Tip of The Month

Make your practice sessions more difficult

In practice, FAILURE IS CRUCIAL! We can benefit from practice when stress and failure are an integral part of what we’re doing. Real learning takes place under stress. When practice is too easy, we get bored, our brains fall asleep. Our training has no lasting effect if it doesn’t keep us engaged and our minds alert.

How can this translate to your golf game? There are a number of ways I can suggest you practice to help achieve lasting success and take it to the course for real improvement:

Create difficult, golf course-like situations in your practice.

Hit balls from a variety of lies: level, unlevel, good lies, bad lies etc.

Work on what your game needs. If you are driving it well but can’t hit from the turf, hit a lot of irons. Practice the shots you hate the most in order to get the greatest improvement in your scores.

Practice those slippery, downhill right-to-left breaking putts (if you’re left-handed, practice left-to-right breakers).

If you prefer a fade, force yourself to hit some draws to a back-left pin.

Practice on the course. Go out to the toughest driving hole at your course and hit a bunch of tee shots.

If you fight a shank, drop a bucket of balls by the green in random lies. Resist the urge to “set them up.” Simply play them as they lie. The idea is to make practice difficult so you’re prepared for anything. Place yourself under the toughest conditions when practicing so that you have experience with the shot and feel less stress, no matter the situation.

I watch members practice all day long from perfect lies, usually off the FRONT of a divot they’ve just made! You’ll almost never get this lie on a golf course, so giving yourself this lie on the range creates a false sense of improvement when working on your game. “The secret is in the dirt,” so let’s get digging to improve your score!

— Clayton Johnson

New Member Golf Orientation

Saturday, April 18th 8AM-10AM: For all new golf members in the past year. We will walk you through   Foretees, popular golf events to know about over the year, and answer any questions you may have. Plus stay and play a round of golf with other new members and the Pros! Email Alicia@dellwoodcountryclub.com if are interested in attending!