you are doing boring jobs. It must be fun and challenging, so that you stay involved.
What does the meaning look like
I can not tell you how to practice specifically. All your golf games are different and you face different challenges.
Here are a few concepts to help you on your way …
Have a target
At the very least, each shot must have a specific target. Most golfers swing and hit "outside". Do not do that!
Take the time for each photo and decide exactly where you are trying to land it and pay attention to where your misses occur. If you fall victim to being hit too fast, put the bucket behind you. Now you will be forced to stop and pick up the ball for each stroke instead of becoming a golf machine gun.
Each shot must have a specific purpose and you can not become much more fundamental than your target.
Experiment
One of the best ways to increase your golf skills is to experiment with small changes in your swing to manipulate the golf ball. I recommend to spend a small part of each practice session on experiments.
What does it look like? Here are some examples …
Try to hit a large, sweeping hook
Move the ball around in your posture to see how it can affect the shape and course of your stroke
Try to hit your 6-iron 75 meters
Touch your lobe wedge with the same target with three different trajectories
The golf course can throw so many variables at you, and being able to manipulate the ball is vitally important. By taking this kind of footage, you become more creative, but more importantly, I believe it will help you become a better ball spike with your normal swing.
Challenge yourself
One of the fantastic ways to make your training more effective and engaging is to challenge yourself with skill games. Not only does it make things more fun, but you simulate the pressure to play a real round.
There are hundreds, even thousands of games you can try. An example of your short game would be a game called Par 18.
You make nine imaginary holes on the shard of green and try to go up and down from anywhere. "Par 18" shooting is the goal, and quite difficult, but you can keep track of your score over time and see how you progress. This game is used at junior level up to the professional ranks to help with chipping and pitting.
Technical changes
Many golfers are on an endless journey to make changes in the swing. Often they get random tips from strangers or friends who will not help them improve at all. That is why I tell everyone that if they want to make meaningful changes to their golf swing, it is best to work with a qualified educational professional.
If you work with a golf instructor, you will probably have some homework to work on swing changes. You must do the prescribed work during your practice sessions to see the results. Following the lesson is the first part, placing the work is the most critical step.
Doing your "swing homework" certainly qualifies as intention and can be a core component of your assortment sessions.
However, I would not recommend taking "shots in the dark" with fluctuations in fluctuation. If you are reading an article or watching a YouTube video that tells you to swing a golf club in a certain way, it will probably not resonate with your specific swing.
On the whole it is essential to work on technology during a distance session, but you want to know for sure that this is the right work for your golf swing .
Final thoughts
If you want to be a better golfer and have time to practice, then your best chance of success is to make something of that time. You do not have to spend three hours on the range to see improvement. You want to work smarter, not harder .
Much of it starts with the idea of intention. What are you looking for from each practice session? How do you give meaning to every shot?
Hopefully some of the ideas in this article will give you some direction. If you are looking for more sources, here are some recommendations …
We have an extensive library of video exercises and practice games available for our Practice Golf Insider members; You can read more about the benefits of becoming a member here.
If you love reading, then one of the best books on practicing is The Practice Manual by Adam Young. I strongly recommend reading it; it is one of the most comprehensive works available on the subject.