How to Practice
by Bill Patton

Every golfer who wants to excel at the game will devote significant time to practice.  But even extensive practice can be a fruitless endeavor if the player does not think through what he is trying to accomplish.  Simply concentrating on the kinds of shots one likes the best will not necessarily improve a player’s game.  Instead, like everything else in golf, one must let the game itself be the player’s guide.

让运动本身成为球员的练习指引：

(表格请看上一篇博文） 

表一 分析的是18洞的类型
4个Par3，不超过250码

10个Par4，250y-450y

4个Par5，450Y以上

表二 72杆的构成

20y以内的短杆 36杆 50%

距果岭100-180y 铁杆 18杆 25% 

发球木 14杆 20%

球道木 4杆 5%

围绕高尔夫比赛的核心——进洞——延展开去，首先是推，加上切/挖/沙坑击球，结合上表得知高尔夫有一半杆数是围绕果岭产生的，所以你应该分配至少一半时间去练这些。 

Regardless of length of the hole, you are expected to take two putts.  In this case, we add in chips, pitches and bunker play, because no one, not even the pros, hits every green in regulation.  Many players do not realize that fully half the game of golf is played on or around the green.  But that is the case, and dictates that a player should devote at least half his total practice to that aspect of the game. 

根据你自己的表现适当地调整各种短杆练习时间的百分比

Keep track of how many greens you hit in regulation.  Adjust the percentage of time you devote to each aspect of the short game accordingly.  Practice most the kinds of shots you find yourself playing the most.

然后是铁杆（旁征博引地用很多数字说明铁杆的精准度之重要，最后总结：离洞超过8尺，你只有50-50地看运气了。） 

Every hole, even the par 3’s, will require that you hit an iron to the green.   Remember that the closer to the pin you can place your iron shots, the more likely you are to score well.  The adage is, “you drive for show, you putt for dough.”  But analysis by Dave Peltz has shown that the best putters on the pro tours are not the most frequent winners.  Putting, he found, is really a matter of statistics.  The reason is obvious:  an average foursome will take 600 steps on any given green.  The result is a green that is riddled with bumps and humps and spike-marks, none of which can be repaired.    Though this kind of damage may seem minor, it can throw even the most purely stroked putt fatally off line.  In the last analysis, it is simple statistics that rule:  the closer you are to the hole, the more likely you are to hole the putt.  Beyond about 8 feet, your chances drop below 50-50.

Therefore, the closer to the pin you can place your iron shots, the more likely you are to hole the putt and score well.  And Peltz indeed found that the most consistent winners on tour were those players who were most adept at putting their iron shots closest to the pin.  (See Dave Peltz, The Short Game)

最后讨论发球木杆，建议宁愿损失点距离也不要把自己陷到长草/树林或OB的境地。 

Finally, learn to put your drives in the fairway.  The worst way to start a hole is from the rough or the woods or out of bounds.  Put your drives in play, even if you have to sacrifice some distance to do it.

以下是一些练习的要点，主要是：击球目标范围尽可能小，客观地中肯地认识自己的击球距离并力求稳定。练习中强调专注/思考和调节

Here are some additional tips you should add to your practice routine.

Always aim for a target.  Make that target as small as possible.  Aim at a specific blade of grass when you are putting.  Instead of just hitting a five iron, aim at the left edge of the 150 yard sign.  Try to hit the 250 sign with your drives.  And use this same targeting technique when you play a round.

After you’ve made a shot, look to see how close you came to hitting your target.  Keep giving yourself feedback and you will automatically begin to adjust.

After you’ve made a shot, look to see how far you have hit it.  Get a feel for how far you hit specific clubs.  Forget about how far you are supposed to hit them, or how far the pros hit them.  This is called “learning the value of the club” and it is critical if you are to select clubs properly.

Take your time on the practice tee.  Be aware of what you are doing and how well you are doing it.  Simply cranking out shot after shot unthinkingly only grooves ingrained habits.  No learning takes place when you practice thoughtlessly.

In conclusion, the game of golf is played on a course, and the course itself will dictate what types of shots you will have to execute well if you are to score well.  Attentive practice will teach you to play those shots well, and your game is bound to improve.

大意如此，还是要看英文原文才能理解此文之精髓。译得不当之处请各位高手指正，有兴趣的也可分段翻译，或许大家分头动手能凑成全文来！