Hitting into a Net

[dlance]

Originally Posted by iacas

I completely disagree: http://thesandtrap.com/t/53895/hitting-into-a-net/0_100#post_655061 .

I know you disagree...you started the thread.

[tiger187126]

Originally Posted by dlance

Wow, i can't believe that so many people are buying into this idea. The only time a net is an advantage is if they are total beginners and can not get consistent contact with the ball. As soon as they can consistently get the same contact or feel YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHERE THE BALL IS GOING...If you don't know where the ball is going how do you know what you are doing is correct?

Sure you saw somebody post earlier that it is a key note that they have to understand the swing...well if they understand the swing enough to analyze what is happening without seeing the end result, they they are smart enough to put aside the need distance that you claim is the  root or evil in fixing a swing on a regular driving range.

If the majority of people were able to analyze their own swing then there would not be simulators and golf instructors charging $100's per hour to help them.

I wonder, How far away from the hitting location is the net? 5, 10, 20 yards maybe? Next time you go and play and you hit a bad shot, could you tell in the 1st 20 yards that it was bad? Every time? (this of course only applies to shots that actually got air-born...)

QUESTION 1: Has anybody ever hit the ball and thought "ohh that felt great", then look up and see it isn't where you thought it would be? Well get used to it if you buy a net...

QUESTION 2:  What other sport do you try and learn by practicing and practicing and gaining muscle memory that is hard to break  prior to seeing what the results of your practice is?

you know some golfers have problems striking the ball. some marking tape and a net could vastly improve that persons ability to consistently make contact on the ball with the face of the club. i know my score decreased drastically when i didn't top the ball, leave the face wide open, or block it. all of those things would show up if you did them on a mat with a net.

add in the cost of a range trip (if it's even feasible for some during the winter) compared to the cost of hitting at home and it's an even better deal.

i don't think anyone is advocating 100% net practice, just that it can be a useful tool to help focus on your swing and take out distractions like obsession with ball flight, especially for high handicappers.

1) have you ever hit a bad ball that you lucked out on? a good roll, kick, or hop? well get used to it if you trust only where the ball ends up and not how you contacted it...

2) umm, a batting cage come immediately to mind.

[sk golf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk golf

People underestimate how hard it is to make a swing change.  Of course people need to hit balls outside, but I myself have seen my clients make bigger swing changes faster hitting into a net.  Typically it is easier for them to focus on their swing.  As that gets more comfortable they can implement the new pieces easier outside. As far as

people can hit straight shots and do plenty of things wrong.  The idea would be to get some direction from a good Instructor, use a net to help practice the new information, and of course also hit balls outside.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlance

How many of these people hitting into a net at home have an instructor with them?

My clients would practice into a net between and sometimes during the lesson, we would meet once a week (more or less depending on their schedule of course) for the actual lesson.  Basically, I give them material, they practice material in a net (of course they can play outside too, but they make changes the "fastest" into a net), then we meet again and check on progress.  I don't know if this answers your question?

[mmoan2]

I get the point about grooving your swing using a net, and that worrying constantly about ball flight can be counterproductive and even detrimental, but I still think the best feedback one can get about your swing is ball flight. I used to practice my wedges in my living room using wiffle balls, and after a while I got so good hitting them at a little piece of construction paper I had taped to my wall that I thought I was the next Tom Kite, only to go to the range and find out that I was ballooning them, occasionally with a weak fade (after all - if the wiffle ball goes two inches to the right of the construction paper in a 13 foot room, it doesn't look so bad, but that same shot with a 110 yard gap wedge is a gross mishit), taking no divot. If anything, ball flight gives you the CLEAREST picture of just how wrong you are. This is all based upon the assumption that you are working on your swing alone with no feedback devices. If I had a personal coach and a better video camera than the one on my old Samsung cell phone, I could have the best of both worlds. Hitting into a net can be helpful, but at some point there ain't nothing like the real thing.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by mmoan2

I get the point about grooving your swing using a net, and that worrying constantly about ball flight can be counterproductive and even detrimental, but I still think the best feedback one can get about your swing is ball flight. I used to practice my wedges in my living room using wiffle balls, and after a while I got so good hitting them at a little piece of construction paper I had taped to my wall that I thought I was the next Tom Kite, only to go to the range and find out that I was ballooning them, occasionally with a weak fade (after all - if the wiffle ball goes two inches to the right of the construction paper in a 13 foot room, it doesn't look so bad, but that same shot with a 110 yard gap wedge is a gross mishit), taking no divot. If anything, ball flight gives you the CLEAREST picture of just how wrong you are. This is all based upon the assumption that you are working on your swing alone with no feedback devices. If I had a personal coach and a better video camera than the one on my old Samsung cell phone, I could have the best of both worlds. Hitting into a net can be helpful, but at some point there ain't nothing like the real thing.

