GOLF TIP by Denise Boutin
LPGA Teaching Professional
Cedarbrook Country Club
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
(215) 619-2784

"Making Practice Fun"

Recently I was interviewed by a Philadelphia radio station personality. He asked me to describe the most memorable golf lesson I had ever received. As a teenager I had the opportunity to take a lesson from Johnny Revolta, with 18 tour victories including a PGA Championship, he was a short game wizard. We spent the entire lesson chipping with my 8 iron. Johnny helped me learn how to make short game practice fun, and as a result the short game is one of my greatest strengths. Learn to make your practice fun by:

• Betting with Yourself: Reward yourself for accomplishing a goal. "If I sink three putts in a row, I’ll stop for a Dairy Queen on the way home."
• Imagine the Possible: Hit flop shots over a tree to a tight pin placement. How close can you get?
• Play a round with only two or three clubs: You will be surprised to find that your score doesn’t vary much from playing with a full set...but your pleasure and creativity will leap to new levels.

Most amateurs spend hour after hour hitting drivers on the practice (driving) range. Though we all get goose bumps when we feel the sweet spot hit the teed ball, sending it to the next zip code…the fact is that this time would be better spent working on your short game. You’ll make more significant progress toward a lower handicap if you learn to make your short game practice fun.