Golf practice is boring - here's how to make it fun

Courtesy of Ping

WHEN KIM STEVENS asked a roomful of women at the Pacific Women’s Golf Association’s annual workshops, “How many of you practice golf?” just a few raised their hands. The rest cringed, because they knew they should make time for golf practice, especially over the cold and wet winter.

“I know practice is boring,” said Stevens, LPGA, Director of Instruction for the Silicon Valley Golf Performance Center. “But it can be fun. It’s mostly a matter of who is coming out with you. If time is the problem, set a goal and a time limit and work on one thing and one thing only. If it’s your swing path, use a short club, not a long one. And once you have that down, practice like you play — get behind the ball, pick your target and then take your shot.”

SO HOW DO WE MAKE GOLF PRACTICE FUN?

First of all, Stevens said, know your game and what you need to practice. Sure, we all love hammering drivers at the range — but is that your weakness? Or should you be chipping?
Second, know that there’s some guy standing nearby chomping at the bit to “help” you, even though he has no teaching credentials and maybe even zero golf ability. If you’re sneaking in some pre-round practice (good idea!), Stevens recommends wearing headphones to discourage distractions. Or you could smile sweetly and use my favorite line: “I’m sorry, my mom told me never to take candy or golf advice from strangers.”
Next, consider scheduling practice time with friends the way you would schedule a tee time. Make it social. Perhaps your club could have a designated weekly practice hour at a golf course or range — what a great time to catch up with your pals, especially if the weather isn’t suited to 18 holes that week.
Kim Stevens, LPGA, Director of Instruction for the Silicon Valley Golf Performance Center
And how about playing a few betting games? We all get more engaged when there are quarters on the line. For putting games, use chalk to draw a dartboard around a hole and give points for bull’s-eye and close. Or make a tic-tac-toe board and have teams try to putt into the boxes. For chipping, Stevens likes to put a towel on the putting green to create a landing zone. “Most people look at the hole, not where they want to land,” she said. “You can start with the biggest towel you can find and then work down.”
Finally and most fun of all, Stevens said, “Always leave after a great shot! Even if you have a few balls left, just walk away from them with a smile on your face. If you have just hit the most amazing shot of your life, that is what you want to take with you.”