5 Tips to Improve Your Golf Game
September 6, 2022
By Steve Bourbon, Head Professional
Golf is a game of constant learning. Even those who have been playing for years have opportunity to take their game to the next level. Here are my tips:
Develop a proper warm-up routine.
Consistently arrive an hour before you tee off. Use this time to stretch and practice a little of each aspect of the game you expect to encounter on the course. Focus on the areas of your game you typically struggle with.
Always strive to focus more on accuracy rather than distance.
Distance will come as the proficiency in proper technique improves. Accuracy is the key to improving your score and enjoying the game. Taking an extra club and swinging at about 80% is usually one of the easiest ways to do this, rather than trying to time swings at top speed all the time. Remember: If you have to swing that hard to get the ball to the target, you probably have the wrong club.
Develop consistent pre-shot routines in all areas of your game.
This will help keep you from overthinking, and get you into a state of playing using rhythm, feel, and instinct over relying solely on intellect. Over time, the best players develop routines which make the technique of their swing more a conditioned response than a conscious effort.
Be aware of what aspects of your game need improvement and try to take consistent instruction to improve upon them.
You can do this by keeping track of the greens you hit in regulation, your fairways hit, and your putts per round. Compiling this data can help you start developing a plan to improve your game in the offseason.
As with most physical endeavors, the stronger and more flexible you are, the better your performance will be.
Not that you have to train like an Olympic athlete, but knowing how to maintain the flexibility and strength in your "golf specific" muscles will greatly enhance your enjoyment of (and improvement in) the game.
Hopefully these tips help. If you still don't see progress, it might be time to check in with a Golf Pro. Lessons aren’t just for beginners. Most golfers hit a plateau at some point or even see their game regress. Pros can help you identify and work through any issues with your swing or short game.