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TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT B Y D A N PA S Q U A R I E L L O A N D L A I R D S M A L L 100 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 7 How to Take Tour Range Swing to the First Tee omething I hear often from my golf students is, "Laird, I hit the ball great on the range, but when I get to the first tee, it all falls apart." If you're having trouble transferring your success on the practice range to the first tee, you need to change the way you look at the practice range. Most amateur golfers hit the range with the intention of warming up, and wind up practicing instead. Somewhere along the way, they hit two or three bad shots — or good ones — and they want to either get rid of the bad feel- ing or ingrain the new one. Consequently, they spend the last few minutes prior to teeing off working on something mechanical in their swings. Instead, players need to take a flex- ible approach to their practice. This is where you can blend and transfer the skills you are practicing to the course. As an example, PGA Tour players proceed to the practice range with the intention – to warm up – and never lose it. They hit their clubs to get loose and develop a good sense of rhythm, timing and feel for the club as it swings. They focus on ball flight and trajectory, and they notice what the ball does in the air – e.g. how it curves, its trajectory and how it descends toward the target. They are completely focused on the ball and the feeling of hitting it solidly. In addition, you'll see them go through their normal pre-shot routine. This is different for all players, and usually includes three elements that are practiced deliberately: See, Feel and Trust. • See refers to seeing the shot. Players should imagine or visualize the shot they want to strike—i.e. see its trajectory, curve, height and how it lands near the target. • Feel allows players to rehearse the feeling necessary to strike their imagined shot. • Trust is the action of the golfer getting up, swinging the club and striking the shot. Over the ball, a successful player is not thinking of the 25 things they need to do in their swing, they are making a swing as they pictured and created! PGA Tour players also play the course on the range and hit different clubs to multiple targets. As an example, they will "play" the course they are about to tee it up at. The first hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links requires a fairway wood with a slight draw of the ball. That is the shot they will envi- sion and strike. If they pull it off, then it's an 8-iron to the green. If they hit a good one, they move on to the next tee shot, and if not, they hit a chip and then move on. This way, when they go from the multi-shot environ- ment of the driving range to the single-shot environment of the course, they're much better prepared. They also practice taking their time in the warm-up and not being in a rush. When we play golf, there is a lot of time between shots, because oth- ers are playing, we're walking to our ball and several other factors. Tournament players allow for that in their practice routines and warm up. If you haven't done this, give it a try – it will change the way you practice. Another thing you'll see the PGA Tour pros do that the amateurs typi- cally don't is practice their short game. They'll spend at least half of their warm-up time putting, pitching and chipping, whereas most amateurs will beat drivers and occasionally hit some putts before heading to the first tee. Spend a little more time on your short game as your warm up. You'll not only gain some confidence around the greens, but you'll develop a better feel for the ball coming off the clubface, which transfers over to the tee. Besides, you'll be hitting the majority of your shots around the green any- way, so the additional practice will do more to lower your scores than hit- ting balls on the range will. Have fun with your practice and transferring your game to the course! Please visit us at the Pebble Beach Golf Academy for more tips to increase your enjoy- ment level of the game; you can reach us at 831/622- 8650. Most amateur golfers hit the range with the intention of warming up, and wind up practicing instead. S