How do you practice?

[smr91481]

I'm wondering about some of you guys practice routines. When I started playing a few months ago I spent tons of time at the range. And most of the time I was hitting balls I was hitting my driver because I had such a bad slice I was trying to fix. Then, when I started playing courses I stopped going to the range for the most part.

On the 2 days a week that I'm not working I'm on the course. But I notice that my scores are not changing. I'm stuck in that mid 90 range and can't seem to do any better.

This is my plan to shave some strokes..

Sundays
There is a small 9 hole course (par 31) about 20 miles from my house. They have the best practice facility that I know of in my area. Here's how I'll spend my time...

20-30 min on the putting green
20-30 min chipping
15-20 min in the bunker
hitting a large bucket of balls on the range using all my clubs
playing a practice 9, taking lots of different shots on each hole

Mondays
I'll go to my favorite course and see how much the practicing helps.


Does anyone have a practice routine they've used to drop your score? I've got to get out of the 90's.

[Dent]

Next year is my year to get better, I have nowhere to practise because I don't have a membership this year, When I had one last year I'd always playing putting a chipping games with friends, and spend about 15 mins in the bunkers.

This year I dont practise. The best practise is being on the course.

[gdnyc]

I just started golfing about 3 mos ago. I haven't been on a course yet, but I have been hitting the range. I usually bring a few clubs with me and switch around to get comfortable with them.
I am finally hitting a course on Sunday. Should be interesting

[CG031]

M-F I play 9 holes and then hit about 50 balls at the driving range in the evening. 3 out of the 5 days I chip/putt/hit bunker shots for 30 minutes.

In the summer I'll be practicing 3 hours per day and play every day as well.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I practice putting nearly every day. I wedge a ball between the shaft and the wrist of my trailing arm with the other behind my back and make some 5 footers. Then I put on the lead hand and make some more 5 footers. Its kind of like a warm up drill. After that its fire away, i really have no set routine, i just putt at whatever interests me.

Im not so much at the range anymore unless im seeing my pro, which is only about once about every 6 weeks since ive moved. And even then we mostly work on posture and alignment.

[atltony]

I practice putting, chipping, and pitching at the practice green every other day basically...and the days I'm not out there I'm keeping my putting stroke in line at the house. When I go out the the practice green I usually spend about 2-3 hours...will usually get loose hitting short little chip shots...then move on to more aggressive pitch shots. From there I will try to pitch/chip about 5 balls close to a hole, and proceed to putt them out. After I tire of that I will drop the wedges and hit some putts. Ill start out short, get an uphill putt...a downhill...and left-to-right/right-to-left putts. Move on to longer lag putts with the same variations in putts. After I feel my putter is doing satisfactory I will usually try to recreate some tough up and downs I have encountered in which I have to hit a challenging flop, pitch that checks...whatever. The most important thing is to make it fun or you'll never want to be out there. After the putting part of my practice I'll usually try to find some random person who wants to have a chip-off or whatever, competition always makes things a little more interesting for me anyway. After all of this (usually 2-1/2 hrs) I MIGHT hit a bucket of balls...but really only if my swing has been worrying me or something...but I'll hit no more than one bucket a week usually.

[iWALK18]

If I'm struggling with something, i'll go to the range to work on it and hit a bucket, usually listening to an ipod.

I spend about an hour on the practice green if I go play and have time. I'll work a lot on chipping, both from the fringe and out of the thick stuff. Putting I've just been concentrating on speed. I've been known to take 10-12 balls and putt them all from 40 feet until I 1-2 putt every one... miss and you gotta start over.

[Franco!]

2 large buckets.
An hour of putting, at the least.