BY DON DELORENZO

“ Why is it that I play golf weekly with my friends but I don’ t seem to improve?”

out of your game. That doesn’ t mean you have to buy a $ 500

are trying to learn to play golf out of a book in Gleason’ s apartment. It wasn’ t successful, to say the least. You can’ t master this game by reading a book. To be good at the game you must practice and experience all the nuances the game throws at you by playing and gaining experience. To achieve the goal of being good enough at the game to enjoy it you must do four things. Practice, take lessons, stay up with the latest equipment and warm up before every round.

There isn’ t an action in sports that doesn’ t take practice to achieve the level you desire. Shooting free throws takes hours at the charity stripe. A field goal kicker wears out numerous pairs of shoes in order to achieve consistency. Golf falls into this category and then some. A free throw is one motion. A field goal kick is one motion. In golf you need to practice all the elements. Tee shots. Fairway shots. Short game and putting. Practice all these and you will have a well-rounded game. Remember to practice them equal to the amount of your game they represent. As an example if you go out and shoot a score of 100, only 14 of those shots will be driver tee shots. Over 50 of those shots will be chips and putts. So what should you practice 50 percent of the time? Ask yourself when was the last time you went to the course to just practice and not play a round?

The best way to know what to practice is to invest in some golf lessons. Lessons are an investment as they pay huge dividends in the form of lower scores and game improvement. Golf is a game that is next to impossible to figure out on your own. The best way is to have a professional do it for you. They are trained to help you enjoy the game more by fixing the flaws and teaching you things you never knew. Since golf is counter intuitive, it is a must to learn the game from a professional. I’ ve never heard someone say that they didn’ t learn something new from taking lessons.

Having the correct equipment is another way to get the most

driver or you won’ t play well. What it does mean is to have the correct equipment for your game. This is another way a professional can help. Is the shaft of my clubs the correct flex for my swing speed. Is the length of my club correct for my height and arm length. Do I have the correct clubs in my bag. Maybe I should have three wedges and only one fairway wood. These are all decisions that could improve your game by having the correct set makeup. The last thing you want is to not have a club for a shot that you are faced with. Often times I hear a golfer say,“ I don’ t have a club that goes a certain distance.” Well, that’ s a problem. Make sure that from the fairway wood through the wedge you have a manageable distance gap between all the clubs.

Lastly is warming up before your round of golf. If you’ re like most golfers you pull into the parking lot, put on your shoes, grab a cup of coffee and head to the first tee. Have you really given yourself the best chance to play well? Not a chance! Arrive early enough to warm up those old bones. Hit all the clubs even if it’ s only a few times. You will now have an idea of what pattern your shots are taking for that day. Maybe you are surprisingly hitting the ball straight this day. Wouldn’ t it be sad to find that out on the first hole after you have played to compensate for your slice and the ball travels straight out of bounds. What are greens like today? Fast or slow you won’ t know if you don’ t hit a few practice putts before you start. Don’ t wait until the first green when you knock the ball ten feet past the hole to realize they are faster than the last time you played.

So remember golfers, the best way to enjoy this great game is to play better. The best way to play better is to practice the items your professional told you about with the clubs he said you needed. Do this on a regular basis and most certainly always before your round of golf!

GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2018 gmhtoday. com

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