The how do YOU Practice? Thread.

[AmazingWhacker]

I either practice at the range or at home with a mat and net.  At home, I tend to do several 15-20 minute sessions per day.  In each "mini-session" I usually just swing 1 club.

At the range, I always start out with light (not enough) stretching followed by anywhere from 10-20 half swings with a wedge.  Then I'll typically work my way through the wedges and irons - often times skipping clubs here and there.  fex . .I might hit my gap, 9iron, 8iron, 6iron on 1 day but my sw, pw, 9iron, 8iron, 7iron on another, etc.  These days I am spending about half of each range session with the driver and not hitting many (if any) long irons ...and that pretty much completes the bucket.

[dnaygs]

I usually go to the range after work. I stretch my shoulders for a minute, then I swing a club back and forth to loosen up. The range is usually empty, and there is one spot that is aligned perfectly to a green about 120, which is how far I hit my gap wedge, so I start with that. I keep going until I'm hitting the green consistently. Then there is another green about 170, so I hit my 7 iron to that. I can't hit it quite as consistently, but at least 20 to 30% of the time. Then I'll hit my 5 wood and driver until I either feel comfortable, or I feel like I won't hit any good ones and it's pointless practice for now. The whole time I am working on specific things I struggle with, like sliding my hips too much. Then I'll go to the short game area. I'll hit some (maybe 20-30) balls from various locations. 10-20 yards, 40-50 yards, 70-80 yards. Sometimes I'll practice out of the rough and bunkers, but not often. Then if I have enough time I'll play 3 or 4 holes on the course.

[mmoan2]

I play golf.

That's what I used to do, and when I missed breaking 80 for the umpteenth time on the 17th hole by yanking a 6 iron 25 yards OB to the left for the umpteenth+10th time, I decided it was time to actually practice the game. Kinda like when I walked 14 guys in a single game in high school and decided I'd better get to the root of the problem. Sadly, that never happened...

[David in FL]

That's what I used to do, and when I missed breaking 80 for the umpteenth time on the 17th hole by yanking a 6 iron 25 yards OB to the left for the umpteenth+10th time, I decided it was time to actually practice the game. Kinda like when I walked 14 guys in a single game in high school and decided I'd better get to the root of the problem. Sadly, that never happened...

No argument.

I certainly recommend that most others do as I say (take lessons and practice properly) not as I do......or in this case, don't.

[BuckeyeNut]

I am one of the rare few like david........... I definitely recommend range time, but I don't partake.  I haven't hit balls on the range since 1995 back when I had to pay for every bucket.  Ever since....I've had unlimited range privies and never used them.   This is because I also had unlimited playing privies!........I guess I'd rather just PLAY!!!

For beginners....definitely, please.....go to the range!!   LOL  ....I am such a hypocrite!

[GHIN0011458]

I practice all the time. But the range typically I only hit a few balls at. Maybe a small bucket when the swing is going well. When it is time for a swing change, I will grab a jumbo about 4 days a week and the buckets will gradually get smaller as the change kicks in. I won't play any golf during this time.

Short game is where I practice most of my time. We have a nice facility with a large green to chip and putt on. Fortunately, they are open until 10:30 so when the kids go to bed, I go up there. I putt, chip and try to push myself. I started doing a new game where I have to get up and down with three balls. There are four cups that stay in the light on the green so I use all four. I start with the easiest hole and get up and down then move to the next hole and get all the balls up and down.. if I miss one up and down on the second, third, or fourth then I have to go back to the first hole. So basically you have to get up and down 12 times in a row. I will be looking for a new drill now though as the second night of doing it I shot 1 under my first try and shot another 1 under my second try. I am trying to practice at the edge of my ability but either I got lucky or I need a new drill. I do think it is a great drill for my buddy who is an 8 handicap though.

I RARELY practice my driver. I will start more next year as it has become a weakness finally, but it has always been a strength. I try to play at least 36 holes per week too. All in all, I got it down to a 75 scoring average in TOURNAMENTS, not rec rounds so I am happy with that. My practice routine has shaved off 3 strokes from my previous scoring average last year which is the biggest improvement. Had my first bogey free round a couple of weeks ago. Biggest thing for me was learning how to play misses this year. Off the tee I am looking for a spot that will give me the largest margin for error. From that point, if I am in the rough 120+ out or in the fairway 160+ out I am aiming at the center of the green.

Swing changes coming soon though! Only way to compete with the web.com guys I play against in my favorite tourney of the year is to get a higher ball flight to stick it close on firm greens.

[nevets88]

I'm seeing the flaw in not practicing the driver, 3w in my routine - it's the swing where you let it out the most, so for the most part, you're gonna exaggerate some of the things that show up in less degree in a shorter club swing. I haven't practiced much with it, just used it in rounds and now incorporate the driver, though intermittently in my routine and have recovered from my mistake as it is pretty much back to normal now - that is the same ballflight and commensurate distance as my iron swings.

Another thing with the driver is since it's the fastest swing, the free flowingness of it may transfer down to your irons.

[mvmac]

Short game is where I practice most of my time.

Check out this thread, more beneficial to focus on the tee-to-green part of the game.

[GHIN0011458]

Check out this thread, more beneficial to focus on the tee-to-green part of the game.

I understand that it is very important tee to green. But right now I am hitting 13 GIR and having an average of 32 putts. Tee to Green is fine, and I do reinforce my swing with small bucket while I am making strides with putting. Have to get average putts to 29 for next year. Once the swing starts to kink up a little bit then back to tee to green. I think smart golf with hitting the irons pure leaves you with a good score regardless. I hit my irons very solid right now(even though this will bite me in the butt for saying it) and I am hitting my driver decent which playing smart off the tee leaves me with very few bogeys. Last 63 holes I have played have been at even par. If I could putt, it would be at -10 taking my average from 32 to 29.

