Practice how to properly practice

Practice makes perfect, right? Wrong! Perfect practice makes perfect, regular practice makes habits. Did you ever think about how you practice? I’m not talking about visualizing the shot and staring down the flag like you’re a gun slinger with an itchy trigger finger. I’m talking about your practice habits and what the turf looks like after you’re finished. How many times have you been to the range late in the day and there isn’t a good piece of turf to hit from by the bag stands? I know what everyone does; they move back behind the bag stands, some people move the bag stands, & some just take the bucket over to an area that doesn’t even have a bag stand. It’s not an uncommon problem at facilities like ours that has a small range tee. So here’s the big question…are you a shotgun blasting divot whacker or are you a sharp shooter divot whacker? Now I know you’re reading this going “What in the world is this guy talking about!” Well, it all has to do with how much ground you chew up during your practice session. A shotgun blaster will literally make the ground look like it has a thousand bomb creators in it while consuming a large area to hit only a few dozen balls. A sharp shooter will make the ground look like they took a pair of scissors and cut out a small piece of the turf to hit balls.




Sharp Shooter Divot Pattern, all divots are so close the turf is totally consumed
 

 


 

 



Notice in this picture how the divots are so scattered about.  There is no where to stand where you are not standing in a divot.  There isn't more than 100 divots in this hitting station, but the station is ruined by 10 a.m.

The idea is to conserve divot space, so here’s a quick how to on practice tee use.  First, find a piece of turf that is about 18” to 24” square.  Looking down at your practice area, place the first ball in what would be the upper left corner of your imaginary square.  After hitting the first ball, place the next ball just below the new divot in the same column, hit, then place ball #3 just below the previous ball’s divot, and so on.  Work your practice square in columns to conserve space.  Now whether you start in the upper left or lower left really isn’t important, but it is important to start on the left (or the right if you’re standing on the wrong side of the ball).  The reason it’s important to start the first column of divots in your practice square on the same side as your forward foot is that all of the divot materials are going to fly forward, making a mess.  If you start on the opposite side of the square (the same side as your back foot) when you make a divot you will be throwing sand, grass, and debris all over your practice square of nice turf.

 

Here's how it should be done................................

 

Ball #2 directly behind the first divot

 

A complete row of divots using all of the avialable turf.

I got almost 20 shots off this one row.

 

Here is almost 60 shots off of the range tee 

The total size is only 12" x 24"

 

 

I’m a big believer in using things and enjoying them, but also always trying to leave something behind for the next person to enjoy too.  I think all of those who use the Club want the next person to enjoy it as much as they did, and that goes for the practice facility too.  So remember, it’s not just about practicing….it’s how you practice.  So be sure to check your grip, take the club back nice and easy, keep your leading arm straight, keep your head down, swing through the ball, and then just move the next ball over a little bit for the next shot.