Great, now I have a Practice Pass; what should I do with it?
The Academy provides a variety of different voucher offers, including a full-day’s practice pass. A lot of golf fanatics have been gifted these vouchers as Christmas or birthday presents, but sometimes it can be hard to know how to use this gift. In order to get the best use out of the Academy’s facilities and your practice, I have a few pointers:
- Set a focus. It’s hard to know whether you’re improving if you don’t pinpoint what you need to work on. We all like to practice what we’re good at, but unfortunately it’s not what we should be spending time on. Before heading out I would write down three element of the game you’re strong in and three you’re not so good at. Start at the bottom of your list and plan your practice with a focus of improving your weakest areas.
- Make a plan. When I was younger, I hated practicing. I don’t think I could last 15 minutes in the range without getting bored. I’ve since figured out that I used to get bored because I was aimlessly practicing. I had no goal or game set-out that would keep me interested. After figuring out the (what), you need to figure out the (how). How will I practice this area? If you’re stuck for some great practice drills don’t be afraid to ask myself (if I’m around) or one of our coaches for some ideas; we’ve plenty.
- Track your progress. Set yourself a drill within your focus area that gives you a score/number of attempts and write it down. I like to track mine in notes on my iPhone. For example, if you find a putting drill where the aim is to complete it in the least number of attempts, keep track of it. This way you can try and better your score the next time you come to the Academy. Keeping track of your score provides evidence of your improvement – which builds confidence – and also motivates you to return to practice and try beat your best score.
And the best thing, you never know who might be working on their game next to you at the Academy!
