A good way to make your practice more effective is to "score" each of your practice shots on a 1-10 scale. By scoring your shots and keeping records you will build a record of your progress.

Scoring will always be somewhat subjective, but you can make it more objective by setting some criteria. For example, deduct points for mis-hitting, missing the target, or too much hook or slice. If you're prone to hook, as I am, deduct more points for crossing the target line from left to right.

I recommend using this system in one of two ways. First, hit 10 shots in succession with the same club, scoring each shot. Second, hit 15 shots rotating through three clubs such as driver, hybrid, and 7-iron. With either drill add up your scores to get a total. Then use that total as your goal for subsequent drills. For example, if your first set with your driver produces a total of 50 points, make it your goal to improve on that score in your next set.

You can be as tough or easy on yourself as you want, but be consistent. If you're fudging just to keep your score going up you're not helping your game. This technique not only makes practice more effective, it makes it more interesting. It takes away the drudgery of just banging balls so you'll want to hit the range more often. That's a win-win.

Submitted by: Doug Dahl

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