Game Day Strategy: GSS 30 Day Challenge - a podcast by Marty Griffin brings you top golf content from Golf Digest Top 40 under 40

Once arriving at the driving range we have to build our practice
station.  Place an alignment rod along your intended foot
line, parallel to your target line.  To make the station
even more effective, place another rod, perpendicular to the first
to form a T.  This rod will represent your ball position.
 

You can do this with club if you like or you can use alignment
rods.  "http://amzn.to/1WPUOge">These are the ones I have.  There
are three rubber grommets on one of the rods - two for foot
position one for ball position, so then you won't need the extra
rod forming a T.

This station is important because it will ensure that you
consistently align yourself in a similar position during every
portion of the upcoming exercise.

Now that the practice station is in place, let’s get to
work.

5 Ball Iron Test

Using your practice station as a guide take out your PW and hit
5 balls at the same target.

***I know I don't normally
advocate for repeatedly using the same target, but what we're
trying to do is find a pattern, and realistically most people won't
continually reset their practice station every time.  So for
that reason we will work in blocks of 5 shots per
target.***

DO NOT hit these shots rapid fire, this is still a "text-decoration: underline;">no rake and fire
zone.  Stand behind the golf ball before every
shot and complete your pre-shot routine.

Repeat this 5 ball exercise with your 6, 7, 8, and 9 iron only
changing targets when you change clubs.  When you change
targets please make the necessary adjustments to your practice
station.

The Driver

Now it’s time to bring out everyone's favorite weapon, the
driver.  First I need you to visualize a fairway out on the
driving range.  Clearly choosing targets that represent the
left and right most edges of the fairway.  Now hit 10
shots at this fairway.  Don’t forget to take your time and go
through that pre-shot routine before every swing.

Keep track of your shot pattern while you're completing this
exercise.  This will tell you what pattern to play throughout
your round that day.  Just like Vegas, I want you to play
the odds.  When push comes to shove I want you to play
the shot shape that you had from this exercise and don't try to fix
it today.

Practice #2:  How to shoot the score you
want

One of the best pieces of advice ever to come through the
podcast was from PGA instructor George Roy, and it dealt with how
to stay in the moment and not get overwhelmed by your score,
whether it's good or bad.

George's advice was to create smaller goals that keep you
focused on the task at hand, rather than looking too far down the
road ahead.

Here's what you
do:

Set goals for the specific number fairways, greens you will hit
from those fairways, and the number of up & downs you will make
from the greens you missed.  Here's an example from
George:

• Hit 50% of your fairways = 7


• Hit 60% of the greens (from the 50% of the fairways) = 4 (two
  putt pars)


• Get up & down 70% of the time from the greens you've
  missed = 9

Add that all up and it equals 13 pars and 5 “others”. Assuming
you can keep those “others” to bogeys you’ll be on a roll!
 This does assume you two putt every hole (Yes, I realize
how big of an assumption that is but this is for the sake of easy
math we'll let it fly) you would shoot +5 over 18 holes.

You might wonder
why shouldn't I pick a number?

There's two big
reasons: pressure & limitations.

1. Picking a specific number adds pressure as you progress through
   your round. Your subconscious golf mind will be aware of your
   position in relation to that score. If you get behind the pace
   needed to achieve that number, the pressure can mount quickly.
   Pressure leads to stress, stress often leads to tension, and
   everyone knows that tension leads to poor performance. (Insert your
   Star Wars dark side joke here) Even if you have successfully let go
   of all those issues you still are more likely to take overly
   aggressive risks that could lead to even more disastrous outcomes.
   (IE: going for sucker pins)


2. Even if you’re doing great and you manage to stay ahead of the
   pace needed to achieve that goal, you’re more likely to rest on
   your laurels down the stretch. If my goal is to shoot par and I’m
   two under at the turn, it’s really easy for me to mentally take my
   foot off of the gas pedal and say “I can afford to shoot +2 on the
   back”. All of a sudden after the round is done I’m looking at
   missed opportunities that could’ve lead to a FANTASTIC round. My
   goal was even par "text-decoration: underline;">or BETTER, not to just
   settle for even par and forgo anything surpassing that.

• Analyze
  
  
  
  • This is the step that most people do pretty well at.
     Analyzing is taking in your surroundings and deciding what
    will affect the shot.  Wind on an approach shot, break on a
    green, cold temps that shorten ball flight, etc.
  
  
  
  


• Visualize
  
  
  
  • Here is where people start to have difficulties.
     Visualizing is a commonly skipped step that most people have
    trouble with or skip altogether.  If you don't know how to
    visualize your shot, verbally describe what your're trying to do.
     Talk out exactly where you want the ball to land and how it
    would release.
  
  
  
  


• Execute
  
  
  
  • This is where people REALLY struggle.  By execute, I mean
    staying committed to your shot.  This is exactly what we
    talked about with the Think Box/Play box drill.  Whatever
    decision you made in that Think Box you have to stay committed to
    it.  Staying committed to your shot is absolutely vital to
    consistently hitting the shots your want and
    therefore, executing your plan.