Winter 2024

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT B Y L A I RD SMA L L Best Practices to Play Better Golf— The Four Most Important Shots hile every shot matters, focusing on these four shots will give you the best return on your practice time. A common question golfers ask is how to structure their practice to be most effective. Based on years of working with PGA, LPGA and elite players, here’s a proven method: Practice the shots that impact your score the most! Start with these shots when you arrive at the practice facility, and save full swing work for last. I’ve given an approximate time line for each area which will keep you focused on each shot and on track. You will be surprised how well you do when you are engaged in each shot and how much work you get done in a short amount of time. It will keep you motivated to do it again and again. It won’t get boring because each segment is set to a limited amount of time, highly focused, and then a transition to the next area of training. 1. Driving the Ball in Play (10 minutes) Your driver is not just for maximum distance, it’s more about control. Driving accuracy sets the tone for the hole. A missed fairway may cost you strokes, as you may not be able to advance the ball to the green and you won’t have as much control over the ball as it lands, leading to rolling over the green or into a bunker or penalty area. The driver is a defensive club not an offensive club.Your intention with the driver is to put the ball in the fair- way, keeping the ball in play, rather than trying to “bomb” it. On the prac- tice range, create an imaginary fairway about 50-yards wide and aim to land as many drives as possible within this space. See if you can place 80% of your drives in the grid.The idea would be to make a swing that delivers the ball to the target area eight out of 10 times, rather than two out of 10. Imagine the landing zone like a football field. It’s a great visual that will help you to focus on driving the ball in play, in the grid! 2. The 100-Yard Shot (10 minutes) The 100-yard shot is often a comfortable full swing with your wedge, requiring an unforced, tension-free motion. Whether your wedge dis- tance is 90, 100 or 110 yards, being proficient at this shot can ease pres- sure if you’re out of position off the tee and can create scoring chances. Most courses present four par 5s and a few short par 4s where you’ll face this shot regularly. On average, PGA Tour players get the ball within 12 to 15 feet of the hole from this distance, but if you can consistently leave yourself approx- imately 20 feet or less, you have a reasonable putt for birdies or pars. Imagine you’re a field-goal kicker aiming between a football goalpost, visualizing your target zone and seeing the ball go through the uprights as you practice this crucial shot. 3. The 3- to 6-Foot Putt and the Lag Putt (10 minutes) These short putts are how we close the hole after a good lag putt, chip or shot from the course. Short putts are often where rounds are won or lost. After a long lag putt, chip or bunker shot, mastering these short distances can make or break your score.To practice, arrange six to eight balls around the hole at a three-foot distance and aim to make at least eight out of 10. You don’t need to go through your full routine of lining up the ball. Just strike one putt after the other. Once you achieve that consistently, increase the distance to six feet. Becoming reliable with these putts boosts your confidence for longer ones. As a bonus you may end up making a few more putts because your first putt went past the hole. Secondly, practice your distance control with the leapfrog drill. Take three golf balls and strike one ball to a long cup on the practice green, hit the next put to a different target, and the same with the last ball. One ball to a different target. Repeat as long as the time allows. You don’t need to finish the putts, as you did that work earlier in the 3-6 foot putts around the cup.You will be surprised at how many putts you can strike in 10 min. You will also be surprised at how your distance putting improves. On the practice range, create an imaginary fairway about 50-yards wide and aim to land as many drives as possible within this space. W 96 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 4