The Players Club - American Golf

N ick Badel has been around golf long enough to know that there are no quick fixes. To improve your game, it takes practice, ded- ication and plenty of time, said the teaching pro at Vir- ginia Country Club in Long Beach, Calif. "I get the question a lot – how did you become a good player? Well, it didn't happen overnight and there is no secret recipe for achieving your goals," Badel said. "The first thing I tell people is to evaluate their weaknesses." Working on the weaker parts of your game will pay dividends in the long run, Badel said. If you struggle with accuracy hitting your long irons, working to im- prove your results with those clubs may not make that the best part of your game, but will give you a more complete skill set. "If you get one percent better in every category each month, you will see a huge improvement in your game over the next year," Badel said. Another way to lower scores is advice you've probably heard before – spend more time on your short game. "The difference between you and a tour player is that they hit more greens, but they also get up and down quite a bit more frequently," Badel explained. "So in- stead of hitting that second bucket of balls, spend your time on the chipping and putting greens." Badel's last suggestion is to focus on a proper warm up before each round. Doing a little stretching, taking limited swings on the range, getting a feel for your short game and ensur- ing you have sufficient snacks and hydration for the round can do wonders for your scores. "Arrive to the golf course 30-45 minutes before your tee time," Badel suggested. "Jumping out of your car and running to the first tee will not produce good scores, I promise you." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > VIDEO EXTRA! Does Tiger Woods outwork everyone? PURE AND SIMPLE GOLF ACCESSORIES LINE DEvELOPED OUt OF A PASSION FOR tHE GAME t hroughout his life in golf, Nick Badel, a teaching pro at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, Calif., has been fortu- nate enough to play some of the best golf courses in the world. In recent years, he has taken to posting pictures of his fa- vorite hole at each course and captioning the photos with one word – PURE. That simple caption and the reaction from friends everywhere helped spur the creation of his new golf accessories brand – PURE by NB. The company sells hats, head covers, putter covers, golf towels and alignment stick covers. Badel said he may add branded clothing in the near future. "PURE can mean many different things – not just in golf but in everyday life," Badel said. "You can hit a pure shot, you can ride a pure wave, you can putt on some pure greens. People enjoy the name because it is big, bold and simple: PURE." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > CLICK HERE to visit PURE by NB and check out a complete line of products. SOUND ADvICE Focusing on a few key areas can make a big difference on your scorecard LESSON tEE The Player's Club Insider // Fall 2019 Nick Badel shares his advice for lower scores.

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