Todays Golf TipTip Today, Golf Tomorrow

Practice Routines Lower Golf Handicaps

Countless ways exist to shave strokes from your scores. For example, an accurate pitch shot from 50 yards away positions you to one putt the hole, instead of two-putting or three-putting it, like you would if you hit a bad pitch shot. Most good pitches save at least one stroke, and maybe two or three, depending on the situation. Hit accurate pitch shots consistently and you’ll lower your golf handicap.

Good ways to improve your pitching include taking golf lessons from a pro, watching golf matches on TV, and reading golf tips gleaned from magazines. The list also includes practicing the shot. In fact, practicing is the best way of improving any golf shot. It not only ingrains it, it also builds confidence in it, making it easier to hit the shot when necessary. One of the best ways of practicing a shot is by developing a good practice routine.

Benefits of Practice Routines

Practice routines offer big-time benefits. In addition to making the best use of your time, practice routines organize a workout session so you can get the most out of it. Practice routines also speed learning by letting you concentrate on mastering one golf skill at a time, instead of several skills simultaneously. In addition, practice routines let you focus and improve your weaknesses in an orderly fashion.

A good way to organize a practice routine is to divide it into two phases. The first phase focuses on perfecting the technical part of the shot. In this phase you break down the shot into its key physical components, like making ball first contact, and then you work on improving them individually. Once you’ve ingrained that shot component, you move on to another. Before long, you’ve perfected the shot.

The second phase takes things a step further. In this phase, you focus on improving performance rather than technique. The second phase usually incorporates a target in the practice session and simulates game conditions as much as possible. Doing drills and playing games is a good way to do this and to make practice routine fun and interesting. Below is an example of a sound practice routine.

Practice Routine: Technique Phase

Improving your putting means practicing not only your stroke, but also your pre-shot routine. During the first phase of the practice session, you could work on addressing the putt and aligning yourself to the target line. For example, place a ball on the green so you have a strait putt. Now, go through your pre-shot routine, making sure to align yourself to the target line. Then, back off for a few seconds. Now, do it again. Keep doing it until you’ve mastered it.

At another practice session, you might work on squaring the putterface to the target line. There are several techniques for doing that, which I’ve covered in my golf tips. Chose the one you feel most comfortable with and apply it. During this phase of the session, work exclusively on addressing the ball and squaring your clubface to the target line. Keep working on it until you’ve ingrained it.

Practice Routine: Performance Phase

Having practiced your technique, you can now switch to the performance phase of the routine. This calls for actually sinking the putt. For example, you might practice the Ladder Putting Drill or the Star Drill. For example, with the ladder drill you would practice sinking three putts in a row from two feet out. Then move to three feet out and sink three more putts in a row, then move to four feet, and so on.

You could also play a putting game, like Horse, with a friend in this phase of the session. Reminiscent of a game for basketball players, Horse involves duplicating a shot made by your opponent. If you miss, you get a letter, like “H.” You keep getting letters until you finish spelling out “Horse.” The first one to spell out the word loses. Playing games, like Horse, improves putting under pressure and makes practice fun and interesting.

Developing a practice routine is a great way of mastering a specific golf skill, like pitching or chipping. It’s also a great way to get you to practice more. When combined with golf lessons from a local pro and golf tips from a magazine, practice is a proven way of improving your game. More importantly, it’s a great way to cut strokes from your golf handicap. The more your practice, the better you get.

About the Author

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. Free weekly newsletter available with the latest golf tips, lessons and instructions.

Golf Magazine Top 100 Teachers: More Power $2.00 More Power – Play better golf with help from GOLF MAGAZINE Top 100 Teachers! With close to an hour of instruction from the pros who teach the pros on tour and whose advice fills each issue of GOLF MAGAZINE, you ll find easy-to-follow lessons you can take to the course with you that will improve your game in no time. Lessons include: Craig Shankland – Power Sources, Shawn Humphries – Creating Leg, …

Golf Magazine Top 100 Teachers: More Consistency $6.89 Play better golf with help from GOLF MAGAZINE Top 100 Teachers! With close to an hour of instruction from the pros who teach the pros on tour and whose advice fills each issue of GOLF MAGAZINE, you ll find easy-to-follow lessons you can take to the course with you that will improve your game in no time. Lessons include: Martin Hall – Ball Flight Laws, Scott Sackett – Too Much Tension, Dave Phillip…

Golf Magazine Top 100 Teachers: More Up & Downs $7.42 Play better golf with help from GOLF MAGAZINE Top 100 Teachers! With close to an hour of instruction from the pros who teach the pros on tour and whose advice fills each issue of GOLF MAGAZINE, you ll find easy-to-follow lessons you can take to the course with you that will improve your game in no time. Lessons include: Brian Mogg – Pitching: Set-up Keys Todd Anderson – Pitching: Swing Keys, Scott…

The Plane Truth for Golfers Master Class: Advanced Lessons for Improving Swing Technique and Ball Control for One-Plane and Two-Plane Swings $6.89 In his bestseller, The Plane Truth for Golfers, Jim Hardy revolutionized how golf is taught around the world by introducing his innovative one-plane and two-plane swings. Now he takes your swing to its next level. In The Plane Truth for Golfers Masters Class, one of Golf magazine’s top instructors shows you how to execute these swings perfectly for on-target shots every time. With sharpened accura…

Golf For Beginners (Outdoor Sports Series) $4.99 Famous author Mark Twain once wrote, “Golf is a good walk wasted.” Many people feel this way. After all, what’s so fun and interesting about hitting a little white ball with a metal stick trying to get it in a little hole? However, the truth is there is fun to be had on the golf course as is evidenced by the millions of golf enthusiasts all over the world.It is a great way to make new fri…

Better by Saturday (TM) – Short Game: Featuring Tips by Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers $9.99 Featuring Tips by Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers. Simple to remember lesson that provides an opportunity for “no practice” improvement; so readers won’t need to spend hours on the range re-grooving their swings to shave strokes off their handicaps. These are truly the tops that readers can use to play better – and lower their score – immediately….

Phil Mickelson Autographed / Signed Golf Tips Magazine June 2001 (James Spence Authenticated) $249.95 Authentic Autographed Item!…

Golf Tips $21.97 Golf Tips is Golf’s Most In Depth Instruction & Equipment MagazineEach month, Golf Tips delivers the most comprehensive instruction and equipment magazine in the game. Learn stroke saving ideas from golf’s top teachers. Our contributors include sports psychologists and physiologists to help you get the most from your mind and body when you’re on the course.Our staff will also help you understand the technology behind today’s advanced equipment and help you determine what is best for your game. Our buyer’s guides are the industry standard, and hard hitting industry roundtables dispel equipment myths and misconceptions.We design Golf Tips for golfers who are serious about improving their games. Whatever your handicap, you’ll find creative ways to lower it inside our pages. So do something good for your game. Subscribe today.Renew your current Golf Tips subscription and your existing subscription will be extended by the number of issues you purchase. Order a gift subscription and we’ll send a free gift card with your personal message to accompany your Golf Tips gift subscription. You can also select the date to have us send your electronic gift card. You can also order other Golf magazines for yourself, or your business. We’ve got excellent prices for reception rooms and waiting rooms, professional offices like dentists, doctor offices, health clubs, gyms, beauty and hair salons. Get one bill and make just one payment for all your magazine subscriptions. We will send you a renewal reminder when your subscription is about to run out. Take advantage of our cheap Golf Tips magazine subscription prices today and save up to 88% off the retail cover price and have your Golf Tips magazine delivered for a whole year.