train where you can.

I’ve always been a fan of improvisation.  Especially in my new training life, it’s important to be able to improvise because it you’re trying to train every day and you live in a place like the rainy Pacific Northwest, you have to be creative at times in order to get in your hours.  At home, I put up a net and a driving mat in my garage, have a 25 foot stretch of carpet dedicated to practicing lag putts, have a corner of a room where I can do “aiming” drills, a large mirror where I can practice my swing form, etc.  I also have a few parks where I know I can go if the courses are too busy and use my shag bag and hit balls from one end to the other without getting in anyone’s way.

Not only are these good ways to keep The Dan Plan moving along, but changing you scenery also aids in the learning process, so even if you can’t make it to the practice green to get in some putting drills, what about just dropping a ball and a coin in your office or at your home and working on tempo and balance for a bit?  Every little bit counts and helps.

Here’s an extreme example.  After my morning session and a workout today, I didn’t feel like fighting rush hour traffic for 45 minutes to get to Mangrove Bay, and I wanted to work on some bunker shots, so I just went out to the beach and drew a circle to aim for and hacked away.  It’s nice to have such a good training tool in your backyard, it’s definitely not possible in Portland.