Transfer practice to actual playing

[makoto7]

What do you recommend a player to do when he wants to put the practiced shot into actual playing? I can hit 8 out 10 good practice shots ( mainly short game ) then when I need to use them on the golf course ... it is NOT there... I still have 40% bad shots. Mental? Muscle memory?

[Bobby_Eldridge]

TRUST. When you are practicing you get 20-75 chances, right. When you are on the golf course you get 1 chance. Everytime I am on the golf course I try the shot I have been working on. It is the only way you are ever going to pull it off. KEEP TRYING.

[sunnyday]

i agree. you have to trust yourself and believe that you can make it! it works for me.

[marwin24]

45% player suffering that kind of problem

[clsimpson88]

Hey

I'm trying to bui;d a blog for imrpoving golf swing tips- so perhaps some of this will answer questions:

http://bestwaystoimproveyourgolfswing.blogspot.com/

[DanGlen]

Here's an interesting idea for you: when you're at the range - try "practicing like you play". I learned this approach in my years of playing basketball and have since transferred it to my golf game. It works like this: when you're at the range, "pretend" you're on the golf course. Lets say in your mind you want to play a 380 yard Par 4. Take out your driver and hit your first shot to a target. Lets say it looks to be 'in the fairway' and traveled 240 yards. Now (in your mind) you are 140 yards to the flag. Next, take out your '140 yard' club and again, hit to a target. If you hit it slightly to the right and short - then bring out your pitching wedge and hit to another target. Keep doing that until you're on the green (in your mind). Then start the next hole. Do this thru your entire bucket of balls. This is so much fun and really requires you to use your imagination. It can turn a regular old hum-drum bucket of balls into a "golf course in your mind" experience. There's no end to how far you could take this. For example, if you hit into trouble - then bring out your "out of trouble" club and punch out. No one will ever know you're doing this, but you'll be having all the fun - and it's incredible practice. I've seen great results out on the real golf course. (Remember - play Par3's, Par4's, and Par5's - all at the range). I can't explain the psychology behind this kind of practice - but I know it works. Try it out, and have fun with it.
Take Care, Dan

[yurself]

I am catching this late as in several months, Dan this is a great idea. Especially if you allow your imagination to go into those trouble areas of the course that give you fits when you are actually on the course. I have tried this before, but I get distracted after a few holes (mentally). You have heard of the POW in Viet Nam who shot a game in his mind for the length of his captivity and when he returned, went to the course and shot a scratch round.
Michael

[Corey_Lundberg]

I absolutely agree with this approach. It's important to remember, even as we work on our swing, that ultimately your goal is to get the ball in the hole. Practicing like you play forces you to work on your golf 'game' and not get too bogged down on just the golf 'swing'. I think practice is a skill that most of us neglect, great advice.