How to Practice Before Your Golf Round
Pre-Round Golf Practices, Including Putting and Swing Drills
Sep 1, 2009
The sun’s up to kick off a bright 7:30 on a Saturday morning, and you have an appointment with the first tee box at 10 o’clock. You'd prefer not to be counting snowmen, shaving strokes and calling mulligans all day. Your driving is off, your putting is crooked and your approaches are less than consistent. Spend a few hours drilling yourself, stretching your swing muscles and refining your strokes before you hit the links and crack the drinks, and you’ll be the talk of the 19th hole.
Putting Drills For Pre-Round Practice
Take two short pieces of wood (or even two books, two shoes, two strings, anything small), and place them a few inches apart on a clear area of floor (a carpet or practice green would be best.
Address the props and place your putter between them. Use the props as a guide to make a short, compact and, most importantly, straight stroke. Move the props as close together as you can without hitting them on a normal swing, and practice keeping your shoulders still and your hands steady. Putt and putt and putt until you can make a consistently straight stoke on every swing.
How to Practice Putting Before a Golf Round
Once you have mastered the short stroke, make longer strokes, and keep them as straight as possible. Once you are comfortable with your swing, add a ball between the props and watch the ball move in a straight line from your club. Watch your swing and have the confidence to know the ball is releasing straight. Try it without looking at the ball or your club.
Warming Up For Golf With Swing Drills
Set up 10-teed up balls in front of you on a grass range or practice range. You may need to do this more than a couple times, so be ready with numerous balls or someone to shag them with you.
The ball should start in front of you at your address, and move progressively away from you. You will be walking from one ball to the next.
For the first ten tees, swing in slow motion. Take a slow back swing, stop the club at the top of your swing, and slowly move through the zone. If your swing was technically correct, the ball will have taken a normal flight path, just not very high and only about 10 yards out. Do this ten times, and do it until you can hit the ball straight and square every time.
Putting Practice
Set up the balls again and swing at about 20% speed and without stopping in your backswing. The ball should again travel straight and just a little bit farther. Master this speed and move on to a quicker swing.
You will soon become comfortable with each progressive swing speed, making each quicker one easier than it was before. After you have mastered each slower swing, you should be able to take full swings, and make them more confidently and more effectively.
These drills can help lower your score every round, as can the following:
