Practice

Today I want to talk about having fun at practice.  Every golfer knows that practice makes perfect, because it builds muscle memory and confidence in yourself.  But it's how you practice that really matters.  A lot of people think of practice as simply going to the range and beating a bunch of balls towards the different flags.  No.  When you practice, you need to have an idea of what you want to practice.  If you're having trouble with making good contact, go to the range and hit some shorter shots first.  The most important part of practice is having fun.  You absolutely have to make your practice fun.  This way, you will enjoy practicing to the point where it doesn't even seem like practice anymore.  The best way I know how to do this is with a friend.  Yesterday, my buddy and I played a few holes together.  The entire time we talked about our swings and mostly about the mental side of the game (he confessed he's taken interest in some of these posts).  We hit three or four balls on every shot to work on things we didn't do correctly or to simply further discuss something we were talking about.  My point is we had a good time and got in some quality practice at the same time.  During the school year, when I played for my college team, I would get a buddy on the range and play games.  We would make up point games where we had to draw or fade the ball into a pin without crossing it, or take hula hoops and make rings to chip into where each was worth a different amount of points.  We would make chipping and putting games around the practice green as well.  All of these games made our practices go by quickly because we were having fun, and what's not more fun than a little friendly competition.  Who knows, you might learn something from each other.

Sometimes, you may simply not have anyone around to help you practice.  What I try to do when I'm alone at practice is the same thing I do when I have a friend, make a game.  If you can play a game with yourself and make it fun, practice will be worthwhile.  If you make practice fun, it won't even seem like you're practicing.  This, in turn, will make you better and also make you more confident when it comes time to show people what you have been practicing.  It will let you keep your love for the game, because you will actually want to practice.  So, every time you go to the golf course, try to take a friend with you that you will have fun with.  Try to play games on the range and on the putting green.  Challenge yourself and your buddy, for you will be rewarded with the quality practice you get.  And last of all, don't ever get down on yourself.  After all, it's just practice!