Practice Like the Professionals
If you haven’t had the opportunity to head over to the PR Open or another tour event you should, because you will notice a major difference between the way they practice and the Dorado del Mar driving range on Saturday mornings. First of all when tour players warm-up they start with their short irons, pick some targets and systematically start hitting shots they will need for the round that day. They gradually work up to the mid irons again focusing on distance control as well as specific targets. They prepare a routine and no matter how the shot turns out, they stick to that routine. As they move up in the clubs you will start to notice they may add some curve to the ball. This is done to prepare for a specific shot they may have during the round. On the other hand, most players @ Dorado del Mar warm up with no purpose in mind. They wildly hit balls on the practice tee as if they were hitting into the Atlantic Ocean. Without a very specific target, there is no way to really see how well one is hitting the ball. Also, warming up is for before one plays and working on the golf swing should be done on days when not playing golf, or after a round when one can work on a specific thing that happened during the round.
Keys to Keep in Mind in order to practice like a professional:
· Have a plan
· Pick a Target
· Work through the clubs from short irons to woods
· Allocate as much time to the short game as the full swing
· Pre-round is warm-up only
· Post round one can work on swing mechanics
· Take notes on your practice & record what you did well, swing thoughts & feelings you had
· Take your time and hit each shot like it means something
· Don’t neglect the routine, it should be a part of your practice
· Visualize holes on the golf course and play them on the range
Aaron R. West
PGA Director of Golf
Practice Like the Professionals
If you haven’t had the opportunity to head over to the PR Open or another tour event you should, because you will notice a major difference between the way they practice and the Dorado del Mar driving range on Saturday mornings. First of all when tour players warm-up they start with their short irons, pick some targets and systematically start hitting shots they will need for the round that day. They gradually work up to the mid irons again focusing on distance control as well as specific targets. They prepare a routine and no matter how the shot turns out, they stick to that routine. As they move up in the clubs you will start to notice they may add some curve to the ball. This is done to prepare for a specific shot they may have during the round. On the other hand, most players @ Dorado del Mar warm up with no purpose in mind. They wildly hit balls on the practice tee as if they were hitting into the Atlantic Ocean. Without a very specific target, there is no way to really see how well one is hitting the ball. Also, warming up is for before one plays and working on the golf swing should be done on days when not playing golf, or after a round when one can work on a specific thing that happened during the round.
Keys to Keep in Mind in order to practice like a professional:
· Have a plan
· Pick a Target
· Work through the clubs from short irons to woods
· Allocate as much time to the short game as the full swing
· Pre-round is warm-up only
· Post round one can work on swing mechanics
· Take notes on your practice & record what you did well, swing thoughts & feelings you had
· Take your time and hit each shot like it means something
· Don’t neglect the routine, it should be a part of your practice
· Visualize holes on the golf course and play them on the range
Aaron R. West
PGA Director of Golf