Leisure World News

B26 April 2022 • Golf • www.lwca.com Golf Department Leisure World Leisure World Golf Staff Scott Van Engelen Golf Professional Shane Romesburg Golf Operations Manager HERON LAKES EXECUTIVE COURSE 480-832-0000 x400 • 18 HOLE • PAR 62 • YARDAGE 4,124 Golf Shop Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shotgun Starts: 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. except Wednesdays shotgun starts are 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. COYOTE RUN CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE 480-832-0000 x300 • 18 HOLE • PAR 73 • YARDAGE 6,174 Golf Shop Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 7 days a week Shotgun Starts: 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Practice with Purpose By Shane Romesburg is month we are going to talk about how to maximize our practice time on the range. Let’s face it, most golfers want immediate results, and do not like to or do not have the time to practice. As I glance out the Golf Shop window and watch the golfers on the range, I see a common problem...one bucket of balls and one golf club, which is always the Driver. Everyone wants to hit the ball far. When you practice with only your Driver, all you do is swing too hard. ere are two ways to hit balls on the range, 1) With Tempo 2) With Purpose. Tempo is the key to any golf swing with any club. Purpose is what you are trying to accomplish. When you grab the Driver rst and try to hit it too far, your tempo is bad, your body is moving, and there is no purpose. All you are doing is trying to kill it. You don’t want to spend an hour on the range, so you need to maximize your practice time. Next time grab 50 golf balls and be sure to stretch your muscles before you start smacking away. e only clubs you will need are a SW, PW, 8Iron, and 6Iron. Start with the smallest club (SW) and make 10 swings with each club. Focus on the tempo of your golf swing back and thru, not how far the ball goes. It does not matter how far it goes, it needs to go the same distance each time. As you get to the 6Iron, again maintain your tempo and focus on direction(purpose), not distance. e 6Iron is a great club to practice with, because you can now see the curvature of the golf ball, due to the lower loft of the club. Now there are ten balls left. Grab your Driver and hit 5 balls with the same tempo you used on the other 4 clubs. You should now have solid contact because of tempo, not mishits because of overswinging. Pick a target, and hit the last 5 balls with a SW to that ag. You have only spent 20 minutes on the range? at’s 20 minutes of good practice which will help your game, not 60 minutes of smacking golf balls. -Shane Romesburg is Golf Operations Manager at Leisure World HOT TIPS By RJ Hawley e hardest shots in golf are the ones that require less than a full swing along with a little “touch”. Having a repeatable pre-shot routine will help you determine the proper shot type; putt, chip, or pitch along with visualizing the “Landing Area”; when you hit the ball it will land…bounce…and roll out. I see so many players get over the ball without a plan or the con dence in the shot they are trying to hit. Most golfers just wing whatever shot they think will work. eir practice strokes do not match the actual swing they use during the shot, and most have no idea how the shot will turn out after the ball hits the ground. For most golfers, having an idea of what you will do will help you prepare for when it does happen. I would suggest the following three guidelines for short shots o the green: 1. If you can Putt it…Putt it. 2. If you can’t putt it…Chip it. (Bump and Run) 3. Last resort is to Pitch it. If you would like to shave two shots o your score per nine holes, try to implement the following into your pre-shot routine when preparing to hit a short shot toward the hole. is routine will signi cantly improve your chances of hitting the ball closer to the hole and lowering your scores. 1. Determine which shot you’re going to play; putt, chip, or pitch. 2. Visualize the shot you want to hit. 3. Make practice swings to feel the correct swing for the shot. Visualize The Shot e short game practice area between holes #12 and #13 is a great area to work on your short approach shots and putting. Enjoy the weather and…. Play Well!! -RJ Hawley is a Golf Professional at Leisure World Hitting Short Pitch’s and Chip’s Closer to the Hole COYOTE CORNER Dan Yoder Head Golf Pro