Improve your ability to hit any target by practicing to absurdly small windows
What to do:
Once you've warmed up on the driving range, locate 2 objects in the distance that are roughly 3-7 paces apart. The space in between them will be your "acceptable" landing area for shots that you will hit. Imagine that there is Water and Out-of-Bounds on either side of these boundaries, and that you must land your shot inside these defined boundary markers to keep your ball safe.
Once you have your target zone defined, hit 3 shots with each club, attempting to land each inside your two points. If it rolls outside, that's OK for this drill... you're just trying to fly the ball into the safe zone. You should hit 39 total shots (13 clubs x 3 shots for each club).
Tally how many shots your were able to successfully fly onto safe grass, away from the O.B. and Water.
How I did:
Look back later, trying this today!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Shark Tank Putting
Do or die putting game
What to do:
Picture yourself strapped into a harness, suspended in air by a rope and pulley system, dangling perilously over a large water-filled tank. Inside it teems a school of hungry sharks with an appetite for human meat. Pretty terrible, right?
You do have control of your fate, however, as you will see in this week's putting game...
Bring 1 golf ball, 7 tees and a putter to the practice green. Pick a relatively straight putt and, with a tee, mark a spot on that line 3 feet from the hole. Mark 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet.. all the way to 9 feet. Once you have your marks placed in this fashion, begin by hitting a putt from the middle mark, which is the 6-footer. If you miss, move to the 5-footer... if you make move back to the 7-foot putt. You will continue to play the game this way, moving back one mark if you make the putt, or moving forward one mark if you miss. Each miss brings your feet closer to the water's edge, while each make lifts you away from the gaping jaws and slapping fins. The game is won by making it all the way to the 9-foot putt and sinking it. However, if you miss your way down to the 3-footer and then fail to hole out, you fall into the "shark tank", losing the game!
What to do:
Picture yourself strapped into a harness, suspended in air by a rope and pulley system, dangling perilously over a large water-filled tank. Inside it teems a school of hungry sharks with an appetite for human meat. Pretty terrible, right?
You do have control of your fate, however, as you will see in this week's putting game...
Bring 1 golf ball, 7 tees and a putter to the practice green. Pick a relatively straight putt and, with a tee, mark a spot on that line 3 feet from the hole. Mark 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet.. all the way to 9 feet. Once you have your marks placed in this fashion, begin by hitting a putt from the middle mark, which is the 6-footer. If you miss, move to the 5-footer... if you make move back to the 7-foot putt. You will continue to play the game this way, moving back one mark if you make the putt, or moving forward one mark if you miss. Each miss brings your feet closer to the water's edge, while each make lifts you away from the gaping jaws and slapping fins. The game is won by making it all the way to the 9-foot putt and sinking it. However, if you miss your way down to the 3-footer and then fail to hole out, you fall into the "shark tank", losing the game!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Putting Waves
Learn to sink important 3, 4, 5 and 6-foot putts again and again
What to do:
Take 6 golf balls and your putter to the practice green. Select a hole located on a gentle slope. Now, arrange your golf balls in a circle around the hole, spacing them evenly at distance of 3 feet. Once you've formed a circle around the hole with a 3-foot radius, begin putting each in, one-by-one. If you miss a putt, start over... you must make all six to move on.
Upon draining all six 3-footers, form a circle around the same hole with a radius of 4-feet (each putt should be 4-feet from the hole). You are allowed to miss (1) putt from this distance. Upon making at least 5/6 putts, move on and create a circle at 5-feet. At 5 feet, (2) misses are allowed.
At the final distance of 6-feet, you are still only allowed (2) misses (you must make 4/6). For an added challenge, mandate that the putt which will bring you to this number, 4 , must be holed. If you fail to sink the fourth putt, start over*.
*To be clear, "starting over" means beginning again at the distance you are currently putting from. For example, if you fail to complete the 4-foot circle, start over at that distance, do not go backwards to 3-feet.
How I did:
No results yet, look for them later today.
What to do:
Take 6 golf balls and your putter to the practice green. Select a hole located on a gentle slope. Now, arrange your golf balls in a circle around the hole, spacing them evenly at distance of 3 feet. Once you've formed a circle around the hole with a 3-foot radius, begin putting each in, one-by-one. If you miss a putt, start over... you must make all six to move on.
Upon draining all six 3-footers, form a circle around the same hole with a radius of 4-feet (each putt should be 4-feet from the hole). You are allowed to miss (1) putt from this distance. Upon making at least 5/6 putts, move on and create a circle at 5-feet. At 5 feet, (2) misses are allowed.
