By Jim McLean
Special to ARMCHAIR GOLF
(Editor’s note: This is the second of a seven-part series on spring practice drills.)
STRETCH-YOUR-IMAGINATION DRILL
Problem: The player beats balls on the range, failing to get into an on-course mindset.
Result: When actually playing the course, he or she makes mental mistakes and lacks the imaginative power necessary to be a creative shot-maker.
Goal: To find a way to stir the imagination and become a more rounded shot-maker.
Practice procedure: When practicing drives, fairway-wood shots, medium irons, short irons, wedges, pitches chips, and putts, pretend that you are actually playing a shot on your home course. If you relate a practice shot to an actual course situation, you will feel more comfortable out on the course. Change your targets and shot shapes often!
Next time: John Daly’s Power-Drive Drill
Jim McLean is the instruction editor for Golf Digest and the Golf Channel, and an author of numerous, top-selling golf instruction books. For a free intro DVD to his new Building Block Approach, visit Jim McLean Golf School.
Copyright © Jim McLean. All rights reserved. Used with permission.