Is it Important to Hit Real Golf Balls When Practicing Swing?

[Bad Chipper]

is there any value to hitting plastic balls or just swinging?

Can you improve your game from your backyard or must you go to the range and course often..what say you

[iacas]

You can get a lot out of mirror work.

Just making swings? Nearly pointless for most people. If you record a slow-mo video, the face is often wide open or something else is wildly off because there's no ball to hit.

If you know what you're doing, you can get a lot out of "practice swings," but they're often more like exaggerated "rehearsals."

[saevel25]

Depends on the focus of your training. Feedback is a huge part of learning. If you do not know what you did wrong, then change is slow to non-existent. There is something to be said for repetitions, and bulk for reps. You want to be making reasonably good swings to ingrain decent habits. Let's say you want to turn more, then turning more is good practice. Doing a lot of that will help. Let's say you want to change your swing path from being across the line at A4 to flatter at A4. Then that still takes reps, but you will need feedback to know if you are even making the movement. Maybe you set up a rig that makes it so your club will bump into something if it crosses the line at A4. From rep to rep, you know what is good and bad.  

Notice, none of these meant hitting the ball. 

 

 

[klineka]

I've made quite a bit of progress on my swing by hitting the "almost" golf balls in my garage over the winter.

I can and do hit regular balls too but it can be a bit loud so often I just hit the foam balls into my impact screen.

 

I think plastic, foam, etc are better than no ball for sure. 

[GolfLug]

53 minutes ago, Bad Chipper said:

is there any value to hitting plastic balls or just swinging?

Can you improve your game from your backyard or must you go to the range and course often..what say you

As someone who does this regularly (hitting wiffle balls indoors), I say yes but YMMV. A lot. I mean, it is better than sitting on the couch for sure. I look at as a bit of exercise that I enjoy than other forms of exercise. Just don't get seduced by how how well you are hitting it at home or in the backyard or the 'whoosh' of your air swings and think you have made actual improvement. Use video to monitor what you are doing. Air swings are practically useless.     

55 minutes ago, iacas said:

You can get a lot out of mirror work.

+10

[Bad Chipper]

all good points, thanks guys

 

[Zeph]

 

If you got space for it, a hitting net is also a good option that allows you to hit real balls. I do most of my full swing practice on a net st home these days.

I find it very valuable to hit balls. I can do something different in ten rehersal swings and on the next full swing just do my normal swing. Muscle memory and having done something thousands of time is difficult to overcome. A combination of slow swings, testing new feelings and full swings is better than only swinging without a club. The better players and instructors can probably get more value out of swinging without hitting anything.

[Bad Chipper]

great idea on the net Zeph