Practicing makes perfect. But, if you do not practice perfect then what are you practicing for? It is essential to head to the range and practice green with a plan. Yes, the game is enjoyable and sometimes it is fun to go out and hit balls or chip and putt. But, the focus that is put into this time will translate into better scores. Here are a couple of drills to take to the range and practice green to improve your practice techniques.

Once you have made it to the range to practice, start by laying an alignment stick down so that you know where you are aimed. Don’t just starting hitting balls without a purpose. Focus on what you have come to the range to practice on. This can be anything from your grip, takeaway, follow through, etc. From there, go through your pre-shoot routine with each ball. Pick out a point to aim at, take a couple of practice swings, and align your body correctly. This will ensure that when you get to the course you are playing how you practice.

Another way to practice on the range is to treat each shot as if you are on the course playing. Start with imagining a certain hole in your head. The first ball is going to be your tee shot. Take out whichever club you would hit from the tee box (Driver, fairway wood, iron) and play the shot accordingly. Now, depending on how you hit that shot, choose a club that you would have into the green. Hit your next ball with that club and play the shot how you would on the course. Taking this practice routine to the course will help with your shot performance.

One drill that is helpful on the putting green is called the up and down drill. Select a club that you would play for a chip shot and along with that bring your putter. Hit the five balls to a hole. Now putt out the balls from where they lay. The objective here is to try to get up and down, ultimately saving you strokes once you get on the course.

So, before you go to practice have a plan on how you are going to get better. Use these drills to improve your practice time and ultimately lower your scores.

Brett Bennett