PRO'S CORNER - BY TOM BURLEY, PGA
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M
ost amateurs have some
sort of comfort level when
it comes to hitting basic
shots, but from time to time a scary
or difficult shot might present
itself during a round that
makes you feel uncomfortable
over the ball.
Three situations where I
find amateurs are most affected
by fear are first-tee jitters, playing
a competitive or tournament round
and playing a long shot with a forced
carry over water or another hazard.
The key to overcoming your fears
on the golf course is to face them
head on with practice and a pre-shot
routine.
Too often we take our pre-shot rou-
tine for granted, and some golfers tell
me they have never had or never use
a pre-shot routine.
Consider the word routine – a rou-
tine is something that we do for our-
selves and something that is done
with regularity so we don't think
much about doing it, almost as if it
comes naturally.
For most golfers, stepping onto the
first tee with spectators watching
does not feel natural; in fact, it could
be scary. Now, getting people to
watch you practice could be difficult,
so take advantage when you have a
few people watching you. Get out on
the course and join a group as a sin-
gle to get out of your comfort zone.
Have three strangers watch you play
as if they were your audience. Try to
work on feeling confident on the first
few holes and getting off to a good
start regardless of who is watching or
who you are playing with. This will
also help with playing competitive
rounds, as the peer pressure you feel
wanting to play well in front of
strangers can simulate the pressure of
trying to go low in a tournament.
Practice makes perfect when it
comes to forced carries over hazards
on the course, and not just with
longer shots. When you are practic-
ing, don't get in the habit of hitting
only from a perfect lie every time.
Forced-carry shots are all about mak-
ing solid contact. The more comfort-
able you are striking the ball, the
more confident you will be when the
time comes where you absolutely
need to hit a perfect shot.
Try to mirror as many different lies
with as many different clubs as possi-
ble so you can be confident from dif-
ferent stances and lies. Confident
golfers usually produce quality shots.
HAVE NO FEAR!
How you can handle scary shots around the golf course
A forced carry over water is one shot
that can instill fear in most amateurs.
JOIN A GOLF CLINIC
I
f you want to get your golf game
back in shape for the season, con-
sider attending one of the golf clinics
available at Indian Wells Golf Resort
every Tuesday-Sunday from 11-11:45
a.m. The first clinic will begin on Tues-
day, Oct. 31, and expert PGA-certified
staff will help guests learn and im-
prove their game. To reserve a spot,
call (760) 346-4653.
IMPROVE YOUR GAME