I know I’m always saying how the practice range should be your laboratory and that you should leave the experimentation there. And while I still think that’s important, as I was roaming the fairways Saturday afternoon, I realized that I really need to qualify that thought.

What I’m really trying to get across is that if you’re trying to score, then leave the experimentation on the range and dance with who ya brung and all that. Whether it’s serious competition, or just a matter of trying to do your best, you don’t want to be jeopardizing that with untested or inconsistent techniques.

At the same time, the course can be valuable for experimenting. My situation is a perfect example. I haven’t posted scores or stats for a long while, yet I’m practicing all the time, and playing around three 9+ hole rounds per week. I tend to go out in the late afternoon and my course is usually wide open then. That lets me mostly have the place to myself. What I’m not doing in those times is putting forth my best to score well. At this stage, I think that approach is much more valuable to my overall growth. Eventually, I’ll be more focused on scoring. Right now, however, I have so much I’m working on that fixating on scoring is almost pointless.

The course can be a wonderful learning tool. It presents opportunities that can’t easily be duplicated at most practice facilities.

I can play several balls. I can re-hit failed shots until I make them work. I like to survey individual shots, and then actually ignore the preferred plan of attack and go with the second option, just to see if I can make it work. I like to re-hit putts that I didn’t strike well. I like to play the same shot twice: once playing a draw and once playing a fade to see how the results differ. I like to hit a different club than what my instincts tell me to use, just to see what happens. I like to see how many times out of three shots I can carry the ball 270 yards over a water hazard. I like to focus on the stuff I’m working on at the range to see if I can make it work on command.

The moral of the story is, if you can get time on the course outside of peak hours where you can take your time and try different things, I think you’ll find it to be a great learning experience. It’s a good opportunity to try different things that you’d never try during a round where all your effort is being directed at the best possible score. Some time in the near future, I’m going to play an entire nine holes using only four clubs, just to see what happens. I haven’t decided on which four clubs to use. I’d be interested in hearing your suggestions. How’s that for experimentation?

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