by Susan Hill
There is a great deal of equipment on the market today that
can help you make your practice time more efficient and effective.
Many people believe that simply getting out
on the course and
playing more often will make them a better golfer. Without
effective practice, however, you could just be making the
same mistakes again and again without actually improving your
game.
Effective practice has been proven to improve golf scores.
Consider the prisoner of war who spent years in a POW camp.
Each day he played a perfect game of golf in his head, visualizing
every hole, every swing, and every putt. He concentrated on
playing perfectly. When released from prison years later, he
got onto the golf course for the first time and shot the best
game of his life. Mental imagery in itself can be a powerful
tool.
Beyond your mind, you can find plenty of practice equipment
that will help your game. If you want to improve your swing,
consider purchasing a net to swing the ball into. Even a small
backyard can become your own personal driving range. If you
want to practice your swing but aren’t interested in
a net, you can purchase a swing practice aid that includes
a tethered ball, so you can hit the ball as you normally would,
but it will just swing on its tether. You can also buy practice
balls that are lightweight and will not travel far even when
hit with a powerful swing.
If chipping is where your game needs help, take a look at
chipping nets. Many of these are adjustable so you can make
the angle as simple or as challenging as you like.
For putting a simple cup to putt into can do the trick, or
you can include mats that provide you with diverse putting
experiences, such as different grades and angles. A putting
track can help you monitor how straight your putt is as you
monitor the ball’s progress through the track.
As with most everything, you can find computerized gadgets
not available to golfers a number of years ago. You can purchase
practice aids that will measure the tempo of your backswing,
topswing and downswing, and help you determine your ideal swing
tempo. The Synca-Swing® attaches to your club shaft and
measures your swing timing and clubhead speed for you. Pick
up a BreakMaster digital green reader and you’ll learn
to understand exactly how your putt will break.
Golf practice equipment can be a very important part of your
overall progress with your game. However, never underestimate
the importance of your body and its ability to create its own
advantages by addressing your individual strengths and weaknesses.
When your focus becomes on self improvement beginning with
your physique, then the training aids and equipment will be
all the more useful. By using practice equipment regularly,
monitoring your progress, and making a commitment to improve
physically, you can be an excellent golfer in no time!
Susan Hill is a nationally recognized golf fitness trainer,
CHEK golf biomechanic and sports nutrition specialist. For
more information on golf specific nutrition, exercises or stretches,
visit http://www.fitnessforgolf.com
