A hook is a specific right-to-left trajectory shape for a golf ball created by a significant tilt of the spin-axis of the golf ball to the left, or a counter-clockwise spin. This is opposite for lefties. A hook usually ends up to the left of the target line, and the term is often used when the curve in the trajectory is extreme and unintentional. The less extreme version of a hook is called a “draw”.
In understanding the basics of the golf swing, in order to hit the ball squarely and straight every time, you must return to the original spot at impact. A hook is caused by the club face being slightly closed at the point of impact, thus causing the ball to spin in a counter-clockwise motion, (opposite for lefties). In most cases the swing path is correct, but the golf ball is not being hit squarely at the point of impact, commonly caused by what is known as a “strong grip”.
As in the slice, the hook is often a product of an improper grip. Start by looking at your current grip. Remembering the basics of the golf grip, you should only see 2 knuckles of your left hand. If you see 3 knuckles, then you have a “strong grip” and this maybe the cause of your golf hook.
You can fix your hook by trying to change your grip to a “weak grip”. Turn your hands slightly counter-clockwise on your grip, (opposite for lefties), thus weakening the grip. Grip pressure is also a key element in the release process. If the pressure is too loose at impact then the tendency will for the club to release too early causing the ball to hook.
Remember the basics and only hold the club tight enough to keep control. You should not have any tension on your wrist and forearms. Practice the grip and check your results. Changing your grip should be slight, over compensating can cause other problems with your swing or begin to cause you to slice.
Most golf hooks are from a “strong grip”, but in order for you to correct your hook properly; you must have the know-how and learn the basics of the golf swing.
A push is a ball that goes directly to the right because of the action of the club. This should not be mistaken for a slice. A slice is an action of the ball spinning clockwise. A slice normally begins to the target and arcs away to the right, (left for lefties). A push is an action of the swing and is normally in an in-to-out swing motion. The opposite of the push is the pull, which is an out-to-in swing motion.
The push is caused by the swing path of the club. In the down swing, the path of the club will travel in an in-to-out path. Normally this is caused by throwing your arms ahead of your shoulders, being too close to the ball, and trying to over compensate your swing to make contact with the ball, or having your hips ahead of the impact area. These are the easiest to identify, but there could be other reasons.
The easiest way to fix a push is to go back to the basics of the golf swing. The push is directly related to the action of the golf swing. Throwing your arms ahead of your shoulders, make sure that during your back swing, you push your arms out with your shoulders, and on the down swing, you pull your arms down with your shoulders.
At the point of impact you should be back to the same point as you were at your stance. Standing too close to the ball, check out your stance. The club face should be positioned center of the ball and the butt end of the club should be about 4-5 inches from the inside of the left thigh and in line with it.
Having your hips ahead of the impact area, again, you should remember to be exactly the same at the point of impact as you were at your stance. The push comes from an improper club swing and knowing the basics.
The shank is a missed hit ball off the club face. Other ways that a ball can be missed hit include topping, whiffing, blading, dubbed, or fat shot. All of these miss hits are the product of only a few things;
Not keeping your head down through your swing.
Standing too close or too far from the ball.
Improper Club Grip.
Improper Swing Dynamics.
A shank is something that nobody wants to have happen to them. A shank is normally a product of not concentrating. Slow down, remember the basics, keep your head down, and concentrate on the shot at hand. The shank is one of the easiest fixable problems in golf.
Remember your training and get back to the basics. By getting back to the basics of golf, and learning the correct grip or proper stance, and using the proper swing technique will help in eliminating all of the problems with miss hitting the ball.
Those are the most common problems golfers find with their swing. There are also some very common mistakes that golfers make.
You can ruin a good round by trying to pull off that one in a million shot and making a triple bogey. After hitting a shot into trouble you are almost always better off to take a safe route out and play for a bogey.
What exactly is course management? Essentially, it means adapting your game to the specific nuances of the course and playing the course in the best way you can to achieve a good score.
When does course management start? Some players will tell you it starts after they have to make a decision on the course.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Course management starts before you tee off on the first hole. You should always have a plan for the round you are playing and more importantly you should always have a plan and a target for each and every shot.
One particular area that most all golfers should concentrate on is hitting the ball from 125-150 yards out to the green. By improving your game in this area you’ll give yourself many more chances for birdie and par putts.
