Monday 19th April 2010
The Up & Down Drill
Up & Down
This is a great drill as it helps to simulate a match situation or an important moment in a round when you need to save par.
The Drill:-
* With the appropriate club, chip 5-10 balls from off the green. Imagine you are playing a par two hole. If you chip it in you get a birdie. If you do not make your next putt you bogey the hole.
* After you chip, start with the nearest ball to the hole, and with your putter attempt to hole each one out. This helps simulate the pressure of an actual game situation.
* Try this as a competitive game with a practice partner. The fastest way to lower your handicap is to spend your practice time chipping and putting.
The purpose of this drill is to –
1) To improve your short game. Getting up and down is the surest way to start lowering your score. You can make up for earlier poor shots on the hole.
2) To simulate pressure situations. Simulating pressure situations allows you to practice improving your concentration. You should be concentrating on your next shot and therefore the positive actions that you need to make that shot successful. That makes mental focus, which is something that must be learned and practised.