At the final distance of 6-feet, you are still only allowed (2) misses (you must make 4/6). For an added challenge, mandate that the putt which will bring you to this number, 4 , must be holed. If you fail to sink the fourth putt, start over*.
*To be clear, "starting over" means beginning again at the distance you are currently putting from. For example, if you fail to complete the 4-foot circle, start over at that distance, do not go backwards to 3-feet.
How I did:
No results yet, look for them later today.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Sand Snake
Improve distance control of green-side bunker shots
What to do:
Take your sand wedge and 7 balls into a sand trap located either on your practice facility or on an empty golf hole. Arrange all 7 balls in a winding line, beginning as far up the bunker face as possible, extending backwards as far up the rear face as possible. The balls should be evenly spaced out, leaving you a mix of uphill, flat and downhill green-side sand shots. Once you're organized, start with the ball closest to the green, playing a bunker shot to a hole of your choosing. Upon executing the first shot, take note of its proximity to the hole. Move on to the second ball and attempt to put it even closer. Repeat this process until you've played each of your 7 shots to a hole in this focused fashion. The purpose of this drill is not to attain an objective score or goal, but rather to focus intensely on 7 unique sand-shots and strive for improvement with each successive explosion. Stay patient and go through your full routine before pulling the trigger.
How I did:
Was able to better my previous shot 3 times. What made this drill difficult the fact that each of my 7 shots became progressively more challenging as I moved backwards in the bunker. My final shot left my right leg outside the bunker, body tilting 45 degrees forward.
What to do:
Take your sand wedge and 7 balls into a sand trap located either on your practice facility or on an empty golf hole. Arrange all 7 balls in a winding line, beginning as far up the bunker face as possible, extending backwards as far up the rear face as possible. The balls should be evenly spaced out, leaving you a mix of uphill, flat and downhill green-side sand shots. Once you're organized, start with the ball closest to the green, playing a bunker shot to a hole of your choosing. Upon executing the first shot, take note of its proximity to the hole. Move on to the second ball and attempt to put it even closer. Repeat this process until you've played each of your 7 shots to a hole in this focused fashion. The purpose of this drill is not to attain an objective score or goal, but rather to focus intensely on 7 unique sand-shots and strive for improvement with each successive explosion. Stay patient and go through your full routine before pulling the trigger.
How I did:
Was able to better my previous shot 3 times. What made this drill difficult the fact that each of my 7 shots became progressively more challenging as I moved backwards in the bunker. My final shot left my right leg outside the bunker, body tilting 45 degrees forward.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Putting for $1's
Closest to the hole putting contest for time-constrained golfers
What to do:
Find someone to putt with and head to the practice green along with 1 ball and your flat-stick. The game is simple: players take turns selecting a hole to which both players will stroke a putt. After a hole is picked and both players have gone, the ball resting closest to the hole wins, say, $1.00 (put something of worth on each hole... I'm advocating gambling, only added pressure to each putt). Play as many holes in this fashion as time allows. For added gain, when playing second on a particular hole do not watch the first player's putt. This ensures that you receive no advantage by "going to school" on the first putt. (I call this the 'NO LOOK' local rule). Of course this applies to your competitor as well...
How I did:
I never lose.
What to do:
Find someone to putt with and head to the practice green along with 1 ball and your flat-stick. The game is simple: players take turns selecting a hole to which both players will stroke a putt. After a hole is picked and both players have gone, the ball resting closest to the hole wins, say, $1.00 (put something of worth on each hole... I'm advocating gambling, only added pressure to each putt). Play as many holes in this fashion as time allows. For added gain, when playing second on a particular hole do not watch the first player's putt. This ensures that you receive no advantage by "going to school" on the first putt. (I call this the 'NO LOOK' local rule). Of course this applies to your competitor as well...
How I did:
I never lose.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Steeplechase (Repeat)
Today's Game is a repeat, as the title implies. This drill is one of my favorites and worth sharing/completing again.
Distance control on chipping... land your chips where you want
What to do:
Lay 2 clubs parallel to each other, about 2 feet apart, just on the green. They should also lay parallel to the fringe. Move off the green 1 yard. Grab the club you chip with the most (in my case a 54 degree sand wedge) and hit a chip, attempting to fly the ball over the closest club and short of the second. Do this 5 times, seeing the ball fly and land on a spot in between the clubs. Once you land all 5 in a row between the clubs you're done with that distance... move back another yard and do it again. Make it to 7 yards and you've finished!