The bold part is the key part in the above. I think almost everyone who is talking about hitting balls into a net is talking about pairing this with a camera, a mirror, training aids, etc.

The fastest way to improve is to make the correct motion time and time again, regardless of the ball flight, because if it's truly correct the ball flight will correct itself eventually. I'll gladly stand on the range basically duffing the ball if I'm doing the right thing. Those sessions are often the ones during which I make the biggest strides.

[SusanLawless]

A very interesting opinion that has made me think.  I would always be of the opinion to try and practice (all things and sports) in a live environment - that indoors you are isolating yourself from the elements etc.  And I do accept that the more you can focus on the area of improvement ie swing etc. the easier it is to improve that aspect.  But golf is such a mental game and most of us just don't have the time of the pro's to spend hours focusing on just one little thing, that I think one has to get comfortable with the elements in a live setting too.  As always I think it is useful to be able to do both but for me I have to know what it feels like in a live environment and that is something you can never get from hitting into a net...just my few cents worth

[Elvisliveson]

Originally Posted by iacas

The fastest way to improve is to make the correct motion time and time again, regardless of the ball flight, because if it's truly correct the ball flight will correct itself eventually. I'll gladly stand on the range basically duffing the ball if I'm doing the right thing. Those sessions are often the ones during which I make the biggest strides.

Works for me. The majority of my practice is done swinging my club in my family room, on a mat with no ball. I also have a mirror present to help check grip and positions.

[tiger187126]

Originally Posted by SusanLawless

A very interesting opinion that has made me think.  I would always be of the opinion to try and practice (all things and sports) in a live environment - that indoors you are isolating yourself from the elements etc.  And I do accept that the more you can focus on the area of improvement ie swing etc. the easier it is to improve that aspect.  But golf is such a mental game and most of us just don't have the time of the pro's to spend hours focusing on just one little thing, that I think one has to get comfortable with the elements in a live setting too.  As always I think it is useful to be able to do both but for me I have to know what it feels like in a live environment and that is something you can never get from hitting into a net...just my few cents worth

i hit good shots with my out to in swing, but i never got any consistency out of it so i moved on to a different kind of swing. the ability to practice this everyday for free by walking out in my garage has been a huge help. not concerning myself with the flight of the ball has helped me keep my head more still and not to abandon my efforts because the ball isn't doing exactly what i want or it doesn't look as good as some of my other shots.

you still need to do both, live range and net range, but for the money and concentration i get out of hitting into a net it seems very worthwhile.

[krum176]

Hitting into a net works charms!

[firstorlast]

anyone know where to get a cheap net? if so link please? thanks!

[lostmyballs]

Originally Posted by iacas

It all goes back to the Golfing Machine quote. Make the correct motions - the ball flight will follow if you have any clue what you're doing. Practicing indoors or into a net lets you focus on making the correct motions. The ball is effectively just there so you're not swinging at air.

The problem with this logic is that the learner doesn't know whether or not they are making the correct motions unless they see the result of their actions born out in the ball flight.

They would essentially be repeating movement after movement, ingraining a skill with no knowledge of whether it, once ingrained, will lead to success. You can easily imagine someone spending a month working on a swing path using this golf net, only to find upon reemerging onto a golf course, that he has automatized a wild hook. How is that helpful?

[tiger187126]

Originally Posted by lostmyballs

The problem with this logic is that the learner doesn't know whether or not they are making the correct motions unless they see the result of their actions born out in the ball flight.

They would essentially be repeating movement after movement, ingraining a skill with no knowledge of whether it, once ingrained, will lead to success. You can easily imagine someone spending a month working on a swing path using this golf net, only to find upon reemerging onto a golf course, that he has automatized a wild hook. How is that helpful?

you know what's not helpful? hitting a good shot and assuming that you did everything correct because the ball ended up where you wanted it to. if you get too caught up in ballflight and ignore creating a consistent swing then you could just be reinforcing bad habits.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by lostmyballs

The problem with this logic is that the learner doesn't know whether or not they are making the correct motions unless they see the result of their actions born out in the ball flight.

