Thoughts on practce nets?

[slinkee]

I practice religiously in my front yard. Having golfed for just under a year now at 27 and loving it to death, I can't get enough of it. If it wasn't for my wife not wanting me to spend all of our hard earned money at the driving range, well, I'd be there all day long.

Not being able to get enough of the range, I have some foam practice balls I picked up for $3 at Wal-Mart but I'm told it's not really great to use those because you want to maintain the feel of a golf ball. That being said, what are your thoughts on practice nets such as these?

http://www.nextag.com/golf-driving-net/search-html

The pro's would be that I'd get to work on rhythm and tempo, and do a little move I read about by putting sunscreen or soap on the face of the driver so I can know where exactly I'm hitting it.

The cons, however, and this may be huge, is that I wouldn't be able to see my ball flight and thus, wouldn't know if I'm hitting a fade or a slice (which is something I'm still trying to work out, go figure.) Is this red flag that I'm manifesting here really something I should be worried about to the extent that I should absolutely avoid one of these things? Or would being able to constantly set up real golf balls and work on stance, rhythm, tempo, and using the sunscreen move to see where on the face I'm hitting it outweigh those red flags?

[imtomtomim]

This is my first year playing golf as well. This summer, I set up a net and a mat in the basement of the house where I was staying. My swing improved exponentially. I went from shooting mid - high 40's for 9 holes to the mid - high 30's. What you gotta make sure you are doing is choosing some kind of target or trajectory path. make sure the ball started out in the direction that you're intending. The spin can also be determined by the way the ball grabs the net. My net was rather loose so it would ball up a bit indicating what direction it was spinning in. Just make sure you're watching the result every time.

[Dub]

For irons and some hybrids and woods I think you'd be okay....certainly loads better than using foam balls.


You are gonna know if you are catching it flush.....you'll feel it. I'd be hesitant to use some drivers for this, though because some have that crushed it feel and sound when it truly isn't.


The only downside is that if you are doing this for prolonged periods without hitting live shots to see the actual ball flight. You could still be getting that flush/ crushed it feel but be hitting some serious draw or fade.

It sure would get things grooved....just gotta hope it's the right things.

[Yorke_Hunt]

Nets imo are a total waste of time, get yourself down to the range or better still on the course. Like Dub said you have no idea of where the ball is actually going and could potentially do more harm than good. You have to see the flight of the ball or you could quite easily get a bad swing memory without even knowing.

[tonyy]

I think practice nets are good for a high handicapper (extreme beginner). Using a net will help you get your swing down and help focus on getting good ball contact.

Otherwise, if you're pretty consistent and working on your ball flight, ect. I'd stay away from it because you might worsen your swing.

[slinkee]

For irons and some hybrids and woods I think you'd be okay....certainly loads better than using foam balls.

This touches on my next question. Why are using foam balls bad? I have some yellow ones from wal-mart that even have the dimples but you're not the first person to say to stay away from those. I hit the range about 3 times a week and usually finish up the day of practice with those in the yard.

[bm303]

I have a net and think it's great to practice your swing and mechanics. Yeah, you can't see where it's going but I can generally tell if im hitting it straight, hooking it, or fading it, based upon my swing. It really reminds me how important it is to swing easy and smooth, rather than rush it. You can tell if you hit one thin, fat, or just right.

[moadhia]

I say go for the net , it will only help you

[Snake]

I don't like nets. I used one for a while and felt like I was hitting the ball well and hitting it consistantly, but when I went to the range or the course, I was slicing like crazy. If your swing is already good and you just need to keep from getting rusty or need to warm up before a round, nets are probably great. But if you're a high HCer working on your swing, not being able to see the ball flight can do more damage than good, IMO.