The Best Practice Drill To Test Your Consistency
When on the range, we oftentimes are working on technique, a specific shot, or just warming up before a round of golf. In that process, it is to normalize bad shots, and we oftentimes just completely overlook them. We may say to ourselves, “oh I am not warmed up yet”, or “well I am working on something so that’s why I can’t hit it today.” We all do this. This is human nature. We want to remember all of the good shots we hit, but none of the bad ones.
The problem with this is that when we get onto the course and into a situation where a shot actually matters, we might think we can hit that shot. In reality though, we probably should not try it. An example might be that you have a 3-wood into a Par 5 and you have a creek 20 yards short that you have to clear. Do you hit the 3-wood or do you lay up? The rule of thumb is this: if you can hit a shot 80% of the time on the range, then you can try it on the course under pressure. If a shot has no risk, than you can hit it anytime. But if a shot has risk involved, then use the 80% rule to determine if you actually should go for it or not. So how do we test it?
The next time you are on the range and have warmed up, set out 5 balls with each club (or 10 if you want to hit a lot of shots). With every club in your bag starting with your highest lofted wedge, track how many shots that you make perfect contact with. By this I mean that if you hit it thin, slightly chunky, off the toe, off the heel, or its just awful shot, it does not count. You must hit it the best way that you know how to. Progressively work all the way through your bag until you finish with your driver.
Between each club, write down on your phone or on a notepad how many out of 5 (or 10) that you made perfect contact. If you can hit that club 80% of the time perfect, then you can take a bigger risk with that club if the shot calls for it. If not, you should think about taking that trouble out of play and taking a safer route to the green.
The best part of this drill is that you now have physical data for shots under pressure on the range. Use these numbers and set new target goals for your future practices. Personally, this drill was extremely motivating and helped identify my strengths and weaknesses with certain clubs. It also helped me with my decision making on the course. After doing this drill a lot, I know you will become more consistent and more confident with your own ball striking on the course.