ShareThisBy RICK MARTINO
Last week, we discussed five ways to maximize the effectiveness of receiving lessons, preferably from a PGA Professional. Here are five more things you should know or do when you make the ultimate commitment to improving your game:
_ 1. Know your weaknesses. It's important to understand that people have a tendency to fall back into their old habits under pressure. This is just a simple fact of human nature. For example, if you tend to swing too fast and get out of rhythm when you face a big shot or tough situation, you and your instructor should recognize this tendency and work on ways to manage this weakness, especially under pressure.
For example, one very good way of dealing with pressure is to have a simple, repeatable pre-shot routine that you can follow, since this will help eliminate doubt and help establish a rhythm that will carry into your actual swing. Former U.S. Open and Masters Champion Billy Casper is an excellent example of this. If he changed his mind about club selection or was distracted, he would go so far as to put his club back in the bag and begin his pre-shot routine all over again.
_ 2. Take notes. No one's memory is infallible, so it's a good idea to take notes immediately after each lesson. You and your teacher should go over what you worked on, as well as your most common mistakes and what your teacher suggested to correct them. This will be more effective if you take advantage of videotape technology. Have your lessons videotaped to retain as a record of your progress _ and to remind you of the areas you and your pro are working on.
It's also a good idea to chart your rounds. Note which clubs you use the most and how many fairways and greens you hit and how many putts you needed for your round. Also record how often you got up and down from greenside bunkers or when and where you missed the greens. Go over this information with your teacher before each lesson. Look for your patterns. This will help the instructor keep track of your progress as well as get an idea about which of your skills needs improvement.
_ 3. Practice intelligently. Practice shouldn't be an endurance test. Simply beating balls for hours on end is not an effective way to practice. If you are making swing changes, take your time and make lots of rehearsal swings and concentrate on what you've been working on with your teacher. It's important to give yourself enough time to think between swings.
Also, here's a plan that will help you get your new and improved game from the practice tee to the golf course, once you've made the necessary changes and are beginning to see positive results. Play a round on the practice tee. Begin by playing the first hole _ actually visualize the hole and the ideal shot you want to play from the tee. Then move to the second shot and so on. This will sharpen your concentration and you'll be surprised how much it helps once you actually have to record a score.
_ 4. Don't overdo it. The late Harvey Penick, teacher to Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw, among others, had a wonderful saying when it came to instruction: "An aspirin will probably cure what ails you but taking a whole bottle will kill you." His point was that you should avoid the temptation to exaggerate the changes your teacher suggests. For example, if your pro suggests you strengthen your grip and you begin hitting the ball more solidly, don't try to pick up an extra 10 yards by making your grip even stronger. Golf doesn't work that way.
_ 5. Have some fun. Last but certainly not least, keep in mind that golf is a game and the point is to have fun. Keep in mind that improvement very rarely runs along a straight line. There will be ups and downs, good days and bad days, and frustration is a very big part of improving. Try to emulate Ben Hogan's attitude: "I used to love waking up in the morning because I looked forward to heading to the golf course to practice and play. I just loved trying to improve a little every day. That gave me the greatest pleasure of all."
As we have stated before, working with a PGA Teaching Professional is really the ideal way in which you can have a coach to help with your improvement. Their knowledge of all aspects of the golf swing, their ability to recognize your physical strengths and limitations, and their expertise in equipment and course management is unparalleled.
(Rick Martino is the director of instruction for the PGA of America and teaches at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla.. He can be reached at (800) 800-GOLF or pgalearningcenter@pgahq.com.)
