O.K. so pick out a target of your scenario distance and get that golf club,

Do your pre shot routine and go after the target.

Then go back to the driver and pick out a different target line that gives you a different visual perspective.

Do this each time as part of your golf practice routine aiming for targets that are to the left of you natural line and to the right and so on.

The point here is to change targets and golf clubs frequently; get yourself comfortable and confident with going from a long shafted golf club to a shorter one and vise-verse.  As I just mentioned, changing your visual perspective of the target is important as well.

Tee boxes on golf courses aren’t so magnanimous that they align you perfectly with the fairway so you must get used to these visual changes that courses throw at you. You always here the expression of how a golf hole fits or doesn’t seem to fit a players eye. Golf course architects are like that.

I’ve mentioned your pre shot routine a couple of times.

If you’re not sure you have one work on finding one that feels comfortable to you and use it before every shot.

This doesn’t (and shouldn’t) be some long and drawn out routine that adds another hour to your (and everybody else’s) round of golf. Keep it simple and easy to replicate and get into the habit of doing it.

Hopefully you’ve gotten the gist of this part of your golf practice routine.

You’ll note that I said ‘part’ of your practice routine. Certainly if you are just starting to learn the golf swing you will spend more time with just one club in your hand.

But as you advance in your swing and your game there may come a time when you begin to lament that you can’t seem to get your golf game from the range to the golf course. If this is the case then these tips will certainly help you get over that hump.

If this somewhat describes you, don’t panic. It is a very common ailment among golfers.

Aside from keeping in mind that just on a daily basis alone your golf swing is going to produce different results and scenarios for you to overcome. Welcome to the wonderful game of golf!

But in all seriousness here in the next couple of articles, I’ll discuss a few golf tips and techniques that will help you get your golf game from the driving range to the golf course.

First of all, I make the assumption that you are practicing your golf game on a regular basis and not expecting your game to just miraculously ‘show up’ for you on the first tee.

With this in mind I think that most people should consider that how they practice affects their ‘on course’ behavior. Frequently, the resolution to the mysterious vanishing golf swing is in how you practice to get better.

Certainly to gain proficiency at golf one must hit a lot of golf balls. And there are certainly times when your practice routine is one of just focusing on getting your rhythm and timing going. But to get your game from the range to the course you have to focus on certain aspects.

As a part of your golf practice routine you should practice or emulate real golf. First of all (assuming you’ve properly warmed up) starting with driver, pick out your target and give yourself some fairway parameters. By that I mean that say… the flag to left from that flag to the right is the width of my fairway… outside of that I’m in the rough or even O.B.

Stand behind the ball and reaffirm your target line or what ever you pre shot routine may be. Knowing that you now have a target that you must hit and you have but one swing to hit it will add more focus and a certain amount of pressure to your golf swing.

This is what we want here.

If you only put your swing under this type of situation when you are on the golf course itself… well good luck. Good rounds can certainly happen by chance, but you’ll be forever developing any kind of consistency.

Up next let’s finish getting your driving range game to the golf course.

then you’ve gotta get up and down when you’re around the green.

This becomes even more amplified for the mid to higher handicap golfer simply because by definition the higher handicapper won’t be as accurate with their approach shots, hence they will miss more greens… when you miss more greens; you need to have a short game that can get you up and down from off the green.

A good short game is a great remedy for earlier misguided shots…

not to mention a good short game will put more pressure on your opponents.

A good practice drill for you is to take a handful of golf balls and from just off the practice green play a round of par 2 golf. Chip your five or so balls at the hole…

once done putt your chips in starting with chip that came the closest. If you’re down in 2 then you par… if not… you bogey.

A couple of benefits will happen here. First your chipping and putting will begin to improve. Secondly, you’ll be simulating what really goes on when you’re playing your rounds of golf.

Now if you want to even more accurately what reflects an actual round of golf, get together with one of your playing partners and work this drill with a bit of friendly competition added to the mix.

No matter what the stakes (or steaks) are, this will assuredly heighten your focus or even make you pucker up a bit… but this is what we want…

to get you to a comfort level with some real time pressure and game like environment. The more you put yourself in this type of situation the more comfortable you and your game will become. Don’t under estimate the value of this.

