Don't be afraid to mix things up on the course!

ZacR88 · July 22, 2020

This year I really started to focus on more progression in my swing, wanting more consistent ball striking with more compression. I went from being a sweeper to pretty much a digger, moving on but not forgetting that comfortable fade which was my go to for years, which is a shot shape I will have ingrained into me for the better. I started to go out on my own a lot in the evenings and just play 9 holes but the catch with these rounds is to always play the shot shape I am working on instead of my go to, use a different club than I normally would around the greens, putt with ZERO mindset to train my body to sub consciously make an effortless stroke, just take a quick look at the break and go. My natural alignment to the ball from doing this while putting has increased dramatically. How many times have you walked up to a putting green to warm up not even thinking about it and drain it first try? Practice this.

The biggest thing I have found is that I am no longer nervous to make a bad shot. A huge step forward. Bad shots happen, its the next that really counts. How many single digit handicaps out there flat out shank a ball here and there? I sure as hell do. Shanked an 8 iron today on the first hole after a great drive and made a bogey. Was not even mad about it, I was swinging outside of my normal comfort zone for a reason.

The many nights I have been doing this as of late have really brought my game to another level in all aspects. Go out there and play the shot shape you are working on no matter how inconsistent. Get uncomfortable. Eventually it will fall into place and make you a more dynamic player.

I know its pretty basic practice makes perfect but how many of you actually play a round of golf to practice instead of keeping score?

Roody · July 22, 2020

My intent whenever I step on the course is to play a round that I can post for handicap purposes. The only times I practice on-course are those first couple of rounds at the beginning of the season (when the weather is colder), and scramble rounds.

MelloYello · July 22, 2020

I don't believe that we can really separate the result from the attempt. To "not keep score" is to merely skip the 10 seconds of math at the end. That's your call. But to not pick a target and make a proper attempt on each shot is to be unfocused and lazy. I can promise you that no matter what you're working on, if you're not visualizing the shot and committing to it as you step up to hit it, you're not "practicing" anything.

The notion that you're practicing really means trying angles or shots you wouldn't during a more conservative round (e.g. experimenting to see if you can drive the ball over a hazard for future reference).

While I get the spirit of what you're describing -- freeing yourself up -- make sure you don't start putting yourself in that "I don't care" mindset where a bad result starts to become acceptable. Golf is about keeping score. It's fine to work on the swing and the ball-flight but that's all in an attempt to lower the score. So make sure you're not going overboard and getting too loose out there. Stay focused. Commit to each shot. And if your work is going well you won't need to fear adding it up at the end.

I only say this because I've seen many folks go down the road you're describing only to find they get a lot worse as they change their swing thereby introducing a bunch of new misses that are hard to anticipate before finally working back down, only to arrive at roughly the same place they were before.