The main issue I see with golfers is not having any real goals or objectives when they practice. They are basically whacking golf balls and hoping it ends up near a selected target. If it does that, they think they did well. But if not, they just try to feel something different and hope for a better result.
I want my students to have a specific plan when they go the range. Below is a sample session I will give to students:
Wedges/Warm up – 20 Balls
– Start with 20-30 yard pitches and work your way up to full swings. No real focus on target, just focused on making solid contact and developing a good temp.
Drill Swings – 20 Balls
– Based on what we work on in a lesson, this is when we would focus on those specific mechanics. This is mechanic focused and not always ball flight focused. Doing mechanics while separated from outcome often makes it easier to make the changes. There is no fear of “hitting a bad shot”
Iron Swings – 20 Balls
Now we start to focus on ball flight. I don’t like a specific target but rather a cone or grid for a landing zone. Pick two targets and draw line from your golf ball to both of those. The goal of these swings is to keep everything in between those two spots. The size of the cone will vary depending on the level of player. This cone is what I want player to use when playing. They simply center their shot cone at their target while playing.
Driver – 20 Balls
Pick a wider shot cone for the driver
For the iron and driver sessions, I would like the player to use their full routine as they would on the golf course. And with every shot, whether warming up or a drill, I want the golfer to take their time and give each ball their full attention.