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The quote has been attributed to Gary Player, but Tom Barber knows it was his father, 1961 PGA Championship winner Jerry Barber, who once told a writer, “the more I practice, the luckier I get.” A good place to find that “lucky skill” is at the driving range, said Barber, who owns the Tom Barber Golf Center in Moorpark, and the Barber Shop, the practice facility at Griffith Park. Barber has six tips for maximizing your practice time. 1. Warm up. “If you can, do some stretching to get limbered up. The next thing is to start out with some short irons and wedges and hit some soft shots, working your way up.” 2. Think small. “It’s been scientifically proven that the more precise your target is, the more accurate your shot will be. You have to aim at a specific target, and make it as small as possible.” 3. Add variety. “Try different shots that you might have to use on the golf course: fades, draws, knockdowns, chip and runs — practice the shots you don’t have.” 4. Have fun. “Have a closest-to-the-pin competition with a buddy, or have a contest to see who can carry a water feature the most times — anything to get you to enjoy practicing as much as possible.” 5. Play the hole. “If you’re at the range before a round and know what the first hole looks like, at the end of your session, hit a driver as if you’re on the first tee. Then, based on that shot, use the club that you think you’ll need for your second shot.” 6. Find a range with amenities. “My father used to say there are only four things you need to do to excel at golf: pitch, chip, play bunkers and putt. We all need to spend more time on the short game, so make sure that your practice facility has a chipping area, bunkers and, most importantly, a putting green.” |
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