Par 5 Course Strategy Drill: Course Management

Par 5 Course Strategy Drill: Course Management

The Par 5 Course Strategy drill is from the Golf Practice Planner.

Name
Par 5 Course Strategy Drill

Category
Golf Mindset Practice Drills

Difficulty
5 out of 10

Time
20 minutes (per Par 5 you play)

Props
Par 5. Golf Practice Planner.

Overview
This Par 5 course strategy will increase your confidence, and golf intelligence.

Steps

Step 1: Watch
Watch the video.

Step 2: Behind The Ball
Get behind the ball and practice the swing needed for the shot.

Step 3 Duplicate The Feel
Over the ball, simply duplicate the feel of the practice swing with no verbal commands (e.g. “take the club back without whipping it on the inside”). If you’ve given the shot a nickname (like Sir Nick Faldo), use it.

Step 4. Post Shot Practice Swings
If the ball didn’t go where you intended, make a few practice swings until you make the swing you wanted.

Step 5. Hold The Finish
If the ball went where intended, good players watch the ball land and stick the finish for a few seconds. This “replays” the good FEELING. It imprints the good FEELING directly into your DNA.

Subconsciously the good players are asking:

“What did my body feel like?”

“What did the club feel like?”

It’s like replaying the shot. This is important because negative memories are naturally more sticky than positive memories.

You have to train yourself to take the time to FEEL the good shots.

Step 6: Handle Negative Outcomes
You have to get yourself to the point when you stand over the shot that you’re 100% okay with whatever the outcome is, even if it goes out of bounds. If you can handle a negative “outcome” like going out of bounds, you probably won’t go out of bounds.

Step 7: Favourite Yardage Inside 110 Yards
The stats now show that the closer you are to the green, the closer you’ll hit the ball to the hole. That’s not always the case, but it’s relevant most of the time. But it’s still useful to know what your favourite wedge yardage is inside 110 yards.

Step 8: Plan For Best Miss
Plan for the best miss. For example, hitting into the right-hand bunker leaves an easy up and down (so you might aim for the bunker with a draw, and if it stays straight and goes in the bunker you have an easy up and down).

Planning the best miss takes the pressure off because you’ve built in a safety factor.

Step 9: Don’t Fight Your Tendency
If today you have a 10-yard slice, play with it. Don’t try to draw it.

Step 10: Keep Score
Play 18 holes on your home course. Give yourself a point each time you play a Par 5 with the strategy you planned for.