Golf Tips: Practice AFTER Your Round

Here's a typical timeline of a day at the golf course for an amateur golfer:

• Get to course, warm up for a few minutes (if there is time)
• Hit the practice range (if there is time)
• Hit the practice putting green (if there is time)
• Play 9 or 18 holes
• Leave

Most amateurs don't properly warm up.  Some hit the practice range, which is great.  Most simply hit a bunch of drivers at the range before a round though. Let's look at what professional golfer's day at the course consists of:

• Get to course, warm up, stretch
• Practice for X hours on the range
• Practice for X hours on short game
• Practice for X hours on putting
• Play 18
• Practice for X hours on the range AFTER to work on swing issues which arose during round
• Practice for X hours on short game
• Practice for X hours on putting
• Cool down, stretch
• Leave

Obviously pros practice far more than we lowly amateurs.  They're pros for heck's sake.  We can learn one really great concept from tour players, practicing AFTER the round.  How many times have we heard Tiger Woods say he needed to hit the range after a round to work on some adjustments?  During the round we observe issues with our swing and ball flight.  We observe weaknesses in our short game or putting.  When those issues, and more importantly those physical issues are fresh is the BEST time to make adjustments. Try practicing AFTER your next round!