Introducing Stress Tests: A new way to practice with purpose

Almost every golf instructor points to a similar problem with their students. The issue isn’t so much a lack of practice, but a lack of practice that resembles real golf.

Even players with access to a driving range or a short-game facility revert to hitting a bunch of shots without enough regard for where the ball goes. Not surprisingly, when it’s time to keep score, they say everything feels different.

The purpose of Stress Tests, a new tool for Golf Digest+ members, is to bridge the gap between how golfers prepare in practice and the challenges they face on the course. The consistent thread is to make every shot count in a competitive context. They’re designed as games, and just like a regular round of golf, Stress Tests are meant to gauge your shotmaking under pressure.

These tests also account for a wide range of settings, measuring everything from accuracy with the driver to speed control with the putter. You don’t need a state-of-the-art practice facility because some can even be done into a net or with room to chip in your backyard. This is just the first batch, with more features to come that will make it easy for you to compare scores with your friends and even the tour players and celebrities who will be taking them as well. These tests are helpful for every player who is looking to practice smarter.