Work on your game while your issues are still fresh.
No matter how good you are, there are days when you leave the course disappointed. Instead of going home upset, head to the range and the putting green if you can. A little work right after a round is a great way to feel better about your game – and improve, too.
All you’ll need to hit is about 30 balls. Your goal is to correct whatever issues that might have crept into your swing. Things like poor alignment and posture are easy to check post-round. For me, fatigue leads to standing up too straight, making my ball-striking inconsistent. To fix the problem, I grab whatever club I was hitting the worst that day and focus on making swings while keeping my spine angle from getting too upright. If you weren’t hitting it solid, I bet posture had something to do with it.
‘“You can quickly nip posture, alignment or even putting issues.” ‘
The next thing I do is a putting drill to restore the two fundamentals that might have gotten away from me as the round progressed – read and speed. I set up for a 15-foot putt and stick two tees in the ground on my line about halfway between the ball and the cup (the tees act as a gate). I then putt several balls. If a ball goes through the gate and in the hole, it’s worth three points. If it goes through the gate but passes the hole by a foot or two, it’s worth two points. And if it comes up short, it’s worth one point. The goal is to score 10 points in as few balls as possible. I find this immediately erases any bad tendencies from the round and gets my putting back to the basics.
The best post-round work for you might be different, but the point is to improve your weak spots, solidify your fundamentals and head home with the confidence that you’ll play better next time. – with Keely Levins
Boutier, from Clamart in France, won the ISPS Handa Vic Open in 2019 and then went 4-0 for Europe in her first Solheim Cup.
Photographs by J.D. Cuban
