Max Homa reveals the strategic work players undertake on the range during Masters week, emphasizing shot shaping and trajectory control.
Max Homa offered a glimpse into the deliberate preparation process at Augusta National, highlighting how professional golfers approach their practice sessions during Masters week. Speaking from the tournament practice area, Homa explained the varying intensity and focus of practice days leading up to the year’s first major championship.
Building a Game Plan Through Progressive Practice
The practice schedule at Augusta follows a distinct rhythm, with each day—Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday—serving a different purpose in a player’s preparation. “Mondays are different than Tuesdays are different than Wednesdays,” Homa noted. Early in the week, players emphasize loosening up and working through their entire bag, combining more technical work with their coaches to assess their current form and establish a strategic approach for the tournament.
Homa’s coaching team, led by Mark, combines analytical data with feel-based feedback to develop contingency plans. “Mark does the kind of numbers and whatnot and then I try to marry that to what feel that would associate to,” he explained. The approach acknowledges that while data may suggest an ideal method, players need backup strategies if a technique feels uncomfortable or unsustainable during competition.
Shot Shaping and Trajectory Work Define Augusta Preparation
The unique demands of Augusta National’s layout create distinctive practice priorities. Players work with notably higher driver speeds on the range compared to typical weeks, a reflection of the course’s demanding setup. More significantly, professionals invest considerable time shaping shots and controlling ball flight—working the ball both right-to-left and left-to-right, along with varying trajectories.
“You’re going to see people work the ball a lot more on the driving range and try to get comfy with working it right to left, left to right, high, low,” Homa observed. This emphasis stems from Augusta’s fundamental nature as a second-shot golf course. Success at the Masters hinges on precision approach play and the ability to control trajectory and curvature to maximize the slopes and undulations of the greens.
“I think you’ll see a lot of people more conscientious of that on the range,” Homa concluded, underscoring how the specific architecture of Augusta National—with its dramatic elevation changes and sloped putting surfaces—dictates a distinctly different preparation methodology compared to standard PGA Tour events.
The Masters begins in just over a week, with the tournament set to commence on April 9, 2026. For players like Homa and others competing at Augusta, these final days of focused range work represent the bridge between preparation and championship performance.
This article was created with the help of AI and editorially reviewed. Report an issue