Core Daily
Play Better
Last-Minute Prep for the Tees
Getty Images
Here are a couple pleasant surprises for your golf life: There’s a last minute cancellation and you have 10 minutes until tee time, or you’re finally getting a round on the exclusive course. Both situations would have you excited, but that excitement will do wonders for your score, and not in the good way. Joe Rehor, director of golf at Bethpage State Park, advises on how to calm down, learn the new terrain and shoot a decent score:
Step 1: Hit the putting green.
With limited time and limited knowledge, this is your first stop for at least 2-3 minutes. You’ll learn the actual green speeds, but more importantly, you’ll slow yourself down and work on having the necessary easy grip pressure. The game is about tempo and you need to release any pent up anxiety. If you just grab a driver and start swinging, you’ll be taking a lot of walks in the woods. “The swing is incomplete when the body is revved up,” Rehor says.
Step 2: Work things out slowly.
After putts, put in a couple of minutes on chips, then move to pitches and full wedges. By the time you hit some drive, you’ll be fully loose, and, by progressing slowly, you’re grooved into making complete swings. But if you don’t get to drives, no worries, because, along with tempo, accuracy is the other essential that you want on the course, not huge distances. “Straight is great,” Rehor says. “Nobody had any problems from the center of the green.”
Step 3: Crunch the numbers.
The yardages are posted. Don’t ignore them or start getting overly confident. A good round is about taking out potential problems—it’s no accident that most courses place bunkers where the average guys hits. You know what your usual distance is. You know what it is to the trap. Just do the math and figure if it’s worth the risk. Unless you’re 95 percent sure that you can clear a hazard, use less club and lay up. As long as you’re in the fairway, you’re safe, and in much better shape than the guy walking through sand.
About The Author
Steve Calechman – Steve Calechman is a contributing writer for CorePerformance.com. He has published articles for Men's Health, Natural Health, The Robb Report and Women's Health magazine.
