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We all know someone who spends countless hours on the driving range hitting golf balls. They talk about how they are “grinding” to improve but rarely does it correlate to lower scores on the course. The reason? There’s a BIG difference between hitting balls on the range and practicing. Anyone can head to the driving range and mash golf balls till their hands hurt but to truly improve, practice sessions need to be focused and performed with the intent of honing your swing and skills.

Building and sticking to a consistent practice routine may help you improve your ball striking, lower your scores and lead to an overall increase in the joy golf brings you. Let’s take a look at how to create an effective practice routine, some drills to perform that benefit each aspect of the game and how much time you should spend on it.

Creating an Effective Routine

There are a few key areas when looking at building an effective practice routine for improving our golf game.

Set specific, measurable and attainable goals for each practice session

The SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) goal-setting system is beneficial for many aspects of our day-to-day life, including golf. We can benefit from creating SMART goals for our practice routine as it gives us a clear direction of what we are aiming to achieve and how we can go about doing it. An example of this may be to make 75 percent or more of your putts from six feet during a practice session. It is also important to log your results when using the SMART system so you can track your progress.

Create a consistent routine

Consistent practice equals consistent results. It can take anywhere from 300 to 500 repetitions to master a new movement or change to your golf swing. This is why we may go from hitting the ball really well on the range trying a new “feel” to not being able to find the center of the clubface as soon as we step on the course. Golf is not a game of instant fixes. It takes time and consistency to make noticeable change and improvement.

A few months ago I wrote about the new adidas S2G: a $110 spikeless shoe made primarily from leather. What I didn’t know at the time was that adidas offered the same shoe, sans leather, for $10 less. The “normal” S2G is made from ripstop rather than leather.

This discovery has led me on a journey that I’m happy to share with you. The goal? Tofind the answer to this burning question: Do materials make a difference? Put a different way: given the choice between the two shoes of differing material construction, which is best?

For golf footwear specifically, I’ve always gravitated towards real materials (leathers, suedes, etc.) and have stayed away from synthetics. But the existence of two different S2G models from adidas has me reconsidering my stance.

I’ve thoroughly compared and contrasted both the leather and ripstop adidas S2G golf shoes, and I’ve spent time speaking with materials experts to learn more. Here’s what I’ve learned about footwear material science and how different materials might impact your performance on the golf course.

My Take

Before we talk about what the actual experts have to say, I want to share my thoughts. As mentioned, I’m a sucker for leather and real, raw materials. That said, a quick comparison of the S2G in both ripstop and leather has me curious.

Top-seeded Stanford held on to beat Southern California on Tuesday, advancing to the title match against UCLA in an all-Pac-12 final for the NCAA women's golf championship.

The Louisville Metro Police Department will investigate whether its officers followed proper protocols when world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested Friday outside Valhalla Golf Club.

Not even a major championship could distract from the fact that pro golf looks like a Rubik's Cube at the moment. So, how do we solve it?

The post Pro golf’s problem is a Rubik’s Cube. Good luck solving it | Tuesday Takes  appeared first on Golf.

On the Monday after the PGA Championship, scratch amateur Roger Steele played Valhalla from the tips. Here’s how it went

The post Scratch amateur plays easiest-ever PGA Championship site. Here’s how it went appeared first on Golf.

It's been 10 years since Rory McIlroy's won a major. His former Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, offers up two potential reasons why.

The post What’s behind Rory McIlroy’s major drought? His former Ryder Cup captain has 2 reasons appeared first on Golf.

It's time for the 2024 PGA Charles Schwab Challenge! Will Emiliano Grillo defend his title? Check out how to watch the action on ESPN.

The 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge begins on Thursday at Colonial CC. Here are five players our expert thinks you need to keep an eye on.

The post Charles Schwab Challenge betting guide: 5 picks our expert loves this week appeared first on Golf.

Can't stop chunking golf shots? Cleveland Golf ambassador Jake Hutt gives a quick lesson to finally avoid them once and for all.

The post Chronic chunker? These tips will help restore your confidence appeared first on Golf.

