the Elements of Practice
The Elements of Practice (EOPs) are golf drills and games created from Dave Pelz decades of professional golf instruction and scientific research. Ask you SYNLawn dealer or GreensMaster™ on how they can work in these practice drills right into your custom built putting green. Practice like the pros, Play like the Pros!
Short Putts
3-ft Circle Drill
Roll several balls to a hole to first determine the "fall-line" of the slope around the cup. Then place a sticker on the green 3-feet directly above, and a sticker directly below the cup on the exact fall line. Next, use a putter to create 10 more positions (for a total of 12) around the hole (see photo). Place a sticker at each of the 12 locations around the hole (in addition to the initial fall-line stickers: this will leave two stickers on the fall line positions.
Mid-Range Putts
6-ft Circle Drill
A 6-foot putt is a very common leave from chips and long (lag) putts.
This Element of Practice requires a 15-foot diameter circle of constant slope — either 2% or 4% grade. If you create a 6-foot Putt Circle Element of Practice, then you can also create the 3-foot putting circle exercise.
Common Putts
The 20-foot putt is the most common 1st-putt distance golfers face throughout their careers. This Element of Practice requires the placement of two putting cups at a distance of 20-feet apart. This Element of Practice allows you to practice back-and-forth and get very good at the “most common putt length” any golfer, will face. Based on your design, the 20-foot putt can traverse any slope or other feature of the green, but the cups must be 20-feet apart.
Lag Putts
This Element of Practice requires a long putting area where 40-foot, 50-foot, and 60-foot putts can be practiced. One incarnation of the length and slope for this feature would be a stand-alone feature with an almost zero slope (flat) length, the longer the better. However, you can also build this Element of Practice into a green if the size of the green permits and it can traverse any sloping areas.
Putting Over Tiers
Golfers 3-putt when putting over tiers 10-times more often than they 3-putt on flat greens from the same distance of 35-feet.
Humps
Humps are an interesting addition to a putting surface: they increase the green-reading challenge.
Valleys
Valleys are an excellent and valuable addition to a putting surface. They increase the green beauty and practice challenge.
Chipping Areas
Off-green fringe and rough areas are necessary in your backyard complex to enhance your improvement of “low–running chips” and more lofted “pitch” shots. PGA TOUR pros excel in these chipping areas and get up and down between 75 to 85% of the time, while amateurs are in the 15 to 50% range.
Wedge Tee Boxes
Allows you to practice soft pitch shots, soft wedge swings, and even full wedge swings if space allows.
Bunker Shots
Sand Bunkers should be placed far enough away from the putting green so that sand thrown from the bunker doesn't build up on the green. Bunker lips should not get too deep.
Short Putts
3-ft Circle Drill
Roll several balls to a hole to first determine the "fall-line" of the slope around the cup. Then place a sticker on the green 3-feet directly above, and a sticker directly below the cup on the exact fall line. Next, use a putter to create 10 more positions (for a total of 12) around the hole (see photo). Place a sticker at each of the 12 locations around the hole (in addition to the initial fall-line stickers: this will leave two stickers on the fall line positions.
Mid-Range Putts
6-ft Circle Drill
A 6-foot putt is a very common leave from chips and long (lag) putts.
This Element of Practice requires a 15-foot diameter circle of constant slope — either 2% or 4% grade. If you create a 6-foot Putt Circle Element of Practice, then you can also create the 3-foot putting circle exercise.
Common Putts
The 20-foot putt is the most common 1st-putt distance golfers face throughout their careers. This Element of Practice requires the placement of two putting cups at a distance of 20-feet apart. This Element of Practice allows you to practice back-and-forth and get very good at the “most common putt length” any golfer, will face. Based on your design, the 20-foot putt can traverse any slope or other feature of the green, but the cups must be 20-feet apart.
Lag Putts
This Element of Practice requires a long putting area where 40-foot, 50-foot, and 60-foot putts can be practiced. One incarnation of the length and slope for this feature would be a stand-alone feature with an almost zero slope (flat) length, the longer the better. However, you can also build this Element of Practice into a green if the size of the green permits and it can traverse any sloping areas.
Putting Over Tiers
Golfers 3-putt when putting over tiers 10-times more often than they 3-putt on flat greens from the same distance of 35-feet.
Humps
Humps are an interesting addition to a putting surface: they increase the green-reading challenge.
Valleys
Valleys are an excellent and valuable addition to a putting surface. They increase the green beauty and practice challenge.
Chipping Areas
Off-green fringe and rough areas are necessary in your backyard complex to enhance your improvement of “low–running chips” and more lofted “pitch” shots. PGA TOUR pros excel in these chipping areas and get up and down between 75 to 85% of the time, while amateurs are in the 15 to 50% range.
Wedge Tee Boxes
Allows you to practice soft pitch shots, soft wedge swings, and even full wedge swings if space allows.
Bunker Shots
Sand Bunkers should be placed far enough away from the putting green so that sand thrown from the bunker doesn't build up on the green. Bunker lips should not get too deep.