Tag Archives: golf practice

Instruction, Opinion

What are the Do’s and Don’ts of golf practice?

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Lately, I’ve been getting quite a few inquiries on what to do and not do while practicing golf.  Here we go:

  • Do find a PGA professional for lessons.  Make sure you trust him/her and that their teaching style melds with the way you learn.
  • Do work on your short game.    Dedicate 75% of your practice time to see the quickest improvement.
  • Do simulate game conditions.  This will help you transition your practice to the course.  
  • Do develop a pre-shot routine for every club in the bag and repeat it for each practice shot you hit.
  • Do use alignment sticks as an aid for correct setup and for dialing your mind into the target on short game shots (and putts).
  • Do film your swing and review it regularly.  What you think you are doing often is not what you are doing.
  • Don’t become a range robot and rake ball after ball into the same position shooting at the same target.  
  • Don’t confuse practice with warm-up before a round.  Never work on swing mechanics right before you play; it will screw your head up on the course.  Just get loose and relax.
  • Don’t practice extraordinarily long putts.  You want to see your lags get close and expunge any visions of three-putting.  30-40 footers should be the max.
  • Don’t accept swing instruction from well-meaning friends.  Amateurs teach amateurs to play like amateurs.  (See #1 Do above.)
  • Don’t work on more than one mechanical change at a time.  You’ll become a swing pretzel if you do.

There you have them, now Do get to work.  Good luck!