Las Campanas Golf Tip by Pete Huber, Pro

One of the major reasons
that golfers have a difficult
time going from the practice tee to the golf course, is
because of the way they practice. Most players will
stand on the practice tee, hitting at a “general” target,
and failing to attach consequences for missing it. On
the golf course, however, we immediately come faceto-
face with the penalties that incur when the ball goes
out of control. This explains why working within a visual
“corridor” on the practice tee, becomes critically important.
A corridor is defined as a path (about 20 yards
wide) with a start point and an end point, in which your
ball can move right-to-left, or left-to-right.
To begin your study of practicing within a corridor, select
a club that with a 6 iron loft or less (it’s harder to
curve the shot with shorter irons). If you tend to hit a
fade, pick a spot 20 yards left (aim point) of where you
want the ball to land. Start your shot at that point and
try fading it (20 yards) to the landing point.
It is imperative when judging the quality of your shot,
that the ball does not start on a line left of your aim
point, nor does it finish to the right of your landing
point. Make an agreement with yourself to judge a fade
that starts left of your aim point, to be “out of bounds,”
and likewise if the ball lands right of your landing point.
The exact same process works when you are hitting
draws. Practicing in this manner will diminish your tendency
to “short-side” yourself when you are on the
golf course, and teach you to play a more strategic
game. Any shot that lands within the corridor – even
if the ball fails to curve the entire width of the corridor
– is deemed to be a successful shot. When actually
playing golf, you should select an imaginary corridor
for both tee shots and shots into the green, for every
hole. Developing the ability to land your ball within
the corridor, will play a major role in eliminating high
scores from your scorecard and will lead directly to
lower scores.
Bunker Sand
#16
Golf Operations