Now get out there and start getting better!

This is why when you’re first starting to learn the golf swing or you are first starting to get serious about improving your golf swing, it is so very important to develop good golf swing habits right out of the gate.

If you have been playing for a while and have bad habits, it’s probably because they were never corrected early on.

I can’t stress this enough.

Stay with what you know are good habits until they become natural habits and you‘ll get your golf game off to the proper start.

The first thing every new golfer wants to do is drop the ball down and take a whack at it without any thought to the basics that greatly improve one’s chance of actually hitting the target.

Your aim, your alignment, your set up… I find it incredible how many people either pay no to little attention to this, or they aren’t even lined up where they think they are lined up. I mean after all, when you’ve hit a bad shot into the trees only to find that is exactly where you were lined up.

I see this over and over again. There is absolutely no way that you are going to consistently hit good golf shots (even if you have a decent golf swing) if you aren’t lined up and aimed at your intended target.

Having said this, don’t rely initially on picking out your target and aligning to it by only using your own sight.

When you practice, if you don’t have someone behind you letting you know where your stance, your shoulders, and ultimately your clubface is pointing, then lay one of your clubs across the tips of the toes of with the handle of the club pointed down your target line. It is crucial that you get in the habit of doing this and getting into the habit early on in improving your golf swing.

I see so many people that think the key to improving their golf swing is to hit more balls and work on their golf swing.

The reality of the situation is; you can vastly improve your golf swing without even swinging the golf club. In other words, let’s get you lined up properly at your target and get you set up to the ball and your target on a consistent basis, then with your body properly aligned, we can permanently improve your golf swing.

At some point, you’ve got to just clear your head and put the clubface on the golf ball…

When it come time to play, you’ve got to stop practicing… start your pre-shot routine and then just put the clubface on the ball.

Sure this sounds simple… but when when I watch people take their game to the course… over and over again, I see them running their latest lesson or practice session through their head.

When it comes time to play, start thinking about managing the course and getting into the moment of each golf shot. Remember, the golf ball only goes where the club tells it to… so relax… drop the mechanics mentality and work on just putting a smooth swing… and ultimately to clubface on the golf ball.

Perhaps a better way to put it would be to practice your mechanics… but play with feel.

The mechanics part is easy and self explanatory… just take a lesson and go to the range to cement the lesson…

The feel part is where the mid to higher handicappers part company… they just can’t seem to leave the mechanics on the range.

Playing with feel is getting in tune with how you are not only going to play each hole on course; but it is also micro’d down to how you’re going to play each shot. Learn to make visualization a part of each and every pre-shot routine in your golf game. Visualize what it is that your are going to accomplish with each of your golf shots… this is imperative for good feel.

Many times an analogy I use when working with people is this; I grew up playing baseball… in fact, all the way through college… I was a pitcher. As a starting pitcher, before each game warming up in the bull pen, I would go through a very specific ‘game day’ routine. And just like any athlete there were days when my stuff was on fire… and there were days when… well… not so much so.

But point here is, when it came time to leave the bull pen and head for the mound the only thought in my mind was… “It’s time to go compete with what I’ve got today.” No more mechanics, no more adjustments… just me, the mound, and the competition.

And that’s what you’ve got to do if you’re struggling with getting your game from the practice tee to the first tee… just go with what you’ve got and when you step up to the tee… engage your eyes… visualize… command your eyes to commint your mind and your body to each shot and target.

For the champion athlete’s this is ‘in the zone’. You can get into your zone as well if you understand that you just go with what you’ve got and commit to your visualization.

Yet it amazes me still how few mid to higher handicappers that I will actually see working on the aforementioned skill of putting.

Working on improving your putting should be a given routine of your practice time.

It doesn’t take a lot of time, nor does it require the physical energy of working on your full swing.

It does, however, require that you take your practice putting time seriously and engage in it with full concentration.

Improving your putting is simple math. Conservatively speaking… and be honest with yourself… if you are a mid to high handicapper; you could easily take 10 strokes of your game just by consistently making those mid to short range putts and by not three putting.

In fact, over the course of a round of 18 holes of golf, I would say the 10 strokes may be understated from what I see on the putting greens.

