A glimpse of life on the PGA Tour
Have you ever wondered what professional golfers get up to in the build-up to a tournament?
Even though we travel all over the US, my routine stays pretty much identical every week.
Here's what I do to get ready before Thursday comes around and the TV cameras get turned on...
Monday: If I've been at home the week before then Monday is a travel day.
Most of the PGA Tour schedule is played in the eastern half of the US, so that normally means an early start at the airport in Phoenix before setting off for our next destination.
Once we arrive and get our car sorted out, it's straight to the hotel for an early night as I like to play early on Tuesdays.
Tuesday: This is the big practice day of the week for me.
If I'm not in the Wednesday Pro-Am, it's the only chance I'll get to see the golf course and how it's playing.
The Pro-Am is mandatory for the top 40 players in the field, based on the previous year's money list.
Things are a little easier for me now as it's my third year on Tour.
I know most of the courses and don't need to try to collect all the info on the greens and hole layouts in one day.
I have yardage books from previous years that have all my notes, which are very handy - if I remember to bring them!
That was maybe the hardest thing as a rookie in 2008, having to learn a new golf course every week.
I normally get to the course just before 7am to get organised for the week ahead.
I like to play early on Tuesdays to beat the rush. If you turn up a bit later then you've got to be prepared for a five-hour round - definitely not what I'm looking for.
If I can convince any of my mates to play as early as me then I'll sometimes get a game set up, but I mostly like to just turn up and go myself if no-one is around.
I don't mind playing practice rounds alone as it gives me a chance to get some good work done with my caddy and coach.
My coach, Mark McCann, travels to most tournaments as he works with a few guys on Tour.
I also prefer to get a lot of my short game practise done on the course as it's a lot easier than the chipping green.
There are normally balls flying everywhere and the conditions are rarely identical to the greens that we'll play on.
On Tuesday afternoon I do any work that needs done which is hopefully just some sharpening up. I might also get some club work done.
I'm not an equipment tinkerer but I'll maybe get my lofts and lies checked and some new grips thrown on my clubs. That needs to be done roughly every six weeks.
After doing some short-game work and hitting a few more balls to make sure it all feels good, I always finish practise with a couple of putting drills.
I don't always want to do them but I feel they are really important. It's a small goal that I make myself complete every day before I can go home.
I don't know why, but when I finish them I feel a lot better about my practise and feel that I can go home and know that I've done my work.
I'm the type of person that would have a hard time looking back and thinking that I could have worked harder to achieve more. Those small goals really help.
Next up is the gym. Nothing too strenuous when on the road but it's important to get in there and get some work done.
I've just started working with a new trainer in the PGA Tour trailer.
We're doing some good things that will hopefully help my game in the short and long term. I used to workout a lot but got out of the routine, so it feels good to be back at it.
After that I head back to the hotel for some dinner.
Wednesday: What time I practise on Wednesday is dependant on when I'm down to play on Thursday.
If I have a morning tee-time I'll practise in the morning on Wednesday.
Sessions normally last about three hours and are pretty much divided into an hour each for long game, short game and putting.
I take it a little easier to try to conserve some energy for the next four days of competition.
That's a pretty common approach amongst the guys on the Tour.
Tuesday is the day you see the real grinding going on and Wednesday's are a little lighter.
If you don't have it sorted out late on Wednesday you probably aren't going to find it before Thursday's round.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~50~RS~)
I was born and bred in Glasgow, but now I live in Scottsdale, Arizona, and make my living on the US PGA Tour.
I won my maiden Tour event in October 2009 - the first Scot to do so on US soil since Sandy Lyle won the Masters in 1988.
I want to win again and play in this year's Ryder Cup, so I'll be letting you know how I'm going about it, as well as providing you a behind the scenes look at the PGA Tour.
Comments
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Hi Martin, I wonder, who has been your favourite playing partner since you joined the tour? ross, at http://golfshorts.wordpress.com
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Interesting stuff, Martin, Thanks.
Any particular favourite courses, or places you have an especially tough time at?
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Just heard that Tiger might be making a comeback at the Masters without a warm up tourney. He is one guy that will be practicing like mad taken your schedule, he would probably be doubling up on those practice rounds, though he knows Augusta fairly well. He usually begins at the braek of dawn.I am sort of surprised he is coming back here, from his speach it looked like the US Open to me. Well, if anyone can turn this around it is he, won't surprise me one bit if he comes in the top 5.
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Hi Martin, how long are your gym sessions, how many do you do a week both at and away from an event? How do they differ? You see guys like Tiger and Caimlo and they look like real athletes, like they could be boxers or sprinters. How do they find the time to maintain this during events as well as enough practice to play great golf?
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Hi Martin,
Great insight. Love it!
Is there any time you dedicate to strategy or is that something that gets discussed while you practice with your caddie?
On the gym work what kind of work out is it? Power exercises? Heavy-ish weights with a low number of fast reps? Whats the split between weights, running etc. against stretching?
Lastly, you suggest you may have forgotten a yardage book or two! Us 606ers were talking recently about leaving putters etc at home or in the car. Whats the biggest or most important thing you have forgotten whilst on tour?
Cheers
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You say you re-grip every six weeks or so, are we amateurs that only re-grip every couple of years or so loosing out big time by not doing it more often?
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Great blog Martin. Some real insight - thanks!
I'd be interested to know what kind of gym work you do during tournaments. I find I always get a little stiff after lifting weights, I'd imagine this might restrict my swing / feel. Or do you get massages etc to sort it out?
Wow - i didn't realise you guys regripped every 6 weeks. Does it make a difference?
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no 3 - Gladiatorsport - what pointless comments, nothing to do with the blog.
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On the re-gripping of clubs, obviously we use our clubs a lot more than the average golfer so need to get them changed a lot more. I find after about 6-8 weeks my grips loose their tackiness and I need new ones. If you give your grips a good rub with a wet towel and once they have dried aren't very tacky, its probably time for new ones. It will make a difference!
Gym work - I try to work out 3 times a week on the road and 4 at home. A lot of the work I do is for leg/hip strengthening and balance, lots of dynamic stretches/exercises that help strengthen while increasing flexibility. Lunges/squats using medicine balls etc. to work legs/hips/core strength all at the same time. I don't do too much at all with heavy weights, lighter weights with lots of reps is probably more beneficial to most golfers. Core strength is very important in the golf swing so there is a lot of focus on that. On the road I do interval sprints after a work out for my cardio and while at home I like to mountain bike to improve my fitness and strengthen my legs.
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G'day Martin,
Thought the article was an interesting insight into your world.
In the article you mentioned that you did a putting routine at the end of everydays practice.
Firstly would you be able to explain a little further the particulars of this? For example do you set yourself a test and you have to complete this before you leave the putting green ( ie ten in a row from 4 ft, 8 ft etc)
Secondly do you also do this exercise on days of competetion ?
Well thanks for the blog and hope the upcomming tournaments go well, also if ya see Michael Sim give him a Big cheer from Aus.
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Really interesting Martin. It's great to hear what the tour is like from an insider (and a fine golfer too). My question is this. Being fully exempt, what influences your choice of which tournaments you play. Is your choice mainly based on courses you've scored well on in previous years or sponsors who treated you well in the past ? Did you set your complete schedule up at the start of the year or do you take it very much from week to week ?
Keep on flying the flag for Scotland mate and be lucky.
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