[inthehole]

I sometimes practice chipping & putting in my living room (chipping into a recliner).     Thats it ... I just would rather play golf with my available time than to go to the range (exception is if I'm really developing an issue - i.e. earlier this summer I really was developing a hook issue - worked it out in a couple range sessions - for me, practicing is kind of "going back to the woodshed"- don't do it unless absolutely necessary...

[GHIN0011458]

Check out this thread, more beneficial to focus on the tee-to-green part of the game.

This is also a theory, not a tried and true method. The biggest thing that I believe in is make a weakness a strength. If I have a weakness I will work on it until it is my strength.. then I think that is where you start to see yourself improve the most. I think you see yourself in levels of about 3 stroke differences. At least I have. 6 years ago I was 18 strokes worse than I am now. So 90 average through my first year of golf. 2nd  year I actually improved 4 and averaged 86.. so 7 strokes there.. then went to 83, 80,78, 75. All with this method. I am not saying that it is the best, but it has obviously worked for me. I make a weakness into a strength and then go to my next weakness. once I get through about 3 weaknesses I see another drop in my scoring average. All of these averages besides my first year are tournament scoring and I can document my success with this.

[GHIN0011458]

This is also a theory, not a tried and true method. The biggest thing that I believe in is make a weakness a strength. If I have a weakness I will work on it until it is my strength.. then I think that is where you start to see yourself improve the most. I think you see yourself in levels of about 3 stroke differences. At least I have. 6 years ago I was 18 strokes worse than I am now. So 90 average through my first year of golf. 2nd  year I actually improved 4 and averaged 86.. so 7 strokes there.. then went to 83, 80,78, 75. All with this method. I am not saying that it is the best, but it has obviously worked for me. I make a weakness into a strength and then go to my next weakness. once I get through about 3 weaknesses I see another drop in my scoring average. All of these averages besides my first year are tournament scoring and I can document my success with this.

4 strokes** 4 is below the 7

[mvmac]

This is also a theory, not a tried and true method. The biggest thing that I believe in is make a weakness a strength. If I have a weakness I will work on it until it is my strength.. then I think that is where you start to see yourself improve the most. I think you see yourself in levels of about 3 stroke differences. At least I have. 6 years ago I was 18 strokes worse than I am now. So 90 average through my first year of golf. 2nd  year I actually improved 4 and averaged 86.. so 7 strokes there.. then went to 83, 80,78, 75. All with this method. I am not saying that it is the best, but it has obviously worked for me. I make a weakness into a strength and then go to my next weakness. once I get through about 3 weaknesses I see another drop in my scoring average. All of these averages besides my first year are tournament scoring and I can document my success with this.

If you haven't already this would be a great book for you to check out, think you would enjoy it. I think rather than thinking about things in terms of strengths and weaknesses you need to start thinking about what kind of practice is going to help you shoot the lowest score you can. Working more on the short game isn't going to do that, the stats from people that are a lot smarter than back that up. A tour player shoots lower scores than a scratch golfer because they're better ball strikers, there isn't that much of a "gap" with the short game. You could beat a tour player in a putting match, you're not going to beat them in a GIR competition from 170 yards (I just picked a random distance).

[The Recreational Golfer]

Bucket of 30 balls. Get very loose first. Start with a 7-iron. Hit three shots, switch to a 5-iron, same, a 3-hybrid, same, a 9-iron, same, driver, five shots. Go back and hit each club one more time. Lots of practice swings between balls to make sure that hitting a ball means something. The rest of the bucket is for pitches with my sand wedge to various distances. That takes about a half hour.

Over to the practice green, chipping three balls with various clubs to various targets, putting out each ball. Five or six rounds of that. (Sometimes I'll practice chipping out of various depths of rough. Sometimes I'll practice chipping from about twenty yards off the green to tight pins.) Then the putter, going around the hole hitting three-foot putts. Practicing putts of 15-30 feet to leave the ball close to the hole. Practicing green-reading. Practicing uphill and downhill putts for pace. All of this takes about an hour.

Then over to the practice bunker for about fifteen minutes.

[trickyputt]

7 iron for 80% of a bucket. Driver and gap for the remainder. Chipping area with a 60, putting for half the time.

[iacas]

My answer?

[JP golf]

I am one of the rare few like david........... I definitely recommend range time, but I don't partake.  I haven't hit balls on the range since 1995 back when I had to pay for every bucket.  Ever since....I've had unlimited range privies and never used them.   This is because I also had unlimited playing privies!........I guess I'd rather just PLAY!!!

For beginners....definitely, please.....go to the range!!   LOL  ....I am such a hypocrite!

HA...  yea this is me...   I know I need to hit the range and work a couple things out, but then I get to the course and...  well the 1st tee is on the way to the range and I get lost...

[GHIN0011458]

If you haven't already this would be a great book for you to check out, think you would enjoy it. I think rather than thinking about things in terms of strengths and weaknesses you need to start thinking about what kind of practice is going to help you shoot the lowest score you can. Working more on the short game isn't going to do that, the stats from people that are a lot smarter than back that up. A tour player shoots lower scores than a scratch golfer because they're better ball strikers, there isn't that much of a "gap" with the short game. You could beat a tour player in a putting match, you're not going to beat them in a GIR competition from 170 yards (I just picked a random distance).

I Played a tourney this weekend. 75-72-76. Putting 35-32-36. Ball striking by far the best out of my grouping all three days(2nd to last group going into Monday).. should I work on putting or should I continue to work on ball striking? Finished 8th overall; http://www.rhonegillis.com/GREENVILLE%20LABOR%20DAY%20FINAL%202014.pdf