The key to this aspect of your game is being able to “know” that you can hit the ball onto any green from 150 yards out. You want to get to the point where you can consistently knock on 8 or 9 iron onto the green every time!
It may sound difficult if you’re a higher handicap golfer, but it’s really not. 125 -150 yards is very manageable, and most greens are large in size. In addition, hitting 8 and 9 irons are much easier to control than your longer irons.
If you have a tough time swinging these clubs then this is an area where you need to spend some quality practice time on. Once you do get this down, the only part left is distance management.That’s the first key. The next point is working your game around the 150 yard shot.
If you’re on a 550 yard par 5, you know if you hit a decent drive and even if you hit your second shot poorly, leaving you with 135 yards to the green, you know you can now get it on the green with your third shot.So, even though you didn’t hit a great second shot, because you have the 150 yard shot in your bag you’re still putting for birdie. This is what good course management is all about.
It’s amazing what focusing on this part of your game can do for you. You’ll see your golf game differently. Now you’ll know that no matter what kind of trouble you get into off the tee box, all you need to do is get your ball 135-150 yards out and you’ll be fine.
Practice until you can master this shot. Then build your golf game with that thought in place. By doing so, you won’t be worrying as much on how to hit bunker shots, chips shots and other tough greenside shots.
Instead of being completely frustrated, you’ll find yourself having more fun.Once you have this shot in your bag, then you can focus on putting, driving, or hitting your long irons. Until then, put all your efforts into mastering the 125-150 yard shot. If you will take this advice I can honestly tell you that you will dramatically lower your golf scores.
You have to know what your strengths and weaknesses are on the golf course. This is essential to the principles of course management. You must know how far you can hit the ball with specific clubs in order to navigate the course in as few shots as possible.
When you are managing the course, you are taking into account the problems and strengths of your game and applying them to the way the course is laid out.
Let’s look at two examples:
1. You are on a par 5 hole with light rough on the left side of the fairway and a lateral water hazard up the right. You’re pretty confident you can hit the green in regulation, but you have a propensity for hitting a “banana ball” or a hard slice. How should you hit this shot taking into consideration the way you play?Most players would just hit it up the middle trying to hit the ball straight hoping to keep the water out of play. However, that water hazard is the hole’s strength and your slice is your weakness. It’s foolish to pit the two against each other because you will probably be the loser.Aim your teen shot to land in the rough on the left side of the fairway. In this case, your normal slice will result in a second shot from the fairway while a straight ball will result in a second shot from the rough. However, you will probably still be able to reach the green in regulation from the rough.Most fairways are at least 40 yards wide. If you aim 10 yards to the left of the fairway, it would take a 50 yard slice to get the ball to the water. A shot with that much curve is rare, so this is definitely the best way to play this hole.
2. You are 150 yards from the green with the pin placed at the front of the green, but the pin is tucked behind a menacing sand trap. You’ve spent a lot of time practicing getting out of the sand and on the green in one shot, but you’re not confident enough in your ability to do it just yet. Your 150-yard club is an 8 iron. What do you do to try and avoid landing in the bunker?Most golfers would automatically reach for their 8 iron, and “take dead aim”. However if you were to play with sound course strategy, you would take a 7 iron and aim for the middle back of the green leaving a straight forward two putt for par. Most people would be afraid of going over the green, but you know that your 7 iron goes a maximum of 165 yards. Even if you hits your best shot you will still have a 45 foot putt for birdie. You also know that if you miss hit the 7 iron it will wind up pin high and in almost no circumstance will the dreaded bunker be in play.
On the other hand if you choose the 8 iron, it will require a near perfect strike to get the ball to the flag. The slightest miss hit results in your ball landing in the sand trap. Here, the 7-iron is the right club based on the layout of the hole.
Putting course management into play with your golf game requires a good working knowledge of the way you play and what you are capable of doing. That means you need to track your progress and really pay attention to how your game is coming along.
Course management skills can really help shave strokes off of your score. So can knowing what the most common mistakes and problems golfers have along with ways to combat them.
Ah, those fairway bunkers – the golfer’s bane. Sand traps are a reality on many courses, and you will probably find yourself having to shoot out of them on a fairly regular basis. Although we certainly hope that’s not the case, it certainly is possible. Knowing how to effectively hit out of a sand trap is another huge part of a good golf game.
