Date Published: 16/01/2023
There are few better ways to spend time than on the fairway playing golf with friends – unless you’re having an off-day, of course. But by following these tips you can ensure any wayward strokes are the exception, not the rule.
Although these hints are geared towards the range and practice green, actively working on your game off the course is a great way to challenge yourself. It’s fun, rewarding, and gives you an edge in lowering your golf handicap.
It’s easy to lose yourself in the repetition of your swing when you’re at the range. But a more creative approach will spice up your session and challenge your abilities.
Try using one club and setting different range targets. For example, take your 5-iron and look to play a draw that goes 190 yards. Then pick a target at 175 yards, that requires you to play more of a cut shot with the same club. This will teach you the minor technical adjustments you need to make to your swing for different distances.
When you’re ready for a change, pick a static target and switch up your clubs. This is a great tip to improve your improvisation skills.
This tip keeps you on the range and with a golf bag full of clubs. Instead of aiming for the same static target, choose a club at random and pick a target that is appropriate. You will expand your knowledge of the distance you can reach with each club and, before long, you’ll start naturally increasing the distances you hit.
A good way to up your game is to recreate some of the pressure you might feel. When you’re next on the practice green, limit yourself to one ball only. If you duff a shot, complete the next shot as you would on the course.
By using just the one ball when practising your putting and chipping, you’ll find your focus for each stroke is sharp. You’ll be getting your head in the game away from the course.
When at the range or using a simulator, stop looking at what is in front of you and use your imagination. Envisage your favourite hole, mentally placing the pin and outlining a fairway. Why not try for birdie on the 18th at Augusta?
Your pre-shot routine might not feel like your favourite thing to do before every swing on the range, but it will do wonders for your form. Having a practice swing before your shot helps you get your eye in and improve your shot accuracy.
Every player has those areas of their game that aren’t as strong as the rest. Welcome to being a golfer! They won’t improve without practice. Work those trouble shots into your routine to become more of a well-balanced golfer. Though it sounds tedious and frustrating now, you’ll thank yourself later.
Before iGolf, aspiring golfers needed to officially join a club to receive a handicap. Now iGolf makes it possible for non-club members to obtain an official handicap index under the WHS. Accessed by downloading the My EG app, iGolf is specifically designed for golfers of all abilities who are not yet club members or are new to the game.
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