SKILL & Practice Routines

WHAT TO EXPECT AT PRACTICE DURING THE GOLF SEASON:

Below are typical SKILL ROUTINES used in our practices. They been designed to guide any player in developing all aspects of their golf game and should become incorporated into your personal practice time.

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Typical Routines during Golf Practice

Playing a Round of golf

During a practice round, consider the following:

• If you are working on something in your game that needs attention, you can drop another ball and try a practice shot. Only do this when there is no group waiting behind you and your playing partners are aware. It’s important to balance out scoring practice rounds with practice rounds to work on things.

• Hit extra short chips just off side of green if play is slow and you have time to practice.

• After your golf round, you should review your play and look to practice any areas of weakness or replay some key shots you could have improved on. Take personal notes, such as fairways hit, GIR and putts.

• A round of golf is 9 holes and will take between 2 - 2.5 hours to complete. Based on the goals for the day, you may play 3, 6, or 9 holes during practice.

Short game Session – 30 minutes

• Short game chipping from off the green – try to land balls around a tee that you put down to mark a landing spot. Vary the clubs using irons 7, 9, PW, SW. A chip is done by using a putting motion and leaning the hands forward in front of the club head. This is a simple swing (Do not swing fast! And keep you head and legs quiet.)

• Chipping game – Your objective is to chip to a hole and then one putt. Do this nine times. How many times do you one putt? Your first goal is 3 out of 9 and eventually 9 out of 9.

• Play a game of HORSE. Practicing Scoring around the green. Use one ball and chip and putt out around a green and keep score. Compete with a friend. Least amount of shots wins each game. The loser gets a letter. H-O-R-S-E. Do not be the first to spell it!

Sand Trap Session – 15 minutes

• Bunker session – learn to get your ball out of the sand trap by hitting behind and underneath the ball. The ball will come out softly when struck correctly and should go a short distance. The goal is to get out of the bunker. Please remember that you cannot ground the club at address and a bunker shot is done by the sand pushing the ball out, not the club. Do this by sliding under and behind the golf ball.

Putting Session – 30 minutes

• Lag putting drill – Work on putting to targets greater than 20 feet. This drill improves your distance and speed. The objective is to have the golf ball stop within a club length of your target (3 feet). A target can be a tee, another ball or a hole on the green.

• Lag drill 2 – Using 4 golf balls, putt the first ball to a distance of 30 feet, then put the next ball so it stops a few feet shorter than the first putt and so on. Do this drill until you are successful. This is known as the Ladder drill.

• Putt 30 putts from 3 feet. This drill builds consistency so you are automatic and confident from short distances. Can you make all 30? Try to get 25 as your starting goal.

• Play 9-Hole 2-Putt Game (Pick 9 putts outside of 20 feet and you have to 2-putt all 9-Holes).

• One putt challenge – line up 5 balls about 2 feet apart starting from 2 feet from the hole. Your objective is to putt the closest ball in and move to the next. Do this until you putt all five in.

• Green Reading Drill – Attempt to read and see if you read the break correctly on a putt. Will the ball move left or right on a putt? Pay attention to how the ground moves. The speed of your putt will affect the movement of the ball.

Driving Range Session – 30 minutes

• Warm Up with Pitch Shots for feel and contact. (this is a simple half swing) Use PW, 9, 8,7 iron for this. Hit a minimum of 10 solid shots to warm up your swing. This warm up will ensure you are setting up well to the ball and it will show you if you are stable with your body and head. Focus on keeping your body balanced and keep your body from lifting or dipping during the swing. Your objective is to get the ball up in the air towards your target. You want your swing to be smooth. Do easy swings – do not grip it and rip it!

• For the next 20-30 golf balls, work on hitting fuller shots moving from PW, 8, 7, 6, Hybrid to Woods. Use tees when needed. Swinging fast does not mean the ball will go farther!

• Cool down by hitting 7 iron to PW, focusing on going from full shots back to pitches. (hit 10 balls)

Driver Drill

• Pick different targets in front of you and hit to an imagined fairway. Do your full pre shot routine like it’s the opening tee shot of a round of golf. Track whether you hit fairway, miss right or miss left for each shot. Do this drill and you can stay on top of hitting your fairways and stay safe off the tee.

• Play a Mock Round on the Range of 9 holes at Hawks Landing. Pull out the score card and imagine you are playing from tee to green on each hole. Good drill for your imagination and to see if you can hit good shots switching clubs rather than pounding the same one over and over again. Imagine hitting shots until you make it to the green.