Practice like you play. It’s an expression you’ve likely already heard, several times, and from the likes of some of the game’s greatest instructors. Todd Sones is no exception.
Todd is a Golf Digest Top 50 and Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor, a Golf Channel Academy Lead Coach, and he also serves on the Golf Academy of America’s National Advisory Board. Todd says you want to practice the way you want to play on the golf course, and it starts with concentration.
“So often, when we observe people practicing and hitting golf balls, we watch them just hit ball after ball,” says Todd. “They get a bucket of balls, they dump them down, one ball after the other, without ever focusing on each golf shot. If you practice concentrating on the range, you’re going to have much better concentration on the golf course.”
Todd’s tip is this: every time you have a golf ball that you’re going to hit on the range, pretend it matters.
“Pretend you’re on the golf course,” Todd says. “Hit it to a target. Get behind it, and go through your routine. If you’re working on something in your golf swing, get back behind it and rehearse it. Just rehearse what you’re trying to feel and then go back behind every shot, aim it to a target, go through a routine.”
Todd always tells people to get behind the ball, set themselves perpendicular to their target line, set the club down, hit the shot, observe it, and then start the routine all over again.
“If you practice like that, I promise you you’re focus and your concentration on the golf course will be much better,” says Todd.
“If you don’t practice your concentration here, you’re not going to have it when it matters on the course.”
Catch the following video of Todd going through his pre-shot routine while you can. It’ll only be up for about a week. You can also gain access to this tip and others by becoming an Impact Golf Member at toddsones.com: