Making Practice Drills More Like Real Golf

Add consequence

Real golf does not let you hit seven identical 7-irons until one feels right. To make practice drills transfer, add variety and consequence. Change clubs, targets, lies, reads, and routines. Use one ball whenever the game allows it.

Play games with teeth

Try these:

1. Pick a nine-hole “course” on the range.
2. Name the shot before the club moves.
3. Score fairway, green, or up-and-down points.
4. Start over if you skip the routine.

Practice the next shot

If you miss the target, do not pretend the hole ended. Choose the recovery, chip, lag putt, or reset routine that would follow. The more your practice includes consequences, the less surprising the course becomes.