Learn from the pros
If you have ever attended the UBS Hong Kong Open and watched the players on the range, you’ll have noticed just how much time they spend working on their games after they’ve finished their round. If they have had problems hitting a particular shot out on the course that day, they will try and work it out afterwards. The majority of tour pros keep their stats, so they know what to concentrate on. This helps them make the best use of their practice time. Even if they’ve played well, they’ll still hit balls to help maintain their feel.
Training aids
The use of training aids is also widespread on tour, and they are particularly useful when it comes to working on alignment. Alignment is a key fundamental and it is extremely important to get it right. Virtually all of the players lay down something on the ground for alignment when they are hitting balls. They don't want to fall into any bad habits that could affect their ball striking. The pros don’t want to fall into any bad habits that could affect their ball- striking—and neither do you.
Final Thought
So the lesson for the average player is this: after your round, head to the range and use the time to really work on your game. Use your stats to identify your problem areas and if you’re not sure how you can fix the problem consult a qualified PGA professional to help speed up the learning process and start practicing like the best players in the world.
Log your stats
One of the most important things I tell all the Hong Kong team to do is to keep a record of their stats so they know what to practice after their round. Keeping a log of the number of fairways you hit, your greens in regulation percentage, the number of up-and-downs you make and your putting average is a great way to let you know which part of your game to focus on.
Steven Lam, pictured left, keeps a log of his statistics whenever he plays. A sample log is shown below:
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