I showed up at the course today with the goal to complete a short game practice schedule created by my coach. And I say I “showed up with the goal…” rather than, “I showed up to do…” because our practice plans are damn near impossible. I will never forget my first few times working with him, where we were doing on-course up and down drills on the course where we had the goal of annihilating the PGA Tour leader in scrambling. Our goal in my practice is to make things as hard as possible in order to create the feeling that tournament time is the easiest thing I do. Practice in this way is fun for me because a big part of my love of the game comes from challenging myself, and doing games and drills off the course, I can create an even bigger challenge than playing a tournament round.

When reviewing my last post, I realized that regardless of the game’s meaning to the player, hardly anyone enjoys going out and hacking it up. You’re not getting what you want out of your game because your practice sessions are essentially useless for anything but warming your body up to hit the first tee shot. There is no point in hitting 40 balls, littering the chipping green with half-assed chip shots, then slapping a few putts and thinking you practiced before the round. And when things turn awry on the course, most amateur players return to the range and hit more balls of a perfectly flat surface with no penalties for a bad one and expect results.

I’m not recommending that you contact me for my practice plan and begin to work at your game like a professional (If you want to, I’d be happy to sit down or talk with you about what I do for my game). You likely have aspects of your life that are important and make you successful, and you don’t have to spend less time doing the things you’re passionate about, either. My practice plans range from 3 – 8 hours off the course with additional work through playing, but I am going to lay out an example of an hour-long practice routine you can do to improve your game.

Prior to the practice plan, I will mention that in my view, golf on the course is made up of 4 primary areas for you to focus: full swing, 30- 125 yards, chipping, and putting. And each area deserves the same amount of respect and time. So if you have an hour after work or before you’re set to spend time with your family, I challenge you to spend equal amounts of time on your game. Your practice is simply to get your game ready to play on the course, and it should be fun for you to see and create improvement. Here is an example of an hour-long practice plan you can use:

15 minutes: Full Swing
– 5 minutes: hit balls with alignment stick down with 9 iron, 5 iron, and driver
– 10 minutes: play closest to a target with a friend or by yourself by hitting balls to random targets, never hitting more than 3 in a row with the same club

15 minutes: Wedges
– 5 minutes: hit shots ranging from 30 – 100 yards to work on distances
– 10 minutes: play a game of closest to land it to a target with a friend, or play a game where you land 5 in a row inside 20 feet to 5 different targets

15 minutes: Chipping
– 5 minutes: practice from the fairway, rough, and bunker on contact
– 10 minutes: have a chipping contest with a friend or play a game by yourself where you get 3 in a row, one from the bunker, one from the rough, and one from the fairway inside 5 feet

15 minutes: Putting
– 5 minutes: use alignment stick or putting aid to check fundamentals from 5 – 6 feet
– 10 minutes: play an 18 hole putting contest with a friend or play 18 putting holes from 3 – 30 feet with each hole as a par 2 and see if you can shoot under par

As you can see, there is a trend of shortly checking fundamentals at the beginning of each area, but then a game with a challenge in it as well. This setup might work for a mid-handicap player who is looking to improve their game in 60 minutes while having some fun as well (And if you do the fundamentals before playing your friend, you’ll probably beat them!).

Whether you have 20 minutes or a few hours to work on your game, I encourage you to think of the 4 areas, fundamentals, then performance drills and games. This makes it a bit more fun to go to the range, and also invites you to get better with a significant other or friend.

If you would like me to help you create a practice plan of your own, or do wish to see and talk about what I do, please don’t hesitate to hit the “Contact” button to email me, or find me on social media. Happy practicing, and when in doubt, hit chief.

Stephen Osborne

Golf draws a large, diverse crowd to variably conditioned courses and range setups. My truest fascination with the game occurred when I was playing a local municipal course for a little “muni Monday” skins game, wearing a tee shirt and shorts, looping with my college bag alongside some buddies, and blasting a speaker with songs that most country club members wouldn’t appreciate. I stopped on the 6th tee, which had mixtures of dirt, first cut length grass, and cigarette butts littered on the edges, and I was awestruck. I thought, this is golf to me.

I have the belief that many people are at the golf course, swinging the club and holing putts, but not playing golf. Golf’s meaning to the individual is highly specific, but finding a player’s definition is essential in order to actually play and love the game. Giving a personal example, I equate golf to walking in a giant garden, full of grass and manicured to create different surfaces to play on. It is a place where I have learned my craft and I thoroughly enjoy the challenges that each course presents.

When I talked about being awestruck on a muni, I was just as excited for the challenge to make putts on different surfaces as I was in the college season competing to win events on manicured courses. My love for improvement and the challenges that come with each course create an environment where I can play and love the game. As a college golf alum and now professional, my goals and definition are likely much different than someone who plays on weekends, but the the game’s joy does not discriminate between players.

Love of the game is something the player must actively reach for and take by creating an understanding of why they choose to tee it up. There is a difference between mastering the craft and engaging the mind and soul. Much of the enjoyment of golf has to do with self improvement, learning new things, meaningful experiences, and our curiosity sparking innovation rather than shooting a certain score or beating your playing partners.

Looking at the definition of golf would likely do large injustice to what the game means to you, so I challenge you to find your definition in self-reflection. There are a multitude of different ways to enjoy it, from spending time with friends, to having a place to knock back a few beers on Saturdays, or creating a craft you enjoy improving. Once you have an idea, I encourage you to have the courage to strive towards your version of success and well being, hopefully making some putts along the way.

If you’re having trouble finding your definition or aren’t enjoying the game as much as you’d like, I encourage you to contact me on the home page or get a hold of me through social media. I challenged you to look at the game in a different way, and would love to help. Enjoy the process of discovering the truest form of the game to you, and as always, when in doubt, hit chief.

Stephen Osborne