In order to improve your golf game, it’s important to rethink your practice routine and focus on shots that are commonly overlooked by most golfers. Many golfers have a loose practice structure, starting with a driver or 7-iron and eventually working through their entire bag without a specific game plan. However, to see real improvement, it’s crucial to change this approach and focus on practicing a variety of shots that are often neglected.
One area that most amateurs overlook during practice is working on real-life situations on the range, such as hitting out of divots or tricky lies. GOLF Top 100 Alumni Teacher Tom Stickney suggests incorporating six important shots into your practice routine that will help you improve your game. These shots include lag putts with big breaks, fairway bunker shots, shots off slopes, fairway woods, shots from the rough, and hybrids from just off the green.
When it comes to lag putts with big breaks, Stickney recommends practicing putts over humps and shelves to fine-tune your feel on the greens. By practicing breaking putts and longer putts with slopes, you can improve your ability to read and navigate challenging greens. This will help you reduce the likelihood of three-putting and improve your overall putting performance.
For fairway bunker shots, Stickney advises choosing enough club to escape the bunker without hitting the lip and swinging easy to maintain consistency. By focusing on hitting the ball thin and visualizing a range ball stripe, you can improve your ability to escape fairway bunkers successfully. Additionally, practicing shots off slopes can help you understand how uneven lies impact ball flight and improve your balance and stability while swinging.
When it comes to fairway woods, Stickney emphasizes the importance of choosing the right wood for the lie and using proper technique to get the ball into the air. By practicing shots from different types of lies in the rough, you can improve your ability to predict ball flight and control from challenging lies. Finally, incorporating hybrids from just off the green into your practice routine can help you navigate tricky near-sided pins more effectively.
By incorporating these six shots into your golf practice routine, you can improve your overall game and become a more well-rounded player. Instead of focusing solely on your strengths, it’s important to practice shots that challenge you and address areas of improvement. By dedicating time to these commonly overlooked shots, you can take your game to the next level and see real progress on the course.
