Small changes to the way you practice can make a big difference when it’s time to play.
Every golfer has wondered why their “range game” in practice doesn’t always transfer to the course. Spend a day at any course and you can overhear various conversations revolving around this very subject. Players will say “I was striping it on the range,” or “I can’t believe I hit it so much better in practice.” This great mystery is a part of all golfer’s journeys no matter their skill level or age. It is not a single faceted solution either. However the good news is that a few small changes can make it much easier for your practice to carry over when it matters most. Sometimes it’s just a matter of practicing with a little more intention.
Practice Like You Play (Even if its Ugly)
Golfers have the habit of protecting their confidence in practice by only hitting shots they’re comfortable with, fluffing up lies around the chipping green or hitting the same putt over and over again just to see the ball drop. However, on the golf course we don’t have the ability to place the ball the way we want. Instead of dropping golf balls around the chipping green, play them as they fall and create difficult shots to challenge yourself. Not hitting every shot great in practice means that you are developing skills, not just making yourself feel better about your current skills.
Also many players are always hitting the same shot. That can be good for certain types of practice such as technique work, dialing in distances or getting comfortable with a certain shot shape. However, spend some of your practice round simulating what you do on the golf course. Split up your range session into breaks where you change clubs. Pick a new target. Change trajectories. Pretend you’re playing your home course instead of simply working through a bucket of balls to completion.
Another tip is to vary your practice by working in circuits. For example, spend some time working on your putting and full swing technique, then return to the putting green to test those skills with game-like simulations.
It might not feel as comfortable, and your practice might even look a little uglier. That’s okay. The goal isn’t to become a great range player. It’s to become a better golfer.
Use Your Warm-Up to Prepare, Not Predict
Many golfers put far too much pressure on the warm-up. They wrongly assume these shots are going to give a glimpse into how the day will go. A few poor swings and suddenly they’ve convinced themselves it’s going to be a long day. A few perfect swings and now they expect to shoot their career low. Neither mindset is helpful.
In fact many golfers need to work on viewing the warm up for what it actually is, simply a vehicle for them to loosen up their muscles so they’re ready to hit the shots when it’s actually time to play.
Warm up can set expectations that unnecessarily influence many junior golfers’ confidence.
Ironically many of the times that I had my best tournaments were from horrible warm-ups where I was just hoping I could get the ball around. This allowed me to play with more focus, intention and less expectations.
Practice Your Process Before It Matters
Every great player will tell you how crucial the process is to their performance yet almost every golfer spends no time honing their process in practice. Those that are serious enough to implement one in tournament play, often wait until the first tee of a tournament to actually use it. The issue is, they may not have touched their process in over a month. If you ask these same players if they would play an event after not practicing one of the physical elements of the game, they would say no or feel woefully underprepared. I challenge all golfers to think of this part of their game as another component to train just like putting, chipping and ball striking. When pressure shows up, you won’t magically create a great process. You’ll fall back on whatever you’ve practiced.
Separate Technical Practice From Performance Practice
Golfers when working on their technique, often focus too much on shot quality. To maximize the efficiency of practice, it is better to compartmentalize when you are working on technique and when you are working on skills or shot making. When you are working technique, but focused on the ball flight you are not focussing all of your energy on the movement you were trying to make. Therefore you are hindering your progress.
Likewise, when you’re practicing performance, your focus shouldn’t be on changing your swing. It should be on hitting the shot in front of you.Trying to do both at the same time usually means neither gets your full attention.
It may actually be helpful to only work on swing with foam balls or indoors at first to prevent a player from being tempted to analyze their ball flight.
Don’t Just practice Learn
One of my favorite questions to ask after a practice session is simple: “What did you learn today?” Most golfers judge practice by how well they hit the ball. However, understanding more about your game is just as valuable as making it better. When you learn something new. Write it down! Maybe you realized you rush your routine after a poor shot or that you draw your long irons more consistently. The goal isn’t to prove that you’re swinging well that day, it’s to learn. The more knowledge you have the more you will be able to turn things around when you have a pencil and scorecard in your pocket.
Ready to Take Your Practice to the Next Level?
If this article resonated with you, I’d love to help you build a practice plan that helps you bring your range game to the course. Whether you’re a junior golfer, competitive player, or someone simply looking to shoot lower scores, In The Golf Zone is designed to help you perform when it matters most.
My approach goes beyond swing mechanics. As In The Golf Zone helps players develop a stronger mental game, more effective practice habits, smarter course management, greater confidence under pressure and skills to help you play your best golf.
Benjamin Esposito,
Mental Performance Coach, PGA Professional, Certified Mental Golf Type Coach, Founder, In The Golf Zone
In-Person & Remote Coaching Available Nationwide! Coaching in 4 Countries as well!
ben@inthegolfzone.com www.inthegolfzone.com @_inthegolfzone on Instagram and Facebook