First, don’t be afraid of the bunker shot. Sure, it can be intimidating, but you can develop good technique that will get you out of the sand and back on the grass – even on the green.
Establish firm footing and take an open stance. Open the clubface by turning it to the outside before hitting the ball. This will put loft on the ball and allow the back portion of the bottom of the club to bounce off the sand instead of having the leading edge dig into the sand. You will want to use a wedge for this shot – preferably a sand wedge.
Distribute most of your weight to the left side of your body. You will swing the club back and through the same distance. Don’t let the clubface close and accelerate through the ball. Don’t let the club touch the sand (a big rules no-no) and concentrate on hitting the sand about two inches behind the ball.
What you are trying to do is take as little sand as possible without making contact with the ball. You want the sand to life the ball out of the bunker. As you make contact with the sand there should be a cupping of the left wrist.
Let me explain “cupping.” Assume you are wearing a watch on your left wrist and the face, as usual, is pointing outward. When contacting the sand on the forward swing, you should try to take the back of your left hand and move it towards your watch face, thereby creating wrinkles underneath your left wrist.
This action is called “cupping of the wrist” and it is very necessary in producing quality sand shots. Since this motion prevents the club from closing, the ball is lifted in the air with backspin.
You will want to have a neutral grip on the club. You don’t want to use a strong grip for bunker shots because it’s absolutely essential that the club face slides under the ball and into your finish without the club face closing.
A neutral grip is one that has the back of the left hand facing parallel to the target line and the right palm facing the same direction. Slap your hands together in front of you and you’ll instantly see what I mean. You can also choke down on the club in an effort to gain more control.
Aim the club face down the target line which should be just left of the hole. You’ve heard all the hype about opening the club face and such and that’s fine if you hit a lot of bunker shots but most folks don’t so aim the club face down the target line which should be just left of the hole. The target should be just left of the hole because this method will impart some left to right spin which will move the ball from left to right once it gets on the ground.
Aim your feet on a 20-30 degree angle to the left of the target line. The greater the angle you create between your feet and the target line, the higher and softer the ball will come out of the trap. Practice these shots a bit with varying angles and you’ll see what I mean. Find the angle where you’re most comfortable and which produces the best results and stick with it whatever it might be.
This all works for balls that are lying on top of the sand, but what do you do if your ball is buried? The technique is different.
When your ball is buried (fried egg) in the bunker, you do not want to swing super long and follow through. The idea is to pick your sand wedge up abruptly, swing down steep, stick your club in the sand, and leave it there. What will happen is your ball will pop out. It won’t have any spin on it because of the lie, but the chance of it getting out of the sand are much better than if you were to follow through.
Why is this so…? You want a very steep angle of attack and no follow through on this shot because it allows for the club to get more underneath the ball. With some of the ball resting below the surface, you need to compensate to get underneath it. That is where a short, steep, punchy type of swing works best.
A typical bunker shot calls for an open stance, an open clubface, and a nice shallow swing while taking a little bit of sand. That will not work with a plugged lie, regardless of how hard you swing. Your club will be approaching from too shallow an angle.
You will hit the sand to the RIGHT of the ball, instead of hitting the sand UNDERNEATH the ball. Thus, your club will just bounce, or deflect into the ball. Worse yet, you will plow too much sand into the back of ball and it will go nowhere. You need to get below the ball somehow.
Here’s what I recommend from a buried lie in a greenside bunker:
1. Set up with a bit squarer stance.
2. Square the clubface a bit also. This will allow for the leading edge to enter the sand first.
3. Pick the club up steeper, and then swing down steeper and stick the club in the ground. Hit about 1-3 inches behind the ball. You can swing hard, just don’t follow through. You won’t be able to follow through if you make the correct swing, because you will be coming down too steep. That’s good!
This is not a shot that you will face a lot, but I still think it is worth practicing. Go to a practice trap and step on a couple balls to bury them a little. Then hit some shots. Experiment a bit. Especially get the feeling of that up and down “chopping” motion, and that no follow through release. By doing so, you will find that this shot is not really that hard to get out of the bunker.
After a round of golf while socializing in the ’19th Hole’, you will always hear “I hit the ball well but didn’t score.” The object of the game of golf is to score the lowest possible score you can. How you can hit the ball well and not score can be summed up in two words: course management.
