cbwheeler

Don't think just because you are on a golf course, that you have to hit only one ball and record only one score. Some of the best practice comes on the course, simply because it is nearly impossible to simulate all of the situations you will be faced with on the course at a driving range, or a practice putting green.

Here are a few things you can do on the course to improve your scores. Go out late at night or early in the morning to do this so you don't hold up play. Also make sure you repair any divots or ball marks you make as well. Be courteous. So let's get started.

Face it, you're not always going to hit the ball in the fairway, not even pros do that. Take 5 balls and throw them up in the air to land in the rough. Hack these balls out to see what kind of effect the different lies you are faced with have on your shot.

Do the same thing from the woods. As a young teenager, I played on a tree-lined course where there was only about 10 yards of rough on either side of the fairway. Needless to say, I got really good at hitting low punch shots to escape from the woods. I would hit 4 or 5 balls a round in the trees and still shoot in the 70s. Practice these shots too. Not only will they help you save a few strokes when you land in the timber, but these shots are also beneficial in high winds or even to punch chip a ball into the green from 50 yards or so; get creative.

This is one that will help your confidence a lot. Go play a round, but if you hit a bad shot, allow yourself a mulligan. Depending on your skill level, you'll notice how many strokes you can shave if you can simply eliminate the less than skillful shots from your game. Just as an example, I did this once and shot 33 for 9, when my normal round would have been 39! That helped my confidence a ton, because now I know my capabilities. I just have to focus and play to my potential.

If you can make par on 1 hole, you can do it on 18!

Don't just practice the situations I have listed, practice putting on the course, chipping, pitching, fade/draw approach shots, fade/draw drives, knockdown shots, uphill/downhill/sidehill lies, long bunker shots, short sided pitches and chips, EVERYTHING imaginable. This is how the pros get so good. They have amazing facilities that simulate these conditions. But for those of us who don't have those resources, well we have to make do with what we have.

Get to it!

Cody

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Cody Wheeler
PGTAA Class A Master Instructor
Click Here For Your Exclusive Discount on My Short Game E-Book

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300Yards

Absolutely true..an opportunity to practice, that most don't realize. I used to take multiple tee shots, when I first started, just to do precisely what you are stating, sometimes I took 5 chips, jsut to practice spin on real conditions.. Really helped me in the long run..good post!

Foster4

Very good input i agree with this post. Except keep this as practice only. One of the best things i have heard about practice rounds for tournies etc came from tiger he said, Why practice from an area you know your not gonna be in. (Note) this is only for practice rounds before a tournament. But yes practice all those shots in your spare time. it'll help.

if you have friends and stuff that go to the range together. play the game of trying to hit different shots. Be like low punch draw . Then you both gotta try to hit that shot then the next person calls a shot. and keep it going.

white_tiger_137

What situation do you KNOW you're not going to be in?

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Foster4

White tiger ...its a like a confidence builder type thing not a sure thing, your taking it to literally. But have you played a hole on a course you play alot and you always seem to hit your drive in the same spot right or left and you drop shots ? ...Its like why even put that in your head before a tournament. But i never said don't practice the shots just don't try weird shots in practice rounds for tournaments to put those bad mental images in your head

DennisM

All this is fine, but let's not forget there is a time that is appropriate and a time that is not appropriate.

If you have a crowded golf course, it would be rude to play a number of shots while people behind you wait. Even if the golf course is so crowded that you would have to wait for your next shot, you on the green and people backed up on the next tee for example, you have an obligation to move through your round even if it means you have to wait on the next tee. It wouldn't right to make someone else stand around in a fairway waiting to hit their shot while you practiced on the green just because people were still on the next tee.

As for the part about not bothering to practice from where you will never be, I've been trying to convince myself not to practice from bunkers for years, but it isn't working yet. When I'm on the practice tee, I do try to find some deeper grass to simulate conditions in the rough though.

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cbwheeler

Exactly why I wrote this in my original post

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Here are a few things you can do on the course to improve your scores. Go out late at night or early in the morning to do this so you don't hold up play. Also make sure you repair any divots or ball marks you make as well. Be courteous. So let's get started.
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__________________
Cody Wheeler
PGTAA Class A Master Instructor
Click Here For Your Exclusive Discount on My Short Game E-Book

My Weapons
----
- Taylor Made r7 TP 2, 4-PW - Project X Rifle 6.5
- Taylor Made RAC TP Z Groove - 52/56/60 Project X Rifle 6.5
- Taylor Made r5 Dual Titanium 15deg 3-wood
- Alpha C830.2 Plasma Driver - 9.5 Grafalloy Prolaunch Blue XS
- Taylor Made Rossa Imosa ASGI+ Putter
- Titleist Pro V1 / Pro V1x