Practice Smarter

Golf is about routine, which is where habits often come into play. Having better golf practice makes your practice time that much more productive. I'm sure we have all been to the driving range only to finish hitting balls and feel like our golf game got even worse. Maybe you were trying to make a swing change but got bored of hitting the same 7-iron drill from your instructor. Practice makes perfect, people say. But what if you're practicing a bad habit because that's what feels comfortable to you. Golf is one of those sports that shows it's not how much time you put into practice but how you practice that makes all the difference. There are both positives and negatives to knowing that golf has so many different types of shots to practice. In theory, you should never get bored of your practice because the options are endless — drivers, long irons, fairway woods, flops, or putting. 

The first step into practicing smarter is to create a solid foundation, and that starts with finding the balance between making your practice effective yet fun. 

Driving ranges, while we love our new Premier Practice Facility, make it very easy to create bad habits. That's right; we said it! Many people struggle with the temptation to visit the range and choose to hit a large number of balls rapid-fire without actually stopping once they've begun. Rapid-fire may lead to hitting all over the place and thus feeling worse than when you arrived. While it's fun to start swinging away, it doesn't do you any good if you're not practicing with purpose. It's easy to go practice and not aim for anything specific. Instead, start with the basics to set yourself up for success and understand what you want to accomplish at the range. Begin with your alignment, and if you need help with establishing the ideal alignment for your swing, that's why we have a talented team of PGA professionals. Of course, choose quality shots over quantity of shots. Don't engrain a bad habit even further. Slow down, take your time, and pick a target for every shot. 

The glory of golf is that we all have a passion and love for the game, maybe not so much on our bad days, but for the most part, yes! Practice is not limited to going to the range every waking moment of every day practicing your swing. It can be as simple as holding a club in the comfort of your living room and practicing your setup, your putt, whatever it may be. Sometimes, even to our own enthusiasm to hit the ball, we have a hard time slowing down enough to work on a change effectively. We often don't work enough on simple, perishable skills like having a good grip, stance, or tempo. Change up your practice routine and practice smarter! 

Take Lessons

In person, lessons have made some of the most significant impacts on our golf game. Our elite team of PGA professionals is here to help! You can watch videos of golf pros on the internet, but this does not compare to what you will get from an instructor. With our helpful team of PGA Professions, they will be able to give you individual feedback based on their observations of how you play. 

A good instructor knows how to help you learn golf faster because they understand that every golfer is different. Experience levels and learning styles will vary. Even one meeting with our PGA Professionals can have a more significant impact than you may think. That one meeting can break you from a bad habit in your routine and set you up for success. After that, practice smarter! 

Film Your Golf Swing

What straightforward tactic is a constant effort to improve your game? Record your swing! Filming your swing allows you to notate progress and easily identify errors. You're just guessing how the ball is reacting off the clubface without filming your swing. But the first step to recording your swing is filming it from the proper angles. Consistently filming your swing from the proper locations makes it easier for you to compare your swings from present to future. 

There's the "Down the Line" view and the "Face-On" or "Caddie" View that is best for filming your swing. "Down the Line" has the camera at hand height aimed parallel to the target line, where the golfer is in the left-center of the frame with a little room above his head and below his feet. The best position for the camera is parallel to the target line along the rear foot's big toe. Yes, if your stance is slightly open or closed, both sets of toes won't be on the line of the camera. That's fine and helpful, as many players have slightly open or closed stances. The "Down the Line" view is illustrative of a golfer's swing plane, their shoulder pitch at the top of the backswing, his setup and balance, his trail knee and footwork, and his head and butt positions, among other things.

The "Caddie" view has the camera at hand height, square to the golfer's target line, and centered in the middle of the golfer's stance. The caddie view is illustrative in looking at the length of the golfer's backswing, any movement side-to-side of his head, the location of weight at key positions, the low point of the club, and any casting of the club or flipping of the hands, among other things.

It may be helpful to research more about these filming setups or perhaps to even meet with a PGA professional, and they will get you squared away so you can start recording! 

Enjoy the Game

Remember that no one is perfect. Your mental state will affect your game, so try to lower your anxiety before and during each round. One key goal we thought was worth recognition was mentally overcoming faster. So yes, we will get some bogies, sandtrapped, and maybe a whiff or two that we cover up as a practice swing, but mentally overcoming that is a monumental goal that all of us should aim for.

Amongst other goals include maintaining or improving your handicap, walking at least a 9-hole round a month, playing with the family more, and staying out of the weeds; we all have to start somewhere! But our favorite goal was to enjoy it! Enjoy whatever round you're playing, with whoever and wherever! Have fun! Golf can be an essential part of your life, so enjoy it when you get the chance to play!

When you have a country club that you can call home surrounded by people who you can call friends is what it's all about! The Forest is home to two Award Winning walkable courses named best of Gulfshore Life for three consecutive years, with two distinctly different courses keeping golfers of any skill level challenged. The Forest is the Club, where great golf and tennis are played, and everyone knows your name. To set up your private tour and start fulfilling your goals, call our Membership Director, Brenda Lanza, at (239) 482-1310 today!