Tour Player Practice routine
 

John,
What is a typical work week like for a touring professional who is trying to "stay sharp". How much time do you devote to keeping your game fine tuned? What is the hardest part of your game to keep in shape?

Thanks
Ray

staying sharp
 

when i am at a tournament it is very short practice sessions.i try and be prepared when i show up.i only hit balls before i played unless something needs my attention.i spend all my time working on short game and putting.as far as practice rounds i just try and play a money game just to keep focus.i have played all the courses enough that unlees there are changes i know how i am going to play each hole.
the only other thing i do to prepare is take care of my body and watch my diet.i try and make sure i am fully rested so when sunday afternoon comes around i feel completely rested.
i guess it is like everyone else,it is just my job and i am use to the routine.if i need a 8 hour session hitting balls,it just goes with the job.i really don't think anything about it.
now when i am at home i put in a full day.it consist of working out in the morning.then off to the course.i may hit balls fro 8 to 12.i will have some lunch,then warm up and go play a quick 18.then i usually spend the rest of the day worinking on my shoert game.then after getting home i workout again,do some dowel drills with my son.then he and i get on the putting green and putt for an hour.
so you can see the difference from my practice while at home versus being on the road.

Focused practice?
 

John - I'm betting you are not just pounding balls mindlessly either. I would imagine you have very specific things you are working on when hitting balls on the range.

practice
 

i am always checking my alignments 3-f-5 all the time.i work on hinge actions with right arm tracing the plane line.this is all i work on at this time.pretty simple stuff,learn feel through mechanics

Working with a 4 year old golfer
 

John,
I very much appreciate your willingness to participate in this forum and give of your time and knowledge.

I have a 4 year old son who has a great interest in and enthusiasm for the game of golf. We chip balls in the back yard and have putting contests in the house. I am curious about how you work with your son.
How long are his dowels?
What kind of drills do you do with him?
How do you emphasize fundamentals and keep it interesting for him?
How long do you usually work with him at one time?
Has he played on a real course yet?
What are your plans for him playing competitively? How soon? How much?

Any suggestions you have toward helping my son be the best he can be would be greatly appreciated.

Short Game Practice
 

With your short game practice do you:
A) hit a lot of balls from one distance changing trajectories/clubs
B) hit a lot of balls from different distances with one club then another?
C) a combination of the two.
D) none of the above.

i cut the dowels down for him so it extends up his forearm.
the drills he does are the same as i do.he traces the plane line a rifht arm fling wedge and the a left arm flying wedge.he also works on his impact alignments.he really does not understand what he is doing,but he can do it very precise.he has not been on the course yet.i am sure he will want to do what his daddy does.if he chooses not to that is fine.
as far as your son goes let him ask you or just have him watch,he will want to participate.best of luck to you

pluthb
you must be a shortgame instructor with all these questions.the answer is i do it all.i practice every type of shot you can imagine.i think to have a great short game you have to have a great imagination first.

Walk or Ride?
 

When you play a round at home, do you walk or ride? If you ride, do you find it affects the normal 'rhythm' of your game?

yoda.i ride.no it doesn't bother me.was this a trick question.remember i control the process for every shot.plus i can play 18 hole in 2 hrs.remember boys and girls play fast

Gettin' It Done On the Links
 

So when you said a "quick 18" you meant a quick 18. Thanks, John!

]
John, you are MY kind of player. This game takes WAY too long the way most people play it.
I had the honor of playing The Old Course as a young man, and on the second tee two of people I was playing with were escorted from the course because, in the words of the marshall "It is obvious to me that you will be unable to finish the round in less than 3 1/2 hours." They were simply taken off the course. :cool:

Anyway, 2 hours is about right for 18 holes, maybe 2.5 hours if it's raining really hard :D

Obi WunPutt

More short game questions
 

Do you like to grip down on your wedges when chipping, pitching or with your lob shots?

What are your favorite short game exercises, ie games?

And, yes I love to teach the short game!!! but most of these questions are for personal use.

what i have to say is to long to write here.i probably practice short game 75% of the time.first let me say this,use your imagination.go out and experiment hitting different shots,with different hinge actions.try getting a 3 iron distance away from the ball.short the radius of the club by choking up on the club to the steel.make a total motion using vertical hinging.this shot can be used out of bunkers to a pin cut close to the edge.use it out of high rough,or maybe you are off the green in a swale and it is closely mowedand you have no green to work with.this is just one example of what anyone is capable of doing with a little imagination and creativity.
when i was a kid i use to read the tips from golf magazines and go out and try to learn how to hit different shots around the green.plus it is fun even now trying to hit alot of different shots using different hinge actions.
i know for me it has paid off practicing different shots.i remember at the british open being in one of those riduculios deep bunkers a foot from the face.i got in there and couldn't see the flag,was trying to figure out what i was going to do,then i remembered the shot i explained earlier to you.so i tried it and guess what ?i holed that bunker shot and to this day it is the best shot i have ever hit in my life and it was only 5 yards.but i hit it 10 yards straight up.wow,still gives me chills thinking about that one.goodluck and see the shot and execute it

Thanks
 

Thanks John,
Funny that you mention that, I'm going over to St. Andrews in March and will not try to hit it in one of the bunkers but I may throw a ball or two in there just to try.
I really like what you have to say about imaginationm creativity, and curiosity. Your in good hands with Hunter! We'll be looking for you atop the leader board.
Alright, now to the questoins...
How do you set-up, monitor and check your hinge action when you're practicing?

played my practice round with my good friend BRIAN GAY in l.a. we have been working on tgm for awhile now.he recently worked with yoda.he is swinging betting than i have ever seen him.great work yoda.gettem little pro you are on the right track