Again, many golfers have trouble with their putting. I know of one experienced golfer who can consistently drive the ball 250 to 300 yards only to get on the green and three putt. Nothing frustrates him more, but putting is an important part of your golf game – possibly THE most important part.
Stroking the ball is only one part of putting. To putt effectively, you first need to know how to read a green. That means looking at the trajectory your ball will travel and compensate for any dips, hills, or anything else that could cause your ball to move a specific way.
Good green reading comes with experience. After hitting enough putts over enough different types of terrain and grass, you develop a sixth sense of how the ball will roll. As you walk onto a green, whether you realize it or not, you take in all sorts of subtle information.
If the green appears light, you know you’re putting against the grain; if it’s dark you’re down grain. If the green is set on a high area of the course and you feel a breeze as you step onto it, you sense that the putt will be fast. Even if you don’t look closely at the surrounding terrain, you are aware of any major slope in the land.
Without having to tell yourself, you know which the low side of the green is and which the high is. If the putting surface is hard and crusty under foot, you receive one message; if it’s soft and spongy you get another. Experience with many, many putts allows you to run this data through your computer before you even mark your ball.
The most elusive aspect of green reading has to do with the grain. Grain refers to the direction in which the blades of grass grow. The light/dark appearance is one way to read it. Another method you can use is to take your putter blade and scrape it across a patch of fringe. If the blades of grass brush up, you’re scraping against the grain. If they mat down, you’re scraping with it. (Incidentally, be sure to do this scraping on the fringe. On the greens, it’s against Rule 35-1f.)
A third method is to take a look at the cup. Often, the blades of grass will grow over the edge of the cup in the direction in which the grain moves. Incidentally, grain usually grows toward water, especially toward the ocean, and in the East it’s apt to lean toward the mountains. If you’re not near any such topography, figure on the grain growing in the direction of the setting sun.
Grain is strongest on Bermuda grass, where short, crew-cut-like blades tend to push the ball strongly. Although each putt on each green is different, as a general rule you can figure on stroking the ball about 20 percent harder than usual on a putt that’s dead into the grain, and about 20 percent less on a down grain putt.
When the ball breaks with the grain, you need to read-in extra “borrow” on the putt. When the slope is against the grain, play for less break. These effects are less marked on the long-stemmed bent and other strains of grass, but they are present nonetheless.
The break of your putt will also be affected by the firmness of a green, the wetness/dryness, the amount of wind you’re facing, and even the time of day. In general, any time you have to hit the ball hard, you play for less break.
Another way of reading the break on a green is to watch the way other players’ putts behave. I’m all for this “going to school,” but with one caveat: Allow for any difference between your own playing style and those of your fellow players. If, for instance, your friend is a lagger and you’re a charger, don’t play as much break as he does.
Finally, one hard and fast rule in putting is this: Never hit the ball until you have a good vision of the path on which it will roll. Sometimes the vision will come to you immediately. You’ll see the perfect putt the minute you step up to it, and more often than not, you’ll sink it just as you saw it.
Other times, it will take much longer to get a picture of the putt, and even then you won’t be comfortable. But don’t make your stroke until you have the best read you can get. You have to believe in your line if you want to have a good chance of sinking any putt.
If the green is located near water, you can bet the ball is going to break towards that body of water. I’m not sure why this is, but it is certainly true.
It’s essential that you know you shouldn’t be aiming for the hole. Good putters know that you have to pick a spot on the green and then aim for that spot. For example, if you think the ball will break three inches to the right, pick a spot three inches to the left and shoot at that spot.
Don’t think of a putt as a curved shot – think of every putt as being straight on. When you have your spot, aim to have the ball travel right over that spot. If you have read the green correctly, the ball will naturally travel into the hole.
Don’t rush reading a green. Take a look at how your ball lies from all angles. Walk around it; look at it from across the pin to see the trajectory that the ball needs to travel at. But have respect for your fellow golfers. Don’t take forever reading a green. It’s not rocket science and you won’t want to hold up play.
Keep in mind that the line of the putt has little to do with being able to put the ball in the hole. Good putting depends on the speed of the ball when it leaves your putter’s face. But achieving that speed can be quite elusive. There’s no easy way to judge how hard you need to hit the ball to get good speed. However, there is something you can do.
Go to the practice putting green. Hit several putts with about a 12-inch backswing. Do this over and over until you can get a good idea of how far the ball will go with that 12-inch backswing. Then when you get on the real green, you can use that putt as a reference to determine how much you will have to add or take away from your backswing to sink the putt.
