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On the Fringe
Consistency is the Key
Improve your game in ’08 by drilling the little things
By Ryan Patrick
We've all played golf with that person who doesn’t
seem to hit the ball all that much better than us, yet
they regularly defeat us by 8 to 10 strokes. The reason
isn’t longer drives, better clubs or lucky bounces, it is
simply consistency. Instead of hitting 9 fairways with
their drives, they hit 12. Instead of slobbering the ball
onto the green from a bunker, they regularly put it in
tight, giving themselves a shot at an up-and-down.
Instead of making 4 out of 6 putts from 5 feet, they
make them all. By the end of the round, these kinds of
things, while small at the time, make a huge cumulative
impact on your scorecard.
In 2008, if you want to be that guy who plays
consistently, there are a few tricks that can help you
knock those 10 strokes off your game too.
Tees and fairways: If you are busy, time
management and commitment is the key. For instance,
you may not have time to play 18 holes twice a week,
but you can probably get to the range twice a week. But
don’t just smash drivers; instead,
after hitting a handful of balls to
warm up, make a game out of it.
A great tip is to take an old
scorecard and use it to dictate
what club to use. For instance, if
the first hole on the card is a
420-yard par 4 with a dogleg
left, pick out a spot on the range
to aim for and hit your driver.
If your drive goes 270 yards,
that leaves you with 150 to the
stick. Pull out your seven-,
eight- or nine-iron (or whatever
you hit that distance), again pick
out a marker and aim for it.
Repeat this process on each hole
on the card. This is a good way
to force yourself to keep
switching clubs, which is much
more like playing real golf.
Bunker shots: For years,
I was one of the worst bunker
players in history. Every time
my ball splashed down into
one of these sandy gulags, I
would feel my guts twist into a
knot knowing how futile my
attempts to evacuate the ball from its powdery
clutches would be. Since most driving ranges don’t
have sand traps to practice from, the only chance I ever
got to work on these shots was on the course. Then,
one day I’d had enough. After a particularly
embarrassing round that saw me in the sand more
often than David Hasselhoff, I decided to do something
about it.
I drove straight from the golf course to a local park
that had sand volleyball courts. I began dropping shag
balls into the sand and started blasting shots out. I
started by making a line in the sand one inch behind
my ball. Then, taking firm swings, I began aiming for
that line, taking a natural swing. This is the proper
technique. Picking a ball clean is not the way to hit from
a greenside bunker. Instead, by hitting the sand first, the
club never actually touches the ball, but instead moves
the sand into the ball, which will flop the ball onto the
green nice and soft. Once a week for an entire summer,
I stopped by the park, and to the chagrin of local
volleyball players, I hit 100 shots each time. Soon, I
began getting some touch and actually was able to pick
out targets. I am happy to say that I no longer am bad at
sand shots.
Chipping: Any truly great golfer is excellent at
chipping. This requires nothing more than a wedge, a
ball and some yard. By bumping the ball around your
yard a couple times a week for 20 minutes or so, you
will develop important muscle memory skills and touch
that is key to shaving strokes off your score. Stores sell
baskets and nets to chip into, but truthfully, anything
will do provided you find something to aim at.
Putting: On the practice green, it’s hard to simulate
the nerves you feel when putting for birdie. A good
putting drill to put a little pressure on yourself is to
measure out five feet and then putt 10 in a row.
If you miss one, you have to start over. By the time you
get to putt number 8 or 9, you will begin feeling those
putting jitters that you get on the course. This is a great
way to get used to putting with something on the line.
If you can’t get to a putting green, you can always putt
on a thin carpet or any other surface that simulates the
speed of a green.
Hopefully, some of these tried and true tips will
make your golf game a little more enjoyable in the
coming year. Of course, you can ignore all this and
simply use a golf pencil with an eraser.
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Home Remodeling 2008