Think about it for a moment. On a par 4 hole… if you are on the green in regulation… 2 shots… the other 2 shots to make par… is your putter. In other words, 50% of par 4 holes fall to the responsibility of your putter!

Why would not take the opportunity to improve this part of your game?

And if you are mid handicapper… by improving your putting and gaining confidence in your putting skills, just think of the amount of pressure you’ll be taking off the rest of your game… and momentum will continue.

So, stop using all your practice time to just bang golf balls on the range and get yourself over to the putting green… consistently!

There are a multitude of putting drills that you can use to improve your putting, so find a few that make you focus and one’s that you can track your results with.

No, matter what type of drills you ultimately use, the two high level areas of your putting that you must work on are your line and hitting the line with a straight putt; and distance control.

Remember, direction control, and distance control… with these improvements in mind, you’ll begin to eliminate those three putts from afar and you’ll keep strokes (and your money) in pocket on those 4 to 6 footers.

Developing and taking the time to go through a daily golf practice drill or practice routine will go a long way to expediting the improvement of your golf score and Austad’s golf warehouse is second to none when in comes to offering a full line of golf practice equipment and training aids.

Simply playing your way to better golf may ultimately over time result in some improvement in your game, but some good golf practice drills will get you there much more efficiently.

As you are well aware, on the market today there is no shortage of golf practice equipment and golf swing aids. Many of which can be quite effective in improving your game. The key is that you have to practice

your golf swing on a consistent basis. Remember it’s not how much you practice at one time; its how often you practice that will best improve your golf game. Effective practice routines will improve your golf scores. Practice equipment, when used properly and consistently, will certainly aid in the process.

We all learn differently and when learning the golf swing, I don’t think any two people key on the same thought process. For me, purchasing a golf net to practice my swing was a huge help. With a golf net you can turn your back yard (or your basement as I did) into your own driving range. Hitting into a net allows you to take full real time swings. This allows you to actually feel the contact you make on the golf ball and work on your shot routine and tempo. Also, with a net you can work on every club in the bag.

If don’t want to (or don’t have room for a net) there are other types of golf practice equipment and training aids you can purchase such as tethered golf balls, restricted flight golf balls that will allow you to take full swings without launching a golf ball.

If your short game needs help (and who’s doesn’t) smaller chipping nets provide for some great target and accuracy practice and are easily moveable so you can vary the distances of your pitch and chip shots. For your putting practice there are a multitude of indoor putting greens and swing trackers that can check your putting line and swing path.

Of course, let’s not forget how computerization can help you with your golf practice drill. You can find computerized products that will measure and log your swing tempo your club head speed, and just about any other part of your swing.

Certainly, golf practice equipment can be an important part of your practice routine. The key here is ‘practice routine’. You have to take the time to practice. No amount of practice equipment is going to magically improve your game. It takes a commitment to improve your golf game on your part.

If you are willing to put forth a consistent effort to understand and improve your golf swing, improve yourself physically, use your golf practice equipment and swing aids wisely, and be patient with your progress, then you will begin to drop strokes from your game in no time.

Let’s take a look at a simple golf practice drill that can help your game make the transition from the driving range to the golf course.

First of all, change your targets frequently.

Think about it.

When you are on the course you rarely hit back to back shots from the same distance (if you do, then your swing needs more general work).

Start with your driver and hit it.

Then, for example, imagine that you are 180 yards from the tee. Pick out a target, select your club, and execute the next shot. If you miss hit your approach, then imagine you are just off the green in need of executing a pitch shot… and so forth.

This type of practice drill will better emulate what happens while your are play a round of golf and it adds that little bit of extra pressure on your swing when you only have one chance to make a particular shot. This is more of what occurs during an actual round of golf.

When you are on the practice tee and going through this simulated round golf practice drill, don’t forget to include your pre-shot routine.

If you don’t think you have one, then begin to develop one and use it before each shot.

This is an area that is grossly overlooked by golfers when they are practicing their various golf shots.

If you don’t include your pre-shot routine in your practice drills then you will have a different rhythm on the course than you do on the practice tee and you will most likely produce different results. Remember we want consistency.

