In this busy age,
effective time management is critical for business. Just as with work, so too with
play. An avid and competitive golf player, I’ve come to learn how proper time management can also help you improve your golf game.
Using your time before
a round just a little more effectively can lower your scores without any additional practice.
The first tee
mulligan is not permitted under the rules of golf, but is used by a large
percentage of recreational golfers. Stiff from the drive to the course, or from
a bad night’s sleep, golfers start to play stiff and unfocused. Their first
shot is wasted and the entire round starts badly.
Poor early play is
the result of poor time management. Too many rounds of golf begin with players
pulling into the lot and dashing into the clubhouse minutes ahead of their tee
time. There, they tap their feet nervously as they wait for the checkout, then
rush back to the cart and, from there, on to the first tee. There is no time
for stretching, no time for visiting the putting green, no time to hit a bucket
of balls on the practice tee. All that is there for the players is tension and
stiffness.
With proper time
management, players should schedule their alarms to give themselves plenty of
time before a round. A player should arrive at least half an hour before the
scheduled tee time. In an ideal world, arriving 45 minutes early would be even
better. That will leave you with the time to be properly prepared.
Upon arriving at
the course, take the time to check and double check the contents of your bag to
ensure you have everything you might require. Nothing can create more tension than having to
dash back to the car just before teeing off to get something you forgot.
Stretching is good use of time...
Once you have paid
your greens fee, take a few minutes to stretch. Whether it is a morning round,
or one after a day of work, your body will not be ready for the rotation needed
to create an effective golf swing. Your bed and your office chair are the
enemies of the golf swing. Even the drive to the course in those bucket seats
will work against you. Stretching is time worth spending.
There are a large
number of resources in golf magazines, books and on the Internet on golf stretching
routines, so there is no need to detail them here. Suffice it to say that you
can do some very effective stretching exercises with just the tools in your
golf bag particularly your clubs and your bag. You might even want to toss a
small and lightweight latex stretching band in your bag.
After stretching,
hit a small bucket of balls to loosen up. Make loosening up your only goal.
Trying to fix your swing faults before a round will only mess up your game
later. Try to get your feel grooved. Work on your rhythm. Be sure to rotate
properly. Start with the short irons and work your way up to driver. Try half
swings, then move on to full ones. Don’t swing violently; you risk hurting yourself.
Similarly, don’t try for distance; you risk losing your rhythm. You want to use
this time to develop a flow.
Stop at the putting green...
Next, stop at the
putting green. On most courses, the speeds on the putting green are indicative of
the speed on the playing greens. Do not worry about getting the ball in the
hole. You will not learn anything about any one hole’s breaks on the practice
green. Instead, just try to get it close. Imagine a two-foot circle around the
hole and try to get the ball inside the circumference.
The goal of your
time on the putting green is to develop a feel for the speed of the greens. If
you can get your ball inside “gimmie” range from a variety of distances on the
practice putting green, you will be more relaxed and confident when you get to
the real thing.
Finally, as you get
set to tee off, talk to the starter. Often the starter has valuable information
as to course conditions. In particular, ask about hole locations. He should be
able to tell you in what zone of the greens the pins are located. This is
really useful information on those visually deceptive holes. Knowing flag
locations will keep you from leaving a ball short, or going long.
If you follow these
tips to manage your time before a round, you are guaranteed to play better golf. You’ll be relaxed, loose, confident and
informed.
