Don’t under estimate the value of practice!

Practice makes perfect, and nowhere is this saying more applicable than in the game of golf.

Don’t under estimate the value of practice. Your local practice facility is as essential to your golf game as your favourite club!

Pre-Game Practice Routine
A pre-game practice routine is essential to establishing your tempo, building your confidence and achieving consistent on-course results. Start your warm-up with some stretching and then move onto stroke practice.

Tiger Woods Preaches Benefits of a Warm-Up Routine
At a demonstration conducted by Tiger Woods before the 35th Ryder Cup, Woods preached the benefits of his warm-up routine, which he says he borrowed from Jack Nicklaus. He begins his warm up by hitting three sand wedges, then moves to the 8-iron, the 4-iron, the 2-iron, the 3-wood, the driver, and then reverses the entire process. According to Woods, “it’s really simple…I hit the same shot with a different club…when I hit my first three sand wedges I don’t care where they go…I just try to feel the club and the ball on the face….from there on out, I hit every shot to a target.”

Loosen up before your round
Try to allow yourself some time before your round to take advantage of your course practice facilities. Loosen up with some easier shots and then work your way up the bag.

Driving Range Practice
When hitting at the driving range, work on your technique, tempo and consistency. It’s better to focus on hitting a few “good” shots with each club, rather than a multitude of bad ones.

At the Putting Green
If time permits, move to the putting green. Start by chipping and putting around the fringe (collar) of the green. Try to take about 10 chip shots before taking out your putter. When putting, start slowly, and get a feel for the speed of the green. It’s a good idea to start putting from a fairly close distance to the pin, taking about 3 or 4 shots, and then slowly work your way back away from the pin in increments.

Buy A Bucket and Practice
If you use the Tiger Woods method on the driving range, hitting 3 balls every time you use a different club, you can get away with a small bucket of balls (40 balls) at the range. Practice — like the pros! Bottom line — give yourself time to practice your game. Enjoy an outing at the practice range, and always allow yourself some time before your round for a proper pre-game practice routine. It definitely pays off in the long run — and if it’s good enough for the touring professionals, we should probably consider it too!

Yours in golf,
Kevin Purcell
CPGA Professional

Practice Facilities at Caledon Country Club

Have you tried our driving range?

Hit a bucket of balls before your round, or if you don’t have time for a round, just make time to practice at the range and putting green. Practice will pay off in taking strokes off your game in 2008!

Our practice green/chipping area is located next to the clubhouse and first tee. The green is large and a very good representation of what you will encounter on the course. We also offer ample area to practice your chip/pitch shots before teeing off. Our driving range is a short walk from the Pro Shop. We offer several hitting stations with mats, a large grass area to hit from, a smaller grass tee deck and a practice bunker. The range is about 230 yard long, but netting at the far end allows you to hit with any club in your bag to warm up! Hit a bucket of balls before your next round, or grab a bucket and give every club a work out before you hit the course — the perfect tune up for for the 2008 golf season!

Large Bucket of Balls (80 balls) $9.00
Small Bucket of Balls (40 balls) $6.00

Filed under pro tips.
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