by Andre Sanchez

One of the most infuriating things on a golf course is to be stuck behind players that cannot keep their round up to speed. We have all had to learn the game, and beginners playing seven or eight shots at every hole are understandable, but not players who should know better playing at a snail's pace.

However, such habits can be cured, and there are things that can be done to speed up your play.  You might not be aware of playing slowly yourself, since players rarely look back to see others standing fuming on the tee waiting for them get moving.  Sometimes it cannot be helped, but here are a few tips on how to improve your pace while avoiding rushing a shot just to let those behind you make their drives.

First, play from an appropriate tee.  Beginners are doing themselves no favors playing from championship tees. They could be adding extra shots on to every round, and if you are prone to doing this just keep in mind that these tees are for professionals who can easily make par from them.  You cannot, so use the tee appropriate to you.  Ladies:  play from your own tee and not that of your male partner.

Next, you should make sure that you follow the line of your ball after you drive.  Watch it fall and choose a prominent part of the course, such as a tree or hillock, as a marker. If you miss it, ask your partner if they saw it fall. That could save time in hunting for it. If you are playing with others, walk to your own ball immediately, while keeping out of the way of other shots.  That way, not only will you not forget where yours landed, but you will be ready to play when it is your turn.

Play your shot mentally while waiting your turn to play.  Don't wait till the others have played before considering the best line to take, or whether to aim short or over the stream. Get it worked out in advance, so all you have to do is to play the shot.  The same is true on the greens.  Don't wait until others have played their shot before looking at yours.  You must have seen professionals lining up their shots while their opponents are doing the same.  They are more or less ready to play when their turn comes.

While practice swings are fine, and an acceptable part of the game, keep them short. There is no need for a dozen swings before you play each shot.  The same is true with warming up and stretching exercises.  Warm up on the first tee by all means, but not on every tee. There is no need and you are simply wasting time. A few bends and twists at the start of your game is all that is needed to prevent muscle injury. Overdo it, and you can cause more harm that good.

Many golfers play close to the out of bounds, and then walk on hoping that they kept inside the fence. When they find out they went over, they then trundle back to the tee to play the other shot. What you should do is top play a provisional just in case, and lift it when you find your ball is in bounds.  That is what the pros do and it can save a lot of time. Imagine how you would feel, waiting on the tee for the foursome in front to get a move on when one them starts walking back to the tee again.

I once watched a player in front of me dodder along every fairway checking out the rough and bushes, taking an age to complete each hole.  When I asked him what he was doing when I finally caught up with him on a tee, he said he was looking for golf balls.  Every round, he said, he would find two or three balls that he would sell once he had a dozen. So there's another tip:  don't hunt for golf balls during your round.  If you must look for lost balls then do it in your own time, not when playing and holding others up. That's quite an unusual reason for slow play, but I suppose he is not the only one doing this to pay for his round.

Finally, get fit! Golf practice involves more than just hitting the ball.  You should train for golf not only by carrying out flexibility and strength exercises, but also with stamina training.  While it is true that you won't add any distance on a treadmill, you will be fitter to walk round the course.  You can walk over four miles during a golf round, and if you are not fit for it you can take an age just to walk it, let alone play golf shots in between.

Every one of these suggestions will save a bit of time.  Just imagine if you did everything above that you are not supposed to, and count up the time you could waste at every hole.  Little wonder that some players are aggravating and annoying those behind them with the time they take to play each hole.

Don't be one of them, take note of the above points, learn how to pace your golf round, and you will avoid slow play and proceed at a steady rate.

How to Pace Your Golf Round to Avoid Slow Play was originally published at http://www.golfplayernow.com