The way you grip your putter can make a difference in accurate putting as well. You can choose what’s best for you, but most professional golfers know that gripping a driver and gripping a putter should be two different animals.
You will want complete control of your putter for the most accuracy. One technique that can help you do this is to modify your grip so that both of your index fingers are extending down either side of the shaft and your thumbs are placed together on the top of the shaft. This can help you guide your putter smoothly and improve your accuracy.
When in your stance, you need to be positioned directly over the ball. I like to call this hovering the putt because you are hovering over the ball like a mother hovers over her children. Set the putter square to the target and have the ball positioned right in the middle of the club face – which most people refer to as the “sweet spot”.
Keep your body free of tension and your body motion limited. When you swing, you should do so in a pendulum-like motion using your shoulders not your hips. Always follow through with your putt and accelerate through the ball. Your follow through should be about the same distance as your pull back motion and you need to keep your eyes on the ball at all times.
And most golfers know that if you are faced with either an uphill putt or a downhill put, you should always go with the uphill choice. A downhill putt is much more complicated because of gravity whereas when you putt uphill, you can gain more control of your stroke.
Good putting is essential to a good golf game, so practice as much as you can and try to be consistent in all you do.
This is the part of golf that many golfers have the most trouble with. Because chipping requires a bit of finesse, it’s much easier to flub a shot or overshoot the hole. There are some good techniques you can use when chipping the ball up onto the green.
There are two parts to a successful short game: the plan and the execution. The plan is simply defining your shot before you play it. You should determine where you plan to land the ball and how far it will roll. The plan should include landing the ball on the green whenever possible and playing the best percentage shot. The best percentage shot is usually the one that is simplest to execute.
Since you are hitting the ball a shorter distance than with a full swing, you should choke up on the club, narrow your stance, and stand closer to the ball. Picture the shot you’re about to play and make a practice swing to approximate the swing you’ll need. The club should be swung with arms and shoulders, with some wrist break. The key to shots around the green is to “keep the arms moving”.
As with other golf shots, picking the right club is essential to an effective chip. First of all, chip shots are essentially those played from right off the green. Most are otherwise known as “bump and runs.” Don’t confuse them with pitches, which are lofted shots with a sand-wedge.
Many of us have been taught over the years to get the ball on the green as soon as possible and let it roll to the hole. There is nothing wrong with this. This is fine.
The issue of concern, however, is when golfers go about playing different length of chips with an assortment of clubs. They hit a 9-iron if the flag is 20 feet away, 8-iron thirty feet, 7-iron forty feet, etc. You should really just choose ONE club to hit all of your “bump and runs” with, and adjust for the distance with the force of your swing.
It can be a 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, wedge, or sand wedge. It doesn’t matter that much. A great player, Phil Mickelson, likes to use his sand wedge in just about every case. He will play it far back in his stance, with his hands way ahead to bump it. On the other hand, Corey Pavin often uses a 5-iron around the green. He just “taps” it and the ball goes scurrying across the green with a lot of topspin.
These are extremes, however. You should pick a 7, 8, or 9-iron. I, personally, like to use a 9-iron for chipping. I know how the ball is going to come off of the club because that’s the one I practice with all the time. I have tried using a 7-iron on longer chips, but the ball seems to explode off the club face because I am not sure the proper force that I need to use.
The art of chipping is hard enough without having to master four or five clubs. Practice with a couple at first. You should hit short “bump and runs” from the fringe and then longer “bump and runs” from in front of the green.
From there, decide which one you like better, which one you can control the spin better with, and ultimately which one that you can control the distance better with. Then, put the other one in the bag, and practice with the one you chose. Master this one club approach and your chipping will improve dramatically.
You will want most of your weight to be focused on your lead foot. For right handers, that would be the left foot. Your swing should be in a pendulum motion with no wrist action. If you break your wrists on a chip shot, your ball is going to shoot to one side or you may overshoot the hole altogether.
As we’ve said, you often won’t want to take a full swing when chipping. Gauge the distance you are away from the hole and then estimate how hard you’ll have to hit the ball to get it to the hole – or at least close to the hole!
Here are some general tips on chipping that can really help:
* Keep your hands ahead of, or even with, the club head on the follow-through.