How I did:
From 1 yds: 1 try
2 yds: 1 try
3 yds: 2 tries
4 yds: 3 tries
5 yds: 1 tries
6 yds: 3 try
7 yds: 3 tries
I love this drill. Most good chippers focus on a 'spot' on which they want to land their ball, and this drill speaks directly to that. It forces me to chip with solid contact, focusing on nothing but my target. Putting a quarter in the middle of the 2 clubs really narrows my focus.
Scaling:
Intermediate- spread club 3 feet apart, only move back 5 yards
Beginner- spread the club 3 feet apart, only move back 3 yards
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Hickory Golf and Smooth Tempo Shotmaking
Sorry for the delay. I competed in my second United States Professional Hickory Golf Championship yesterday... not the best showing for the defending champion For those who didn't read last year's post about this unique event, all players must compete with hickory shafted clubs, dressed in period clothing.
( http://eddiepeckelsgolf.blogspot.com/2012/02/chipping-line.html )
Given this was only my third time ever playing hickory, I can't get too down on myself for not playing up to my expectations... instead, I'll try to take away something from yesterday's round and move forward. Which leads into today's interesting ball striking game...
(No you won't have to use hickory.)
Improve solidness of contact, consistency, feel for the club face, and rhythm
What to do:
Grab your driver and head to the driving range. Tee up 10 golf balls in a line extending out in front of you. What you will be doing in this drill is making FULL SWINGS at DIFFERENT SPEEDS. So basically you'll be hitting each ball different distances, making a full swing.
So now you may ask, "How will I do this if I'm making a full swing on each shot?" The answer is in changing the speed and fluidity of each of your swings. The first ball in front of you must be hit the shortest distance, followed by the second ball which is hit a little father, and the third a little father still. The game ends with the final ball being hit the farthest with what should be your normal swing tempo and maximum club-head speed.
I think the easiest way to explain this is as follows: hit the first ball making a full swing as slow as you possibly can. Hit the second ball a little farther by making a full swing slightly faster than the one before, and so on until you've reached the tenth ball which should be struck with your normal full speed and acceleration through impact.
Its helpful as well to imagine a fairway, giving yourself a challenge by identifying a target to which you must hit your shot. The main purpose of this drill is to give you better feel for the club-head during your swing, however identifying boundaries will help you build confidence in your ability to hit the fairway.
How I did:
It's hard not to over swing on some of those early shots. I was able to hit every ball between my boundaries, however my distances didn't perfectly increase with each successive shot. Ideally, each ball should land incrementally father than the one preceding it, all the way up to the tenth shot.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Chipping Contest, worst shot vs. worst shot
Ratchet up your touch around the green with this partner game
What to do:
Both players need 2 golf balls and a wedge. On a chipping green, begin by picking a hole to chip to. Once you've selected a shot, both players will hit 2 chips each. Compare each player's ball resting farthest from the hole. The closest of each golfer's "worst" shots wins the hole, earning 1 point. Set a point limit, for instance '7' and play until one of you reaches this number.
How I did:
N/A, depends on who I played.
What to do:
Both players need 2 golf balls and a wedge. On a chipping green, begin by picking a hole to chip to. Once you've selected a shot, both players will hit 2 chips each. Compare each player's ball resting farthest from the hole. The closest of each golfer's "worst" shots wins the hole, earning 1 point. Set a point limit, for instance '7' and play until one of you reaches this number.
How I did:
N/A, depends on who I played.
Monday, December 10, 2012
3-under (Repeat)
Improve your focus and ability to repeatedly make 6-8 footers
What to do:
Grab two balls and your putter. Pick a putt 6 to 8 feet long and, going through your full routine first, try to make the putt with both balls. Pretend your first ball is for birdie and your second is for par. So, if you make the first (for birdie) and then make the second (for par), you are 1-under. If you miss a putt and make another you are even-par, and if you miss both you are 1-over. The object of this game is to get to 3-under par. After hitting both putts and taking note of your score, move on to a different spot, changing the break and speed for the next pair of putts. The absolute best you can do is making 6 in a row, getting to 3-under without missing one putt.
How I did:
Latest try I made all 6 in a row.
Scaling:
Beginner- Both putts are for birdie
What to do:
Grab two balls and your putter. Pick a putt 6 to 8 feet long and, going through your full routine first, try to make the putt with both balls. Pretend your first ball is for birdie and your second is for par. So, if you make the first (for birdie) and then make the second (for par), you are 1-under. If you miss a putt and make another you are even-par, and if you miss both you are 1-over. The object of this game is to get to 3-under par. After hitting both putts and taking note of your score, move on to a different spot, changing the break and speed for the next pair of putts. The absolute best you can do is making 6 in a row, getting to 3-under without missing one putt.
