Preparing to Play (Part 4)

Preparing to Play (Part 4)

The last article in this series concentrated upon the preparation required by a golfer upon their arrival at the golf course and especially practise of the ’long’ game.

Remember that even the best golfers in the world swing the club differently from day to day and this practise time is for you to determine how you are ‘hitting’ the ball on ‘this’ day.

One of the greatest golfers on the European tour in modern times has been Ian Woosnam and he used the phrase ‘dance with the one your brung’ to describe this.

In brief and as an example of this, if you normally slice or fade the ball but during warm up practise you are drawing or pulling shots, what do you think will happen on the course?

Clearly you must change your strategy, game plan and mind set to allow for this.

This understanding of how your game is ’today’ is just as important with the putter and time must always be spent on this part of your game.

If ever you are short of warm-up time then use the available time on the putting green and a little time for stretching exercises on the first tee.

Never be afraid of being seen doing these exercises on the first tee because people won’t think that you are being silly: on the contrary, they will think you mean business.

Your work on the putting surface must again be constructive practise, don’t be there because everybody else is, use the time wisely.

Just a few long ones to feel the distance and a lot of those short ones and try not to practise missing – get close enough to get them all in.

This is time to produce the feelings of confidence and boost your ego, so go about the whole thing sensibly.

This series or articles continues next week with those last ‘thoughts’ prior to commencing play.