Equipment: Check your grips to ensure they are tacky and not slick. You may be able to preserve them by using warm water and soap to clean them. Shine your clubs; this will make you feel more confident about your game.
Putting ‘Touch and Feel’: Bring 10 balls to the putting green and start at three feet and progressively move back. This drill will improve your “touch and feel” much faster and also improve your green reading skills.
Hit the Ball Solid: Place a golf ball or towel six inches behind the ball. Practice hitting small shots with a wedge or short iron. If you hit the towel, you are trying to scoop the ball into the air resulting in hitting the ground first or topping the ball.
Use a Practice Station: Lay three clubs down on the ground to form a practice station to work on your aim alignment and ball position. After a long break, you have to retrain your eyes to see straight.
Seek Help: Don’t waste your time ingraining bad habits. Go see your local PGA professional. Practice makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect.
You’ve taken all winter off. Spring is now here, your regular foursome is calling and you need to get your game in shape quickly. Here are some simple things you can do to dramatically improve your golf game and get back to mid-season form much faster:
Equipment
Like tools to a carpenter, your equipment must be efficient. Check your grips to ensure they are tacky and not slick. You may be able to preserve them by using warm water and soap to clean them. Shine your clubs; this will make you feel more confident about your game. If you are looking for new equipment or if you want to check your current clubs, get a fitting from a PGA professional outside on the range so you can see your ball flight. Don’t get fit hitting into a net.
Putting ‘Touch and Feel’
Distance control will be rusty after a long break. Work on your distance control using the ladder drill. Bring 10 balls to the putting green and start at three feet and progressively move back. Only hit one putt from each distance, moving further away from the hole. Practice uphill, downhill and side-hill putts. This drill will improve your “touch and feel” much faster and also improve your green reading skills.
Hit the Ball Solid
Place a golf ball or towel six inches behind the ball. Practice hitting small shots with a wedge or short iron. This will teach you ball-first contact. This is a common denominator among all great ball strikers. If you hit the towel, you are trying to scoop the ball into the air resulting in hitting the ground first or topping the ball.
Use a Practice Station
When hitting balls, it’s important to have a purpose. Lay three clubs down on the ground to form a practice station to work on your aim alignment and ball position (see picture No. 4 in above gallery). After a long break, you have to retrain your eyes to see straight. This will allow you to practice with a purpose. And remember at the range: quality over quantity.
Seek Help
Don’t waste your time ingraining bad habits. Go see your local PGA professional. To find a qualified PGA professional in your area, visit pga.com. Practice makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect.
(Tom Cannarozzo is the director of instruction at the Synchronized Golf Academy. Synchronized Golf Schools begin in March. Cannarozzo is also available for private instruction or group instruction. Visit his Web site at syncgolfacademy.com for more information and free golf tips. E-mail: tomcgolf@gmail.com)
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