Forget Your Vision
Every golfer has a vision of their perfect practice. The weather is beautiful, the grass at the range is flawless, you’re standing next to a mountain of gleaming Pro V1s, you have nothing else on your mind, and your body feels amazing.
Take that vision and throw it in the trash because it’s getting in the way of your golf improvement.
This Is For You If:
You don’t practice because you can’t do exactly what you want
You only practice when conditions are perfect
Practice Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect
Your perfect practice scenario is rare and maybe impossible. Speaking for myself, waiting until “everything else is done” means I would never practice. There is always a work task, a home chore, an errand to run. For those of us who don’t belong to private clubs, we’re always going to be hitting range balls off grass that looks like it hosts off-road races. The putting green is always going to be too crowded, and the short game area too small – if it exists.
Everything Counts
The good news is that all practice – good, bad, ideal, and horrible – counts. It doesn’t matter if you’re perfectly focused. It doesn’t matter if your shots aren’t traveling their precise distance because the range balls are three years old. Having a golf club in your hand builds experience and helps ingrain good habits.
Think about your golf practice like exercise. Would it be better to walk for five minutes or sit on the couch? Of course it’s better to walk for five minutes. An hour with a personal trainer in a fully equipped gym might be better than that five minute walk, but that’s not always (or ever) an option, so we’ll take what we can get.
Make It As Good As It Can Be
Rather than waiting for the perfect scenario or whining about how our practice opportunities stink, we need to make the most of what we have. If you have time to hit a small bucket, do it. And when you’re there, make it the best small bucket it can be. Focus on every shot. Change clubs for each ball to make it game-like. Pick specific targets. Go through your pre-shot routine every time.
Will any of this eliminate the clown who’s playing music on a speaker ten feet away? Nope. And it won’t fix the turf or replace the range balls with Pro V1s. But it will help you get the most out of what is available to you, which, in the long run, will make you a better, more skilled player.
Don’t Take Zeros
“Taking zeros” is what I call a day without golf (or exercise, or basketball, or whatever you’re pursuing). When you learn to practice however you can, you’ll stop taking zeros. When you learn to stop taking zeros, you’ll see your game improve dramatically.
“I’m too busy to practice every day.” No, you’re too busy to do a big range session every day. You’re not too busy for the minimum effective dose [more on that HERE].
“I live in a tiny apartment in a cold weather climate, so I can’t practice.” If you wanted to find a way to practice, you would. I have loads of ideas for practicing in any environment HERE.
Enjoy What You Get
The other piece of this puzzle is learning to enjoy every opportunity to put your hands on a golf club. I’m frequently guilty of forgetting this lesson. I’ll go the range to test a club with a sense of obligation or get on my putting mat with an eye roll.
This isn’t just entitled, it’s unproductive. If we start with gratitude and enjoyment – “Even if it’s just putting 10 balls, I’m happy I’m able to take time to play golf” – it’s a lot easier to make your practice as good as it can be. As much as it’s lionized in some sectors, grinding with gritted teeth only works for so long. Embrace the joy of being able to play – in any way that you’re able – and you’ll get more out of it.
Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.