First, William Carlson fell in love with Northwood, a celebrated 9-hole Golden Age design. Then he found a way to make it even better.

The post He spearheaded an upgrade to an Alister MacKenzie course. He’s 17 years old appeared first on Golf.

For golfers looking to lower spin and add forgiveness off the tee, Callaway is releasing the Paradym AI Smoke Triple Diamond MAX driver.

The post Callaway launches Paradym AI Smoke Triple Diamond MAX driver appeared first on Golf.

Sergio Garcia was almost certain to get through U.S. Open final qualifying, earning a spot in the major. Then the unexpected happened.

The post Sergio Garcia misses U.S. Open qualifying in agonizing fashion appeared first on Golf.

Callaway Golf just announced the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max driver, which should easily win Driver of the Year—in the “Most Letters” category.  

It’s a mouthful. 

It also risks introducing some confusion by way of the apparent contradiction between the Triple Diamond and Max nomenclature, though I’d be more inclined to argue that, character count notwithstanding, the name is entirely on the nose. 

Neither 100 percent Triple Diamond nor 100 percent Max, the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond driver sits somewhere between the two. Perhaps it blends the best of both, though I’m inclined to say it leans to the Triple Diamond side of the equation. 

That assessment is based on the Triple Diamond Max’s front-to-back weighting system (10g/4g) and the fact that it’s the second most-played Callaway driver across worldwide tours. 

If you’re even the least bit familiar with L.A.B. Golf and its putters, there are a couple of things you probably know. 

The shapes are unconventional. (I’m being diplomatic). 

The fitting methodology as explained by the company’s signature “Revealer” apparatus is different from the golf industry’s standard operating procedure. 

And, if I’ve pieced things together correctly, the former to no small degree necessitates the latter. 

I guess you could say L.A.B. putters are weird because weird is what makes them work. 

Jackson Koivun, an Auburn freshman, faced stiff competition Monday evening from his two fellow Ben Hogan Award finalists. He still prevailed.

The post Auburn freshman wins Ben Hogan Award for excellence in college golf appeared first on Golf.

There‘s a lot of cool gear in the golf world that doesn’t always fit into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.

What We Tried

Stix Golf Perform Series

Your Reviewer

Phillip Bishop – I get to test golf clubs and write about it. Who doesn’t love that?

We Tried It: Stix Golf Perform Series

For MyGolfSpy, one of the key reasons we exist is to provide a platform for golf equipment from companies small and large that we believe is worthy of your consideration. Bringing power to the player (golfer) is our main objective.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) golf equipment is booming. Stix Golf is a prime example of an underdog, a no-name if you will, that is making a name for itself.

The next time you line up a putt, pay attention to the grass. Get down and look at it. Touch it. Smell it. Listen to it. Dare we say… taste it? All right, so we can’t actually recommend you do any of that but our point is that the type of grass on the green can affect how your ball rolls. Being able to identify what’s between your ball and the hole could be the advantage you need.

Generally, putting greens are covered by one of three grasses: Bermuda grass, bentgrass or Poa annua. Courses in warmer areas, like the southern United States, usually use Bermuda grass while those in cooler places typically plant either creeping bentgrass or Poa, says Jordan Booth, an agronomist and senior director of the US Golf Association’s Green Section.

“Without getting deep in the weeds about what the different grasses are and how to see them… if you knew which variety you had, it would impact your short game and putting the most,” Booth says, emphasizing that these impacts will be most pronounced at the highest levels of amateur play and in the professional game.

Just knowing which type of climate you’re playing in and asking the pro shop what kind of grass they use on their greens will go a long way toward helping you identify the turf you’re dealing with. That said, identification gets a little more complicated when you’re playing in Virginia, North Carolina or some other climate transition zone.

Bermuda grass

Bermuda grass (genus Cynodon if you want to drop that in casual conversation to psyche out your opponents with your enormous brain) is a tough, versatile plant native to Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia, but not Bermuda. Its dense growth can recover from damage quickly and tolerate droughts, making it a top choice for golf courses and other professional athletic fields in warm locations like Florida and California.