How I did:
Latest try I made all 6 in a row.
Scaling:
Beginner- Both putts are for birdie
Monday, November 26, 2012
Putting Reps
Improve short putting through focus and routine
What to do:
This drill requires focus and stamina. You'll need a handful of golf balls, your putter and a relatively straight 4-footer. Once you've located a straight putt and placed a marker 4 feet from the hole, your objective is to make 25 putts in a row from this spot. However, you must go through your FULL ROUTINE for every putt! This drill is not meant to test your ability to mindlessly knock in 25 putts; rather it challenges and strengthens your pre-shot preparation and mental discipline. Improve your ability to sink putts under pressure with focus on a sound pre-shot routine.
How I did:
Made all 25 on my second try... Took around 20 minutes.
Scaling:
Beginners do 10
What to do:
This drill requires focus and stamina. You'll need a handful of golf balls, your putter and a relatively straight 4-footer. Once you've located a straight putt and placed a marker 4 feet from the hole, your objective is to make 25 putts in a row from this spot. However, you must go through your FULL ROUTINE for every putt! This drill is not meant to test your ability to mindlessly knock in 25 putts; rather it challenges and strengthens your pre-shot preparation and mental discipline. Improve your ability to sink putts under pressure with focus on a sound pre-shot routine.
How I did:
Made all 25 on my second try... Took around 20 minutes.
Scaling:
Beginners do 10
Monday, November 5, 2012
BCS Ballstriking
Improve focus and practice ball-striking in this College Football themed game
This is a great game given the time of year. It is a focused practice session for any college football fan/golfer.
What to do:
On the range, set right and left boundaries, between which you will attempt to hit 12 shots with the possibility of a bonus 13th. The width between the right and left boundary marks should be about 30 yards (roughly 10 paces). Once you have clearly defined these boundaries, work your way through your bag, hitting a shot with each club just once. Each club represents a different team on your schedule. If you land a shot between your boundaries it means you've won, if not you've lost. Excluding your putter and your most lofted wedge, this should give you 12 total shots, or 12 total games for this year's football season. Keep track of your "record" as you work your way through the bag, hitting each club only once.
Once your "season" is complete, meaning you've hit a total of 12 shots with 12 different clubs, look at your record. If you won at least 6 games (landed at least 6 balls within your boundary points) then your team is bowl eligible. Hit a 13th shot with a mid-iron... land it in and win your bowl game, miss and lose. If over the course of your season you missed only once (11-1) you made it into a BCS Bowl Game. Hit a 13th shot with a long iron... miss and lose, pull it off and win. Finally, if you were flawless and went 12 for 12, congratulations... you've made it to the BCS National Championship. Hit your Driver, attempting to win a National Championship by landing the shot in your set "fairway".
Play around with this one... there are several imaginative variations, for instance if conditions were particularly difficult (e.g. 30 mph winds), maybe missing only one shot means you still made it to the National Championship. The important thing as always is to have fun and be focused on each shot.
How I did:
10-2 with a Bowl loss... narrowly missed my 13th shot with 6-iron.
This is a great game given the time of year. It is a focused practice session for any college football fan/golfer.
What to do:
On the range, set right and left boundaries, between which you will attempt to hit 12 shots with the possibility of a bonus 13th. The width between the right and left boundary marks should be about 30 yards (roughly 10 paces). Once you have clearly defined these boundaries, work your way through your bag, hitting a shot with each club just once. Each club represents a different team on your schedule. If you land a shot between your boundaries it means you've won, if not you've lost. Excluding your putter and your most lofted wedge, this should give you 12 total shots, or 12 total games for this year's football season. Keep track of your "record" as you work your way through the bag, hitting each club only once.
Once your "season" is complete, meaning you've hit a total of 12 shots with 12 different clubs, look at your record. If you won at least 6 games (landed at least 6 balls within your boundary points) then your team is bowl eligible. Hit a 13th shot with a mid-iron... land it in and win your bowl game, miss and lose. If over the course of your season you missed only once (11-1) you made it into a BCS Bowl Game. Hit a 13th shot with a long iron... miss and lose, pull it off and win. Finally, if you were flawless and went 12 for 12, congratulations... you've made it to the BCS National Championship. Hit your Driver, attempting to win a National Championship by landing the shot in your set "fairway".