Getting your golf swing and golf game from the driving range to the course is a natural trouble area for most all of us. But, if you remember that you play like you practice, then making the transition will be much less of a chore.

Yes it’s true… we practice golf at a 2 handicap and play at a 20.

You what the problem is because it’s so obvious… you continually leave your game at the practice tee.

It has become an all too familiar routine and you want to get your game to that next level. But to do so, and to ultimately play better golf, you have to get your driving range game to the first tee and beyond.

First of all, before we discuss possible solutions, one must understand that at least in part this is a natural progression to one’s game. Everyone goes through this phenomenon to some degree or another. Even accomplished golfers experience this when they work on a swing change or practice a new type of shot for them.

There is not any doubt that in order to successfully and consistently execute a fluent golf swing, you have to have paid your dues with practice time and many buckets of ball launched from the driving range.

Let’s fast forward a bit and assume that you have in fact improved the mechanics of your golf swing to the point where you make reasonably consistent contact and direction on the practice tee, but your swing takes a 180 degree turn for the worse when you get on the golf course.

When this happens, the natural evaluation most of us make is to examine what we are doing wrong on the golf course. The solution more often than not is not to critique and examine your on the golf course golf swing, rather you should take a look at how you practice your golf swing when you are on the driving range or practice tee.

Up next… let’s take a look at a practice drill for your golf game that will help you make the transition from the practice to the golf course.

Needless to say so much focus and topical time is given to the golf swing and all the elements that surround and go into making and executing a golf swing.

Our series here is no exception, but we need to discuss an element of playing better that really does contribute a large part to the success of your golf game (or the lack of it) and that is getting yourself properly warmed up and prepared before you hit your first golf shot.

Last time we talked about the importance of our pre shot routine… now let’s talk about the importance of a good pre round routine.

First of warming up is essential if you are serious about getting your handicap down. Even if you’re the type that say’s “it only takes me a hole or two to get loosened up”, then how many strokes do you lose in the process? And don’t they all count? So don’t bemoan your score and your round if you are going to just toss caution to the wind on the first couple holes as you get loosened up.

Your pre golf round routine will return benefits in the form of strokes if you:

• Warm up. Take short walk to the driving range. Tell your buddies to go ahead if they are in the golf carts already. Or, leave the golf cart by the clubhouse and walk to the range. Even on a warm summer day your muscles need the circulation and they need to warm up. Taking a couple extra practice swings on the first tee doesn’t constitute warming up.

• Do some stretching.  Again, get some heat and circulation going in your muscles. If you are not worried about the strokes, at least do some golf stretches so you don’t injure yourself.
• Once you get to the driving range, hit a few golf balls. An entire bucket is not necessary; nor is breaking out every single club. Start with a short iron, the go to a mid iron or two, then a few drives. Hit some pitch shots and even some long chip type shots. Finish back with the short irons getting back to rhythm and feel and swing confidence.

• Then allow some time for the putting green. Start by knocking in some very short ‘gimme’ type of putts to get a good mind set. Then get yourself back a ways and get a feel for the speed. As an amateur, many of your approach shots will leave you a good distance from the pin; so it’s very important to have a good feel for your distance control in order to avoid the three (or four) putts.

• Know that warming up before a round of golf is not practice. It is not ‘working on something’ so, don’t try knew shots, swing keys, or anything else. Avoid this temptation. If your swing doesn’t feel quite right, now is not the time to go into repair mode. If this is the case work on one thing and one thing only – smooth rhythm and timing. Put all else out of your mind.

Understand during your warm up what your golf swing is trying to tell you. If you seem to be fading the ball and struggle to draw it (even though you usually do), don’t fight it; go with your fade for the day. Don’t fight with yourself. Be pragmatic.

Probably 90 plus percent of amateur golfers don’t bother with any type of pre round warm up, let alone any type of pre golf round routine. I’m hoping if you don’t; then you’ll soon make an effort to do better with this. If not, then you’re not really committed to playing better golf.

Committing to getting yourself warmed up and in touch with your swing before you stand over the golf ball on the first tee will take strokes off your game before you even hit that first one of the day. And certainly nobody wants to start the day with a double bogey or triple bogey.