This tour pro's 4-3 practice structure is tedious—but genius

You want to know what getting better at golf looks like? What it actually looks like? This. This is what it looks like.

What's going on here, you ask? Well, it's the practice routine of PGA Tour player Jimmy Stanger, who works with Golf Digest Best in State Teacher John Scott Rattan.

Stanger shared the picture on Instagram. It caught my eye, so I reached out and asked him: What's going on here? It was all about "intentions," Stanger says. Making sure he has a clear intention for every single golf ball he hits.

How Stanger's practice structure works

You'll see in the picture above that the golf balls are separated into rows. Each row had four batches of three golf balls—12 golf balls per row.

Stanger said each three-ball batch required a specific intention:

• 3 balls backswing intention
  • For three golf balls, Stanger would focus on hitting the positions he wants on the backswing.
• 3 balls downswing intention
  • During the next three balls, he'd shift focus solely to executing a feel on his downswing.
• 3 slow swings (hitting ball)
  • Next, he'd combine both backswing and downswing moves "into one feel."
• 3 balls full speed (tournament mode)
  • Finally, three balls at full speed, as if you were in a tournament.

After he finished a row, he'd put that club away, and repeat with the next one. Stanger said he did this for every club in his bag.

It's a pretty tedious way to practice—it's much easier to just bang balls thoughtlessly—but this is how you actually make changes. Focusing intently, then going slow, before going faster, is how you get the good stuff to stick in your golf swing. You won't hit as many golf balls, but you'll hit many more good golf balls. And your game will be better because of it.