Play around with this one... there are several imaginative variations, for instance if conditions were particularly difficult (e.g. 30 mph winds), maybe missing only one shot means you still made it to the National Championship. The important thing as always is to have fun and be focused on each shot.
How I did:
10-2 with a Bowl loss... narrowly missed my 13th shot with 6-iron.
Monday, October 15, 2012
1-Side Driving
Improve driving accuracy by eliminating one side of the golf course
What to do:
Pick a side of the driving range that has a tall net, trees or water bordering it on that side... if your range does not have any of these, the edge of the range will do. Pick a target as close to the edge as possible, and hit 10 shots to that target. Each shot should be as aggressive as possible, however keep in mind the side on which you CANNOT miss. Trees, water, OB, etc. is no good, so really focus on landing your shot just to the opposite side. Attempt to hit all 10 shots close to the pin without a poor miss.
How I did:
Missed 1 out of 10 shots to the left which was trees... all the rest were either at or to the right of the flag stick.
What to do:
Pick a side of the driving range that has a tall net, trees or water bordering it on that side... if your range does not have any of these, the edge of the range will do. Pick a target as close to the edge as possible, and hit 10 shots to that target. Each shot should be as aggressive as possible, however keep in mind the side on which you CANNOT miss. Trees, water, OB, etc. is no good, so really focus on landing your shot just to the opposite side. Attempt to hit all 10 shots close to the pin without a poor miss.
How I did:
Missed 1 out of 10 shots to the left which was trees... all the rest were either at or to the right of the flag stick.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Shortgame Assessment #6 Wedge Shot
20, 40, 60, 80, 100 yards, the scoring zone
What to do:
You'll need your wedges, 5 cones or other makeshift markers and also a partner (it's near impossible to complete this phase without some help). On the driving range, take your markers and place them at 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 yards respectively from your hitting spot... you can pace or use a laser to find each distance. Have your partner move to the first cone and prepare to score each shot.
Once you're all set up, hit 2 balls to each distance, attempting to FLY each shot as close to your target as possible. After you hit each shot, have your partner determine how far the shot landed from the target. You'll hit a total of 10 balls. After pacing off the distance, have him record the score. Here's the point system:
Hit on the fly- 3 points
0-9 feet (0-3 paces)- 2 points
9-18 feet (3-6 paces)- 1 point
18-30 feet (6-10 paces)- 0 points
Over 30 feet (over 10 paces)- (-1) point
How I did:
Toughest station by far... scored 9 here.
Good luck... I hope you enjoyed these assessment games. It's fun to do them all at once in 2 hours or so. It's also fine if you do them individually. Repeat this assessment over time and watch it reflect on your scorecard.
What to do:
You'll need your wedges, 5 cones or other makeshift markers and also a partner (it's near impossible to complete this phase without some help). On the driving range, take your markers and place them at 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 yards respectively from your hitting spot... you can pace or use a laser to find each distance. Have your partner move to the first cone and prepare to score each shot.
Once you're all set up, hit 2 balls to each distance, attempting to FLY each shot as close to your target as possible. After you hit each shot, have your partner determine how far the shot landed from the target. You'll hit a total of 10 balls. After pacing off the distance, have him record the score. Here's the point system:
Hit on the fly- 3 points
0-9 feet (0-3 paces)- 2 points
9-18 feet (3-6 paces)- 1 point
18-30 feet (6-10 paces)- 0 points
Over 30 feet (over 10 paces)- (-1) point
How I did:
Toughest station by far... scored 9 here.
Good luck... I hope you enjoyed these assessment games. It's fun to do them all at once in 2 hours or so. It's also fine if you do them individually. Repeat this assessment over time and watch it reflect on your scorecard.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Shortgame Assessment #5 Bunker Shot
Sand-shot scoring system
What to do:
We are almost there... the fifth shot you'll be hitting will be a green side sand-shot, as today's title implies. You'll need your sand-wedge, 5-10 balls and preferably a partner to help score each shot. Pick a mid-range green side bunker shot, ideally somewhere around 15 paces, or 45 feet. Make it as straightforward as possible, giving yourself preferred lies in the sand and enough green to allow for a reasonable amount of roll. Once you've found your shot, hit 10 balls, scoring each one based on it's proximity to the hole. Here's the point system:
Hole-out- 3 points
0-6 feet- 2 points
6-12 feet- 1 point
12-15 feet- 0 points
Over 15 feet- (-1) point
Record each shot's score, given it's distance from the pin, then total your points.
How I did:
I scored a 10 on the bunker shot.
