Do you practice "correctly"?

I practice my shot routine on the range. The more automatic it becomes the less swing thoughts I have on the course.

Because you were so kind as to add "or most of the time" to the first choice, I was able to vote A.  I certainly don't practice exactly like I play though.  Right now, for example, I'm working on one thing, and that is to try and bow my left wrist and cup my right wrist more at the top of the backswing and through from there.  So what I will do is take a couple of backswings just to the top and try and feel what that feels like, then hit a ball.  Then I drag another over and do it again.  Every few balls, I will also throw in a full practice swing.

 

I don't, however, run through my preshot routine on every ball like I'm on the course.  As far as a target is concerned, I lay down an alignment stick to start, and as long as I don't kick it, I don't have to realign.

 

At the end of my practice session, I will hit a dozen or so exactly as if I was playing.  I'll put away the alignment stick and run through the whole preshot routine.

I put "All or most of the time" but have a major caveat: I do step back behind the ball, pick my target and usually an alignment point, then take my grip, align the club and set my stance for pretty much every shot.  However, since I usually hit multiple shots with the same club I am working on, I don't take practice swings before each shot unless I have a specific swing key I am trying to feel.

I have never, ever known even the most avid player to even come close to what Breed was saying you have to do.  At my most serious I wasn't near that, and I'm certainly not doing that now.  95% of my practice is short game anyway, and I'm pretty serious about that.

i really TRY to "practice the right way".  i think of it like free throws in basketball, or approaching the batters box in baseball...i can definitely see the value in developing a rythm and getting in a groove.

 

i am probably better about practicing the right way at the beginning of my range sessions moreso than at the end.

I've become militant about practice. I practice between 2-4 times a week in my basement dependent on family needs. About 30-45 mins per and rarely more than 20 balls.

Lots of practice swings and feels per ball.

Dedicated to not sucking anymore lol. Lots of work to be done and none of it can be accomplished thru machine gunning balls.

A little discipline can go a LONG way.

Good grief. I barely practice. Now they want me to practice properly?!

Nope. Probably one of many reasons that I'll never be very good at this silly game!

When I practice I use alignment sticks so I don't go behind the ball to pick a target on each shot. I do not just hit balls, for each shot I'm working on something, during each practice session I hit between a 100 to 150 ball. I usually practice two to three times ever week during the off season.

This depends on the type of drill. If I'm doing a tempo drill, the answer is no: I tee up six driver shots side by side and walk down the line and hit a shot about every 8 seconds, I'm not doing a full pre-shot routine.

 

Same if I'm trying to get the speed right on lag putts.

 

If I'm practicing a full shot, then yes, I line it up by the numbers.

 

I suspect Breed may have been exaggerating to enourage precision. Too many players  machine-gun a 60-ball bucket in 15 minutes and call it practice.

I always use alignment rods as well. I will work on one swing thought and go from there as I progress. Then I always use about a dozen balls and then I act like I am playing the course. At this time I take my time and act like im on the course. I use my pre-shot routine and try to not think of anything when i swing except just a smooth tempo.

Even if Breed advice is sound it wont matter.

If your technique is flawed you cant expect that would work to produce scores you want.

you still will blow up holes and the score will be about the same.

You can practice to improve technique or target pratice.
just not both at the same time.

when your technique becomes more solid you do more target practice.

either way your scores go down.

Having bad technique and doing target practice isnt a good idea IMO.

52% say they practice correctly? 5.2% would be closer to more accurate. Seriously.

 

I've posted some things - both the "5 S" thread and some videos in my My Swing thread - showing how to practice effectively. Virtually nobody does this.

 

+1

 

But I would be proud to play your handicap (also a bit proud to play mine)

 

I only go to the range to warm up. Play a lot of practice rounds.

I voted rarely.  Not due to intent, but more from lack of knowledge.  I take the poll to partiallly mean,  "are you ingraining (practicing) the correct movements?"  To this I would answer, "Not sure."  That is why I voted rarely.

I meant that I am not sure of exactly "how" to fix my own swing flaws.  I may think I am doing the correct things to fix them, but they may very well be wrong.  Similar to learning anything without the proper instruction.