Practice Doesn't Make Perfect!

By Lori Tatum
LPGA
The Woodlands Performance Center

Practice doesn’t make perfect…only perfect practice makes perfect! What does perfect practice look like, you may ask.

When going to the golf course to practice, you should have a goal in mind. A specific goal which is based on either short term or long term goals for your game. If you are having trouble figuring out a goal, ask yourself where you could have improved during your last round. Keeping statistics would be very helpful for this process.

Examples of a few good goals would be:
· Improve my putting distance control
· Improve my aim on short putts
· Be committed on 75% of my shots
· Use my pre-shot routine on every shot.

LPGA Founding, and Hall of Fame Member, Patty Berg stated "There is nothing in this game of golf that can't be improved upon - if you practice." Fifty percent of your practice should assimilate a golf round - vary your targets, clubs, and lies, just as if you were on the golf course. And, make sure to use your pre-shot routine.

Every shot you hit during practice should have a target and each shot should be slightly different so as to assimilate your time on the golf course to your practice on the range. Have your bag close to you, like it was on the cart and pull a different club for each shot. Walk to the bag after your shot and pull another club. It is also helpful to vary your lies.

We don't play fantasy golf on the course, where all the lies would be flat and perfect. Therefore, we shouldn’t practice as such! My hope is that you take this quote from Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson and make it your own, "Your past is not your future." One way to make that happen is to practice with a specific goal in mind and practice how you play. Hopefully these tips will help you to make your practice perfect!