What to do:
We are almost there... the fifth shot you'll be hitting will be a green side sand-shot, as today's title implies. You'll need your sand-wedge, 5-10 balls and preferably a partner to help score each shot. Pick a mid-range green side bunker shot, ideally somewhere around 15 paces, or 45 feet. Make it as straightforward as possible, giving yourself preferred lies in the sand and enough green to allow for a reasonable amount of roll. Once you've found your shot, hit 10 balls, scoring each one based on it's proximity to the hole. Here's the point system:
Hole-out- 3 points
0-6 feet- 2 points
6-12 feet- 1 point
12-15 feet- 0 points
Over 15 feet- (-1) point
Record each shot's score, given it's distance from the pin, then total your points.
How I did:
I scored a 10 on the bunker shot.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Shortgame Assessment #4 Pitch Shot
Part 4 of the 6 shot short game assessment, pitching
What to do:
Take 5 golf balls and a wedge to a part of the chipping green with room to hit a 20 yard pitch shot (5 yards of carry and 15 of roll). You will hit a total of 10 shots, attempting to hit each shot as close to the hole as possible. You earn points based on how far each shot comes to rest from the hole. The scoring system is as follows:
Hole-out - 3 points
0-6 feet - 2 points
6-9 feet - 1 point
9-12 feet - 0 points
Over 12 feet - (-1) point
How I did:
My score for pitching was 16.
What to do:
Take 5 golf balls and a wedge to a part of the chipping green with room to hit a 20 yard pitch shot (5 yards of carry and 15 of roll). You will hit a total of 10 shots, attempting to hit each shot as close to the hole as possible. You earn points based on how far each shot comes to rest from the hole. The scoring system is as follows:
Hole-out - 3 points
0-6 feet - 2 points
6-9 feet - 1 point
9-12 feet - 0 points
Over 12 feet - (-1) point
How I did:
My score for pitching was 16.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Shortgame Assessment #3 Chip Shot
Continuation of the Shortgame Assessment, improve and assess your skill level on chip shots
What to do:
You'll be hitting 10 total chip shots, 5 from 40 feet and 5 from 60 feet. Grab the club that you're most comfortable hitting medium length, running chip shots with (I used my sand wedge and 9-iron). At the chipping green, select a hole to which you have room to hit a chip shot from 40 feet (ideally, you should have to carry the ball over 10 feet of fringe, and have 30 feet of green to work with). Once you've selected your 40 foot "chip shot", go ahead and hit 5 chips, trying your best to get each to stop as close to the hole as possible. After each shot, either measure its proximity to the hole yourself, or better yet have a partner measure for you, then assign points based on how far each shot came to rest.. Here is the scoring system:
Holed- 3 points
0-3 feet- 2 points
3-6 feet- 1 point
6-9 feet- 0 points
over 9 feet- (-1 ) point
Once you've calculated your score for the 40-foot chip shot, move on to the 60 foot chip shot. Again, give yourself roughly 10 feet of fringe to fly the ball over and now 50 feet of green to work with. Hit 5 more chips to this hole, and using the same scoring table try to rack up as many points as possible. Once finished, add your points from both distances to get your "total chipping score".
How I did:
10 points on the 40-footer and 9 points on the 60-footer for a TOTAL of 19.
What to do:
You'll be hitting 10 total chip shots, 5 from 40 feet and 5 from 60 feet. Grab the club that you're most comfortable hitting medium length, running chip shots with (I used my sand wedge and 9-iron). At the chipping green, select a hole to which you have room to hit a chip shot from 40 feet (ideally, you should have to carry the ball over 10 feet of fringe, and have 30 feet of green to work with). Once you've selected your 40 foot "chip shot", go ahead and hit 5 chips, trying your best to get each to stop as close to the hole as possible. After each shot, either measure its proximity to the hole yourself, or better yet have a partner measure for you, then assign points based on how far each shot came to rest.. Here is the scoring system:
Holed- 3 points
0-3 feet- 2 points
3-6 feet- 1 point
6-9 feet- 0 points
over 9 feet- (-1 ) point
Once you've calculated your score for the 40-foot chip shot, move on to the 60 foot chip shot. Again, give yourself roughly 10 feet of fringe to fly the ball over and now 50 feet of green to work with. Hit 5 more chips to this hole, and using the same scoring table try to rack up as many points as possible. Once finished, add your points from both distances to get your "total chipping score".
