Do You Practice Golf The Wrong Way?

There is a right way and an incorrect way to practice golf. And most people think the proper way is to copy the swing of their favorite professionals. The reason those guys and gals are on the PGA and LPGA tours is because they are the best at what they do. Complicating matters even further is the fact that you are being barraged by points and tricks on television and in your favorite magazine.

Well it's time for a reality check. Unless you were born with an incredible amount of talent, chances are you won't be on the tour in the immediate future. The odds of anyone making it to that level are small. Your goal should merely be to improve. And the worst thing you can do to hit your practical goals is to try to copy the best.

If you are similar to most people, you do your practice on the weekends and after you get off work. Golf is their 9 to 5 job. And like you and your business, they wake up each morning and travel to work, spending numerous hours on the range, the putting green and the course. You plainly cannot do that since you still have to earn a living. It would be terrific if you did, but let's work within the realm of the time and energy you have accessible.

It truly is a thing of beauty to see a pro drop a shot softly on the green, sticking it just a couple of feet from the cup. We all wish we could do this consistently, but if we wish to improve it's counterproductive to spend months trying to accomplish this ourselves. We should concentrate on the basics and work within our own style.

So let's analyze how we do our golf practice. You were in all likelihood teeing it up, and utilizing your driver on the range. A good driver might take a couple of strokes off your score, but think about how many drives you hit during a round. The thing you need to understand is that the short game is where you should be spending the majority of your practice time.

You will see marvellous benefits by spending your time working on this, although admittedly, it's not the most exhilarating way to practice. Short game practice is where the professionals spend 80% of their time. They'll work on different shots from different angles, different lies and in different conditions. And while we don't want you to copy their swing, it's likely a solid idea to concentrate your practice in the same areas as they do.

If you're like the majority of golfers, your scores are likely in the 90's. And that's in spite of the fact that you may have the longest drive in your group. The problem is clearly with your short game and this is where you should focus your practice efforts. Get better here, and watch your scores go down dramatically.

The next time you decide to practice golf, leave the driver in the bag. Work on your putting. Put some additional effort into your pitches, chips, shots from the bunker as well as your wedge shots up to 75 yards.

Still not a believer? Think about this. Shots from 75 yards or less make up more than 50% of your shots in a normal round of golf. This includes putts, chips, etc. If these shots are half of your score, then you should be spending at least 50% of your practice time working on them. Now consider that probably less than twenty percent of your shots are with a driver. If you are truthful with yourself, you will understand that this is where you need to practice most.

Sure hitting drives on the range is fun, but it's not nearly as much fun as watching your scores fall by as many as 10 shots per round.