Do you wish you had more in common with a touring professional? If you have ever attended a PGA Tour event and noticed how the players warm up on the driving range, you will notice one distinct similarity between them that frankly most golfers don’t do.
Keep reading and you’ll have one more thing in common with the greatest players in the world. These simple adjustments will have you practicing like the pro’s in no time.
Now, on the golf course it is commonly known etiquette to return divots back to their breading grounds. You see, divots come in all shapes and sizes but all share a common yurning to return home. The tender love and care you express by replacing them breads hope for another shot at life.
But, not all divots are created equal. Driving range divots are born to die. The sad truth is that far more divots are lost than required on the battle grounds of the driving range.
Let me explain..
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[/ezcol_1quarter] [ezcol_3quarter_end]Golfer 1: The Machine Gunner
In this example a full divot is taken with each shot. This maximizes the amount of turf taken from a single practice session. This is the most common pattern I see on the driving range and is not a efficient nor sightly way to practice. It’s never fun going to a grass driving range and not finding a spot to hit from because of the machine gunner. [/ezcol_3quarter_end]
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[/ezcol_1quarter] [ezcol_3quarter_end]Golfer 2: The Nuclear Bomb
This concentrated divot pattern leaves a large void in the turf which makes it very tough for a quick recovery.[/ezcol_3quarter_end]
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[/ezcol_1quarter] [ezcol_3quarter_end]Golfer 3: The Alien Crop Liner (aka: professional)
The linear practice pattern takes the least amount of turf and has the fastest recovery time. It uses the least amount of space and the following player can start were you left off. This technique will also work on your alignment and consistency with each practice shot. Let’s move golfers in this direction.
Step 1: Practice the linear pattern by placing the next shot directly behind your previous shot.
Step 2: After roughly 20 shots, create a new line leaving 3-4 inches wide between each line of divots. This will aid in the recovery time of the turf.
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So, which golfer are you?
I can’t tell you how many driving ranges I’ve nuked in the past. Sadly, I also thought it was the preferred method of practice.
So it doesn’t matter what you did, rather what you will do from here on out about your practice habits. Practicing with the linear pattern is a win/win for you, your fellow golfer, the course, and even those poor divots.
But, all jokes aside.
I know with your help we can spread the word by getting more golfers to practice the recommended linear style pattern on the driving range.