How I did:
10 points on the 40-footer and 9 points on the 60-footer for a TOTAL of 19.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Shortgame Assessment #2 Lag Putt
Sharpen your speed while assessing a critical part of your golf game
What to do:
You'll need your putter, 2 golf balls and a handful of tees. Find a hole with enough green to allow you to hit a 50 foot putt. Pace off 20 ft, 30 ft, 40 ft, and finally 50 feet, marking each distance with a tee. You're going to hit 2 putts from each distance, 8 putts total, measuring the proximity of each putt to the hole, then giving yourself points based on how close each putt came to rest from the cup. The point system is as follows:
Holed-putt = 3 points
0-3 feet = 2 points
3-6 feet = 1 point
6-9 feet = 0 points
over 9 feet = -1 point
Go through it, giving each putt full effort, then total your points to see how you've fared.
How I did:
I scored 15, leaving all but 1 putt within 3 feet.
What to do:
You'll need your putter, 2 golf balls and a handful of tees. Find a hole with enough green to allow you to hit a 50 foot putt. Pace off 20 ft, 30 ft, 40 ft, and finally 50 feet, marking each distance with a tee. You're going to hit 2 putts from each distance, 8 putts total, measuring the proximity of each putt to the hole, then giving yourself points based on how close each putt came to rest from the cup. The point system is as follows:
Holed-putt = 3 points
0-3 feet = 2 points
3-6 feet = 1 point
6-9 feet = 0 points
over 9 feet = -1 point
Go through it, giving each putt full effort, then total your points to see how you've fared.
How I did:
I scored 15, leaving all but 1 putt within 3 feet.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Intro to Shortgame Assessment and #1 Short Putt
Objectively measure and improve your skill for the most critical shots in golf
Intro:
Recently I was made aware of a book entitled You're Not Lifting Your Head, written by Charlie King, a Top 25 Golf Instructor. Contained in its pages is a short-game assessment for the reader to attempt. King took 6 different types shot from 100 yards-and-in and created a scoring game to objectively measure a golfer's skill in the "Red Zone". Based on this score, King claims to be able to predict one's actual handicap. So of course I dove right in...
What to do:
The Author recommends that you have a partner complete the test with you. The main purpose is so he/she can keep score while you focus solely on the shots at hand. It is possible to do it alone, however it's MUCH easier the other way.
Ok, so here are the 6 different types of shot you'll be hitting:
1. Short Putt
2. Lag Putt
3. Chip Shot
4. Pitch Shot
5. Bunker Shot
6. Wedge Shot
Each shot has its own scoring key and detailed explanation, so I'll have to spread this out and give you 1 explanation a day, starting with the Short Putt.
#1 Short Putt
Take 2 golf balls, a handful of tees and your putter and find a hole on the practice green with some break. Place a tees in the ground in a straight line starting at 3 feet, moving to 6, then to 9, and finally 12 feet away. Do the same thing directly opposite the hole, one the other side, placing tees at 3, 6, 9, and 12 feet, marking where you'll be putting from.
You'll hit 2 putts from each tee, alternating the sides of the hole (hit 2 putts from 3 feet, then move to the other side of the hole and hit 2 more putts from 3 feet, then return to your original side, hitting 2 from 6 feet, then moving to the opposite side and hitting 2 more from 6 feet, and so on...). Your objective is to make as many putts as possible, as you'll get points only for a putt that is holed. You'll be hitting 16 total putts (4 from 3 feet, 4 from 6 feet, 4 from 9 feet, and 4 from 12 feet).
Once you've finished up at 12 feet, count how many putts you made. Give yourself 2 points for each putt drained. For instance, if you made a total of 8 putts, you've scored a 16. The maximum score is 32 (16 makes x 2 points = 32 total points). Your actual score will likely be much less than this.
How I did:
I made 9 total putts, scoring an 18. I missed all of the 6 footers, however, so I felt that I underperformed a little. According to Charlie King, 18 is what a 3-handicapper would typically score. (For the detailed scoring/handicap chart rent or buy his book You're Not Lifting Your Head. )
Intro:
Recently I was made aware of a book entitled You're Not Lifting Your Head, written by Charlie King, a Top 25 Golf Instructor. Contained in its pages is a short-game assessment for the reader to attempt. King took 6 different types shot from 100 yards-and-in and created a scoring game to objectively measure a golfer's skill in the "Red Zone". Based on this score, King claims to be able to predict one's actual handicap. So of course I dove right in...
What to do:
The Author recommends that you have a partner complete the test with you. The main purpose is so he/she can keep score while you focus solely on the shots at hand. It is possible to do it alone, however it's MUCH easier the other way.
