Make the Most of your Practice Time

By Kellie Stenzel, PGA,
Special Contributor

Having trouble finding the time or desire to practice? PGA Professional and instructional author Kellie Stenzel offers tips for making the most of your precious practice time.

I know it is difficult to find enough hours in the day, let alone find some extra time to practice your golf. But with a little time here and there and a plan of attack for your practice, you can improve. Here are some suggestions for making the most of your time.

Practice at home

There are a lot of things you can improve without the use of a practice range or a golf ball. One of the most difficult changes is the way you hold the golf club. This is better practiced away from the golf ball. Keep a club at home and practice placing your hands correctly on the club ten times. Repeat this five times a week and before you know it a proper grip will start to feel comfortable.

Have a specific goal

From my experience, the better the golfer the more specific they are with what they are attempting to accomplish during their practice. Rather than just going out to hit balls, picking a specific goal over time will help you to improve. For example, if you tend to top the ball, you may choose to work on clipping out the tee under the ball or sweeping the grass for the next three months. By choosing a specific issue, rather than skipping around, you are more likely to make a change that will have life long benefits.

The magic 10 minutes

Find 10 minutes here and there to work on the shot that causes you the most trouble. If you don't like the bunker, make yourself practice for 10 minutes in the bunker. It may not sound like a long time and it isn't, but this small commitment to your weakness will require you to pay attention to it.

Make your practice time fun

It can make practice time so much more fun if you have the right attitude. Trying to get pitch shots to land into a bucket, can help to focus your practice and provide the wonder feeling of accomplishment and fun when the ball does land and stay in the bucket. Or practice with a friend. By adding a social element, you may find that time goes much faster and is more enjoyable.

Add quality goals to your practice

Rather than just practicing randomly, you may find your practice can replicate on course situations if you add quality goals. An example would be to try to sink twenty three-foot putts in a row. Rather than just putting with no repercussion for a missed putt, the added pressure of having to complete a certain number in a row will help you to perform better during your play on the course.

Proper practice will help you to improve your golf, but you must have specific objectives in mind, rather than just exercising. You may want to keep small notes on your scorecard when you play to help you focus on the right areas. Have a plan, so that when you do have the time, it will be productive.

- Kellie Stenzel, PGA, has been named by Golf Magazine as one of the Top 100 Teachers in America, and has been a Golf For Women Top 50 teacher since 1999. She has published three books: "The Women's Guide to Golf: A Handbook for Beginners," "The Women's Guide to Consistent Golf," and "The Women's Guide to Lower Scores." She is also rated by Golf Digest as one of the top teachers in New York.