How Do Tour Players Use Practice Rounds? I Followed One Before The International Series Morocco Event To Find Out

Over the years, I’ve been out many times to watch the top players in practice rounds. In a way, I enjoy those days more than the tournament ones. There are fewer people around, the players are more chilled out and you can get closer to them, even share a few words with them.

You get to see them trying unusual shots and generally playing in relaxed fashion.

While at International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, I had the chance to spend a couple of days watching the players prepare and practice before the tournament began.

Introduced in 2022, The International Series is a set of elevated events co-sanctioned by both LIV Golf and the Asian Tour. It offers players significant tournament prize funds, the chance to earn world ranking points and qualify for Majors, and the opportunity to compete against top-level fields at amazing venues across the globe.

The circuit visits eight different venues in 2026 – Japan, Singapore, Morocco, India, Hong Kong, China, The Philippines and Saudi Arabia.

The players must contend with differing climates, grass types, course designs and cultures. As such, it's a circuit that produces extremely versatile players who are able to cope with changing golfing circumstances.

I was interested to find out more about how the International Series professionals adapt to each new destination.

A Practice Round With Dom Foos

On one of the practice days at International Series Morocco presented by Visit Morocco, I followed and spoke with Golf Monthly’s International Series diarist, Dom Foos of Germany to get more of an idea what the top players are actually up to when they head out on the course in the days leading up to a tournament.

I have always thought the term "practice round" to be misleading. During the build-up to a tournament, the top professionals are not using their valuable pre-event time on the course practising.

That work has been done on the range and the putting green over hours and days, and weeks in the build-up to whatever event they’re playing in. Dom confirmed that -

“I think the 'practice round' is more like a reconnaissance mission,” Dom says. “You’re right that it’s not about practising out there. It’s about looking at the course and assessing how it will play and what strategies you should employ when the competition starts.”

Watching Dom and his caddie Ken Lowry discussing shots, holes and greens, it was very clear that they’re looking at possible situations, conditions and scenarios that they might encounter when the real action begins.

Wind Conditions

“Firstly, I spend quite a bit of time considering the wind,” says Dom. “What is the prevailing direction? What club in what situation with that wind? But also, what about if that wind changes? How will that impact on that shot or that hole? The wind is always a key factor in tournament golf and it’s something you have to prepare for.”

And, on the ground, the players are meticulous in assessing the surfaces, the slopes, the way the ball will react on landing.

“Is it soft? Will the ball hold a green? How does a ball react from the rough?” Dom continues. “Then, at the greens, we have to make an educated guess about where the pins will be placed through the week. We will put a tee down, or a marker of some kind and imagine where we might be playing from to that target.”

Considering The Misses

It’s all about establishing the possibilities and being ready to deal with whatever the course might throw at you. The players want to be positive but must be realistic about the possible pitfalls and difficulties out on the course.

“Yes, you have to consider the misses too,” Dom says with a wry smile. “You need to know where you really can’t go.

At Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, there are some tricky pin options, and they demand careful course management. The course is tight and around the surfaces, it’s easy to be short-sided. You don’t want that so during practice, we look where the no-go areas are as well as the best misses.”

Another thing the players will do is assess where they are likely to encounter trouble from the tee over the course of 72 holes.

“If there is a tough drive on a par-4 with a narrow target and well-placed bunkering, you might assume that one round out of four, you might just find one of those traps,” Dom says. “So I will throw a ball in that bunker during practice and see what sort of a shot I would face.”

The pros prepare through observation and experimentation. Perhaps we should drop the name – “practice rounds?” and describe them as "reconnaissance rounds" or "scouting sorties" perhaps?

Dom Says - "Mix It Up!"

When the pros go out on the course in the days before a tournament, they are really conducting a course inspection rather than “playing a practice round.” They have all the shots at their disposal so it’s a question of working out which shots are most effective on which holes and in which situations.

“We do our practising on the range and the putting green,” says Dom. " I think we do it a little differently from most amateurs you watch.”

I wrote about the deliberate and systematic nature of the pros on the practice ground and Dom re-emphasises the fact that he makes sure every shot counts when he’s hitting balls.

“I take my time and have an objective for every shot,” he says. “For example, yesterday I played a hypothetical nine holes – the back nine here. So I hit a drive, measured it with scope or Trackman and played the approach I would have faced. It’s a good way of seeing and hitting different shots.”

Dom sees too many amateurs hitting the same shot repeatedly on the range and he doesn’t think that is beneficial.

“Just hitting the same shot with a 7-iron 50 times is not realistic when you think about what you face on course,” he says. “Out there every shot is different. When I’m practising, my coach says ‘you can never play the same shot twice.’ Yes, I can hit four 7-irons in a row, but each one has to be different – a draw, a lower ball-flight, a softer swing. That is how you gain feel and variety in your game.”

Dom’s advice for practice is to mix it up.

“If an amateur had an hour to practice, I would say spend 15 minutes working on basics – grip, stance, posture… Amateurs don’t give nearly enough time to that. Look at Scottie Scheffler – he checks his grip on every shot… And he’s World Number 1.”

“And then, the remainder of the time – hit different shots. Play holes, hit for targets, try to hit low shots, high shots… Don’t just blast it away with no objective. That won’t help you improve.”

Like the top players, like Dom – Practice should happen on the practice ground and practice should be productive not just tiring!

Through the 2026 season, Golf Monthly will be hearing more from Dominic Foos.

The talented young German is speaking with us after each of the International Series events held between April and November to share his experiences and update us on his play and performances. He will also be giving his thoughts on other topics within the world of golf.