Ok, so here are the 6 different types of shot you'll be hitting:
1. Short Putt
2. Lag Putt
3. Chip Shot
4. Pitch Shot
5. Bunker Shot
6. Wedge Shot
Each shot has its own scoring key and detailed explanation, so I'll have to spread this out and give you 1 explanation a day, starting with the Short Putt.
#1 Short Putt
Take 2 golf balls, a handful of tees and your putter and find a hole on the practice green with some break. Place a tees in the ground in a straight line starting at 3 feet, moving to 6, then to 9, and finally 12 feet away. Do the same thing directly opposite the hole, one the other side, placing tees at 3, 6, 9, and 12 feet, marking where you'll be putting from.
You'll hit 2 putts from each tee, alternating the sides of the hole (hit 2 putts from 3 feet, then move to the other side of the hole and hit 2 more putts from 3 feet, then return to your original side, hitting 2 from 6 feet, then moving to the opposite side and hitting 2 more from 6 feet, and so on...). Your objective is to make as many putts as possible, as you'll get points only for a putt that is holed. You'll be hitting 16 total putts (4 from 3 feet, 4 from 6 feet, 4 from 9 feet, and 4 from 12 feet).
Once you've finished up at 12 feet, count how many putts you made. Give yourself 2 points for each putt drained. For instance, if you made a total of 8 putts, you've scored a 16. The maximum score is 32 (16 makes x 2 points = 32 total points). Your actual score will likely be much less than this.
How I did:
I made 9 total putts, scoring an 18. I missed all of the 6 footers, however, so I felt that I underperformed a little. According to Charlie King, 18 is what a 3-handicapper would typically score. (For the detailed scoring/handicap chart rent or buy his book You're Not Lifting Your Head. )
Monday, August 6, 2012
Sand Ladder
Hone in your carry distances out of the greenside bunker
What to do:
Bring your sand-wedge and 7 golf balls to a practice sand trap. Give yourself at least 30 yards of room in the direction you will be hitting your shots, and a flat lie in the sand from which to execute. On your first shot try to barely land it outside of the bunker, just barely clearing the lip. With each successive shot, to to carry your ball just past where the previous one came to rest. If you fail to carry the lip on your first shot, start over. If you fail to fly any shot past where the one before came to rest, start over. Once you've finished, successfully executing all shots as desired, pace off the distance from your first ball to your last ball. The shorter the distance, the more precise your shots must have been.
How I did:
Had to start over twice... once I finished the distance from my first ball to the last was 18 paces. I think under 10 is a challenging yet attainable goal.
Scaling:
Beginner- hit only 5 balls
What to do:
Bring your sand-wedge and 7 golf balls to a practice sand trap. Give yourself at least 30 yards of room in the direction you will be hitting your shots, and a flat lie in the sand from which to execute. On your first shot try to barely land it outside of the bunker, just barely clearing the lip. With each successive shot, to to carry your ball just past where the previous one came to rest. If you fail to carry the lip on your first shot, start over. If you fail to fly any shot past where the one before came to rest, start over. Once you've finished, successfully executing all shots as desired, pace off the distance from your first ball to your last ball. The shorter the distance, the more precise your shots must have been.
How I did:
Had to start over twice... once I finished the distance from my first ball to the last was 18 paces. I think under 10 is a challenging yet attainable goal.
Scaling:
Beginner- hit only 5 balls
Monday, July 23, 2012
4 Putts, 4 Majors
Clutch putting
What to do:
You'll need your putter and just one ball for this game. On a practice green, pick a putt from 10 feet and prepare to make the putt. Read it just as you would on the 72nd hole of a major championship, say, the Masters. If you make this putt, you are Champion. Use your whole imagination, painting the scene in as much detail as possible. Once immersed in the moment, execute the putt. Do this 3 more times, once for the U.S. Open, Once for the British, and once more for the PGA Championship. How many majors did you win?
How I did:
I won the Masters and PGA Championship, making 2/4 putts.
No Scaling.
What to do:
You'll need your putter and just one ball for this game. On a practice green, pick a putt from 10 feet and prepare to make the putt. Read it just as you would on the 72nd hole of a major championship, say, the Masters. If you make this putt, you are Champion. Use your whole imagination, painting the scene in as much detail as possible. Once immersed in the moment, execute the putt. Do this 3 more times, once for the U.S. Open, Once for the British, and once more for the PGA Championship. How many majors did you win?
How I did:
I won the Masters and PGA Championship, making 2/4 putts.
No Scaling.
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