* Grip the club firmly so that the rough doesn’t twist the club on the swing.
* Get the ball rolling on the green as soon as possible; this will make it easier to control the shot
* In deep rough, angle the club so the toe is the only part touching the ground.
* In windy or downhill conditions, or on fast greens, always chip the ball instead of pitching it.
* Repair all divots taken.
* Be careful not to hit the ball too hard; otherwise it might roll off the other side of the green.
Chipping should not be confused with pitching. When you chip a ball, you are going to be just off the green and you want the ball to easily roll across the green and toward your target. A pitch shot is a lofted shot that flies more than it rolls. A pitch is usually used when you are a little further off the green but you still are close enough that you won’t want to take a full golf swing.
A pitch shot is usually from 30-70 yards away from the green. You can also use a pitch shot if you need to hit above trees, hazards, or sand traps.
Use a lofted wedge club like a sand wedge, a pitching wedge, or a lob wedge. These clubs have faces that allow you to get underneath the ball and put it in the air.
You will want an open stance with your feet closer together. The ball should be positioned in the center of the stance. Your body turn will be determined by the size of the swing. Focus about 70 percent of your weight on your lead foot.
You will have to modify your backswing according to the distance you have to go to the hole. It can be waist high, shoulder high, or a full swing. Just don’t put too much power into it or you will overshoot the green. Let your legs and body turn slightly through the shot.
As with any shot, your aim should be to present the clubface perfectly square to the target. But this is even more important with the pitch, as any minor deviations will be magnified by such an intense shot. Aim for a ball then turf contact. If you are regularly thinning the ball when attempting this shot, you are probably not accelerating into it.
Once on the green, you’ll want to putt effectively. There’s nothing more frustrating than taking more putts than what you need to.
How many times a round do you either pick up your ball when it is a foot or so away from the hole. Or even worse, have one of the guys in your
group kick the ball back to you saying “that’s good”?
Each time you don’t hole out on the green you are costing yourself a chance to build confidence. You are depriving yourself of the opportunity to
watch the ball go in the hole.
Putting is greatly influenced by attitude and confidence. Much of this is subconscious. You may not notice an effect if you pick up your “gimmies”
until you have an 18 inch putt that means something. Having had most of them kicked back to you, can you consider them automatic.
Nothing builds your confidence like making putts. Remember the confidence you feel after making a string of not so gimmie putts? Think about how
many strikes you would save if you made every putt you had under ten feet. Think about how easy the game would seem if all you had to do to make
par on a par four is put it within ten feet of the hole in three shots.
The first step in rebuilding lost confidence in putting is to start watching some putts drop. Over the course of a round, you may have four or five
“gimmies”. Each of those is a lost chance to see a putt go in when it counts.
Think it doesn’t matter if the putt is only two feet and you would be “certain” to make it? Well, if you have been taking (and giving) gimmies for
years, you probably rarely see the ball go in the hole from two feet. What is not filled by confidence and experience will be filled by doubt.
Make a commitment to yourself to make that last putt on every single hole. It may only be a foot away, but the visual reinforcement of seeing the ball
go in the hole off of your putter will build confidence over time.
You will find that five footers become easier once you get used to seeing
How many times have you gotten to the course with just a few minutes left til your tee time. You rush into pay, then if your lucky over to the range to
hit a few balls. Maybe, you go to the green for about two minutes, then race off to the tee.
That is no way to start a round of golf. But if you only have five minutes to warm up, oh well…
When you are pressed and only have a couple of minutes on the green, the first thing you have to do is realize that spending that time hitting as
many putts as you can will only throw your rhythm off once you get on the course.
Instead, take your time and hit maybe just a few good putts, putting in maximum effort on each. Including a read of the putt. Hit them just as you
would on the course. Go through your entire routine and establish a rhythm for the day before you even get to the first tee.
Over the course of a round, the vast majority of the putts you face will be less than twenty feet. You should keep your “warmup” putts within that
distance as well.
You should hit some of them on a level part of the green, some uphill, and some downhill. Of course, if you have more time, use it for sure. But the
main thing to keep in mind if you are pressed for time before teeing off is to work on establishing your putting rhythm with the precious time you do
have.
The key when time is short is to slow down and make each warmup putt or shot on the range you do get to hit as useful as possible. You can do this
by working to establish your rhythm making a few quality golf shots instead of a bunch of miserable ones.