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Golf tip: To practice well, always include the short game
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More from EntertainmentPractice doesn't necessarily make your game perfect, but it sure is a step in the right direction. Proper practice is nothing more than doing your homework after attending a class in school or practicing what you learned after taking a golf lesson.
Write down or have your instructor write down two or three key elements that pertain to certain problems that you have with your golf swing.
If you are not taking lessons, identify the problems you are having on the course and write them down while they are fresh in your mind. The next time you go to the practice tee, read them and work on them.
The key to this type of practice is not to give yourself more than two or three problems to work on per session.
If you are a serious golfer and play at least once a week, you should try to have three practice sessions in between rounds. Start your practice session with a short iron and gradually work up to the longer clubs. End your practice session with the short iron you began with. Too many times I see people hit about 10 balls and then grab the driver and beat it to death and not learn anything.
I like to practice with the even numbered clubs one day and the odd number clubs the next session. I also don't like to hit more than five or six balls with each club. During each session make sure you give yourself enough time to practice the short game. Almost 65 percent of the shots that you take on a hole will be within 60 yards of the hole. That computes out to 65 percent of your practice should be on the short game.
The key elements of the game to practice are target, stance, ball position, grip, posture and balance. Of these six things, grip and balance are the most important.
— Lee Martin is the director of instruction at River Ridge. He can be reached at 983-4653.
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