Posted by Dexter Francois
| Posted in
chip shots,
Golf Courses,
Mental Game,
pitch shots,
putting,
Swing Mechanics,
Troy Vayanos,
wedges
| Posted on Monday, February 21, 2011
I visited Kokopelli Golf Club today for a little putting and chipping practice. I shared that I had found a good driving range and I think I will continue to work on my full swing at that location. Kokopelli's range was crowded, so coming here might mean a lengthy wait just to hit balls.
Kokopelli has a nice practice area where one can work on all facets of the game. Besides being too pushy with my swing, my putting has not been very good. The main thing I wanted to work on today was pace.
I started out with an around-the-world drill. If you look at the picture on the right, you can see what I am talking about. The good thing about this drill is that you get to practice different breaks from the same distance. This hole was on a slight incline, so from one angle it breaks from left to right. From the opposite side, it breaks from right to left. One side is uphill, while the opposite direction is downhill.
I did this for about 20 minutes. After the twenty minutes was up, I had to go around-the-world three times without missing a putt before I could move on to the next drill. By doing this, I put a little pressure on myself to simulate game-like conditions. Playing games like this help to keep the boredom away that comes with repetition. It also gave me a positive visual. Seeing the ball go into the hole over and over should give me more confidence when I am faced with a similar situation during a round.
Once I holed the twelve putts in a row, I moved on to lag putting. I picked holes that were off at a distance and played it as if I had just reached the green in regulation. My only objective was to put the ball in the hole by two-putting.
All I was trying to do with my first putt was to get it to within a three foot radius of the hole. This would bring me back to my prior drill and back into the comfort zone. This drill takes the pressure off the first putt. I often find myself trying too hard to make birdie, when I should be thinking about making a good lag putt, which would leave me with a tap-in par.
I moved on to the chipping area. I hardly ever use my 60 degree lob wedge. I am more of a bump and run kind of guy, but I need to add this skill set to my repertoire in order to have a more complete game.
I worked on the drill that Troy Vayanos gave us when he did his guest post on chipping. Be sure to read the article, because I can not explain it as well as he does. The exercise puts an emphasis on keeping the hands ahead of shaft and clubface. As amateurs we tend to try and help the ball up into the air by flipping our right hand. Keeping the hands forward ensures more consistent results.
I am going to have to practice this drill a lot more. I think my biggest hang up right now is trusting that I can make a big swing, and if I catch it right, it will only go a short distance. I have to trust the loft of the club. I figure it will come with practice. It is a "been there done that" situation. The more I practice, the more confident I will be when the shot counts.
I skipped the range, because it stayed pack the entire time I was there. As I said in a prior post, I have to be more efficient with my practice time anyway. Today was all about putting and chipping. I am feeling a little bit better about this part of my game. I just need to stay consistent with my routine. This game can be mean if it feels that it is being ignored. Have a great round and always hit your target.
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