Golf Tips: Be Ready to Play

One of the reasons golf is losing popularity is that it takes too long.  Public courses on weekends are logging five and six hour rounds.  18 holes used to take half that time many years ago. Why So Slow? Perhaps one reason golf has slowed is that amateurs watch golf on TV and see Tiger Woods or some big name pro golfer sizing up a putt to win the US Open and think that is what they should be doing.  He looks at the putt from four angles, talks to his caddie, looks at the line, reads the grain, reads the slope, reads the wind....  45 seconds later he makes the putt. But we amateurs aren't putting to win the US Open.  There isn't a million bucks on the line, though that $2.00 nassau bet may feel like a million bucks.  We shouldn't be sizing putts up from 12 different angles and taking forever to pull the trigger. On the tee or the fairway is a similar situation.  Amateurs are slow to get their yardages.  Slow to get to their ball.  Slow to pick a club.  Slow to hit it.  Pre-shot routines are way too long.  Too many practice swings. Be Ready When it is your turn to hit a shot, BE READY.  While the other players in your group are playing their shots is the time you should be figuring out your strategy, club choice, target, yardages etc.  Have all the mental parts of the shot worked in advance so when it is your turn you can pull the trigger in a few seconds. On the tee and fairway, don't start testing the wind and figuring out what club and target you're going for after everyone else in your group has played.  That will add seconds or minutes per shot.  At 2-3 full shots per hole average, that process could add a whole hour of time to the round!  Think about it.  Have clubs picked, targets and yardages figured and be ready to hit your shot within a few seconds of your turn. On the green, start reading your putt while the other players are putting.  Of course you must do so without bothering the other players or being in their line.  You should have a solid idea of the speed and line of your putt before it becomes your turn.  When it is your turn, place your ball, confirm your line, take one practice stroke and let it rip. Too Many Practice Swings One of the biggest slow downs I see in amateur golf is the abundance of practice swings. I have a theory.  The more practice swings a person takes, the worse the shot will be.  Practice is for the range.  When you pick a club, take ONE practice swing to get the feel of the club, then hit the shot. Tell Your Friends If your whole foursome cut their pre-shot routine times down, think how much faster you could play!  Spread the world.  Be ready.