Randomization

 “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”

Aristotle

January of every year, golfers tend to make a list of goals that usually includes swing alterations. What if you could keep your swing, but maintain it in a different fashion? Typically the plan is to head to the range, the putting green, the short game area, and spend more time there. The good ‘ol “find it in the dirt.”

Let’s try a different approach this year. Head to the practice area, warm up, and begin to PLAY.

Let’s define that.

• A different target, or better yet, a different club, FOR EVERY SWING.
• Going through a decisive (QUICK) routine for every swing.
• Accept the results. Do-overs? Please. Do your playing partners allow this during your game? No.
• Feel free to “score” each shot. This can be done by judging your proximity to the target, judging distance or dispersion, feel of strike, follow through, balance, etc. You pick.
• If you have a friend, design a simple game of skill. Have a shot clock – time is precious. I would prefer that you have something riding on it – money, a beverage unit, a task, a ball marker. Your choice, but playing for something increases the pressure a human perceives. It suddenly “counts,” as practice should!

By going to the range and hitting multiple shots to the same target, with the same club, is practicing for practice betterment, NOT golf improvement. Golf is an endless onslaught of differing distances, lies, surfaces (fairway/rough/sand/pinestraw etc.), and optics. Practice sessions should reflect this! The main reason that folks find it difficult to make the transition from practice tee to first tee is that THEY FAIL TO PRACTICE “PLAYING” GOLF!!!

I promise you will have more fun, feel fewer nerves on the course, and improve with the swing you already have.