I think I already addressed this.

The point is to know what the correct motions are and to make them. Obviously just whacking balls isn't going to magically make you better because you're hitting them into a net. But it's the same outside - just whacking balls (even if you improve the ball flight) doesn't mean you're magically making better swings.

Sometimes, for a time, the right action will produce some goofy shots because your hands or body don't quite know how to get the clubface to where it needs to be given the change in elbow location, for example. But you need to make that change, perhaps, and let the hands learn what they need to do. Without a net you'd quickly give up because the ball starts 20° to the right the first six times you actually make a better motion, and then you're just stuck and not improving.

[tiger187126]

Originally Posted by iacas

I think I already addressed this.

The point is to know what the correct motions are and to make them. Obviously just whacking balls isn't going to magically make you better because you're hitting them into a net. But it's the same outside - just whacking balls (even if you improve the ball flight) doesn't mean you're magically making better swings.

Sometimes, for a time, the right action will produce some goofy shots because your hands or body don't quite know how to get the clubface to where it needs to be given the change in elbow location, for example. But you need to make that change, perhaps, and let the hands learn what they need to do. Without a net you'd quickly give up because the ball starts 20° to the right the first six times you actually make a better motion, and then you're just stuck and not improving.

i completely agree with this and i have personal experience with it. trying to make a change to your swing is hard enough without being demoralized when your new swing isn't getting you instant results.

i spent a lot of time with a camera and a net and i changed a lot. other changes i tried i would always just give up and go back to trying to bail myself out with my hands because i could hit some good shots and if i played consistently enough i could even post a good score.

now i'm working through things and building consistency from the ground up which has made me less likely to have "wtf" moments on the course which were common on swings where i couldn't save myself midway through with some fancy hand action.

i'm more sensitive to my mistakes and i learned to keep my head still, which was huge for my ball striker and something i learned by not being able to obsess over flight because it's going 10-20ft in front of me.

[grashoper]

So What!

Which one of you have not said the same thing.

The only difference is you are not good enough to be on TV.

[grashoper]

I just built myself a 7' x 7' hitting net in my back yard.Bought an es12 launch monitor and am cooking.

This is the best practice method i have ever invested in.

I have the option of hitting when ever I feel the need (Daily for an Hour) and my focus is on correct swing and swing speed .

I achieve the second point with the launch monitor.

I now take my practice sessions to the golf course and how do I see an improvement..............amazing.

If hitting into the net was too much left to right or right to left I can make the correction in minutes,where the difference is, is in the

swing.I am more still over the ball,I use more of the larger muscles,I am more consistent an I am hitting the ball at least a club or a club and a half further.

I am letting you know what I am doing and what the results are for me.

[Leftygolfer]

I just put my net back up tonight.

I don't have a camera, training aids.

What am I trying to accomplish?

I am trying to get rid of a very bad habit of breaking down at the top of the swing, getting the club in the place that the only thing I can do is hit is big cuts and pulls.  I went from being a consistant player to a wild player.  I've had ok rounds with the horrid move, but I've had rounds where I couldn't get off the tee at all.

I know this more compact move works, I just have to train myself to make it on the course.  I don't know what it is about that stupid ball, but as soon as I get over it I make a terrible move.  It has bleed all the way down the bag into my strength (wedges).

Hopefully I can start making a better swing.  I am using the net to train myself to swing in a more controlled fashion thus control the ball better.  Hopefully I can get back to being an 81-82 machine.  I know it isn't great, but it was fun playing that way.

[sixonezero]

This thread got me thinking, so I broke out a net I usually use for softball hitting practice.  I've been hitting into the net in the backyard for a few days now, and I really see the difference in how you think about the swing.  Without being distracted by ball flight I am much more in tune with how contact felt, how the club face felt at impact, where on the club face contact was made, and even initial trajectory off the club.  I struggle with center-face contact with my driver, and net practice seems really helpful in starting to correct this.  When hitting irons off the grass into the net I am now focused more on making ball-first contact.  Went out to the range today and I definitely saw a difference in my ball striking and accuracy.

There's a reason why baseball players practice so much in batting cages - it isn't about where the ball goes - it's all about good contact.