Indian Wells Golf Resort

Indian Wells Insider - October 2017

Indian Wells Golf Resort

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PRO'S CORNER - BY TOM BURLEY, PGA BOOK A TEE TIME > C L I C K H E R E F O R G O L F I N S T R U C T I O N I N F O R M AT I O N AT I N D I A N W E L L S G O L F R E S O R T 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

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