Can you "play" too much?

[TN94z]

  putput said:

Practice is only good if your practicing good habits. I notice some times that if i practice to much i will develop a bad habit when i swing, if i keep doing it i call it a day, i don’t want to get into a bad habit of making the same incorrect swing if i am not able to correct it with in a few balls.

Correct and the range is the best place to get rid of bad habits because you have a bigger opportunity to get in muscle memory with the increased repetition. So if you are in the middle of a round, do you quit because you are making the same incorrect swing 4 or 5 balls in a row and can't fix it?

[goblue107501]

I have always felt that their needs to be a balance between the two. You can hit range balls all day every day and not get better unless you are able to recognize your faults and fix them. Although if you go to the range too much it gets boring and you are just hitting balls to hit them. At least on the course you are hitting balls with a purpose. I know there are many things you can do on the range to simulate a round, but it still gets boring. Plus, there are many situations that come up on the course that you can't duplicate on the range (rough, trees, hitting out of hazards, etc.).

Back when I had the time I would practice often. One day would be the range just hitting long clubs, then a day on short clubs. Some days I would dig into the practice bunker and just hit shot after shot until I was comfortable hitting any type of sand shot around the green. One day I just took my lob wedge and hit flop shots until I figured it out. There are many different ways to practice with efficiency.

Can you play too much? Probably, but unless you pick up a buch of bad habits that stick with you, playing is better than doing nothing if you are trying to improve.

[TN94z]

  goblue107501 said:

I have always felt that their needs to be a balance between the two. You can hit range balls all day every day and not get better unless you are able to recognize your faults and fix them. Although if you go to the range too much it gets boring and you are just hitting balls to hit them. At least on the course you are hitting balls with a purpose. I know there are many things you can do on the range to simulate a round, but it still gets boring. Plus, there are many situations that come up on the course that you can't duplicate on the range (rough, trees, hitting out of hazards, etc.).

I agree with everything you said here and that is how I think. I think it should be balanced.. You don't want to be the "driving range pro" that can't play on the course. I probably play a little more than I am at the range but I think that range time is important.

[piper_clap]

  Leftygolfer said:

If you have a "real" job can you play too much? I don't think so (I am not playing enough)

Of course. I'm a teacher, we're still in session, but I still bang out somewhere between 9 and 18 a day.

Summertime, with the course nearby, will probably involve breakfast 18s and dinner 18s with lunchtime naps in the hammock.

[putput]

  TN94z said:

Correct and the range is the best place to get rid of bad habits because you have a bigger opportunity to get in muscle memory with the increased repetition. So if you are in the middle of a round, do you quit because you are making the same incorrect swing 4 or 5 balls in a row and can't fix it?

I don’t really consider being on the golf course practicing per say... i consider practice being on the range, i should have been more specific in the beginning. I would not get off the course because every tee is a little different, every hit is different, the curve of the hill, your lie, everything has a part in how your hitting. In that fact the only real place you really get to have "practice" is on the range were your ground is always level and your always looking at the same lie.

[Chas]

Lots of good thoughts. The very best practice I get is on a quiet day at the local "executive" course (mostly par 3's), e.g. when there's a very vague threat of rain in the air. This really frightens the local citizenry here in Sunny Southern Cal, most of whom prefer to stay indoors watching the boob tube until the threat of actually getting wet has completely passed. Bless these poor souls.

But I digress. So I'm out there on my own and play 2 balls, possibly even 3, with noone behind me. I can try different approach shots from 110 yds say - bump and run with a 7i versus a standard PW, whatever. Go right at the pin over a protecting bunker at 150 yards or hit into the safer side of the green or try something cute like more of a bump and run between hazards with a bit of a draw (beyond my present skill level with any consistency but what-the-hey).

You're hitting off of grass, at a real target, with all the issues facing you (pond, bunker, lateral creek).

Bring on the dark clouds .....

[shankapotamus]

  TN94z said:

My cousin has a job where he can go play pretty much any time he wants. He has also recently started keeping his handicap. He goes and plays at least 18 holes every day but he has never really gotten that much better. He has his best days of 82-83 and his worst days of 92-93. He usually averages in the upper 70s. He never practices on the range. I used to be that way but have since changed and started spending much more time on the range during the week and play the weekends. He asked me if I thought he should spend more time on the range and I immediately said yes. I told him that he would probably improve his ball striking if he got in some more practice time.

If his best days are 82-82, how does he average in the upper 70s?

[Kcas77]

  TN94z said:

I believe in practicing on the course and I know that you get the real game situations doing that. But I don't think you can get the same ball striking practice in on the course that you can on the range. It doesn't matter what kind of shots you have on the course if your ball striking is not there. I think that if you are working on things then they should be worked on at the range. I want my rounds that I play to be thoughtless about swing mechanics and just focused on the round itself. I mean, don't get me wrong...I practice on the course too, but I have just come to realize that I will get better by working on my swing at the range and then taking that to the course.

I too almost never practice on the range. I hope to spend more time on the range, would you recommend to mostly hit irons on the range if everything esle is going fine.

[TN94z]

  shankapotamus said:

If his best days are 82-82, how does he average in the upper 70s?

That was a misprint sorry. He usually shoots in the upper 80s.

  Kcas77 said:

I too almost never practice on the range. I hope to spend more time on the range, would you recommend to mostly hit irons on the range if everything esle is going fine.

If everything else is good and you want to spend time on the range, I would suggest hitting short shots...basically I would work on my 100 yards and in game. This will drop strokes considerably.

[flopdarock]

i hope i never get to the point where i think im playing too much golf... lol...
i played with some older guys who were on vacation that said they played 5 straight days and were all golfed out... lol...
but to the original question... i think if you have some fundamental flaws in your game the range/practice area is your best friend... but you also have to pose the question if you are really dead serious about improving and being a better player or are you pretty satisfied with where youre at and enjoy playing at the level youve reached...
for me its a toss up... id much much much rather play than practice... and if my game is in shambles... ill practice on my weakness ie putting or driving...
i also have to factor in cost... dropping bucks on range balls is about equal to walking 9...
i think im rambling... sorry i did alot of yardwork and am exhausted... lol

[RC]

I think you can play too much and practice too much... but how much is too much? That depends on many factors. If you are rested, stretching, staying hydrated on the course, and eating healthy (and have no repetitive stress issues like an elbow, back, or rotator cuff, etc.,) then playing every day, hitting a bucket of balls every day, and doing some short game practice can go on for weeks at a time and you don't feel any problems.

However, if you are stressing out, feeling a twinge from time to time, then a little rest does wonders. I might go a month playing and practicing every day unless it is raining or something, but if I get into a funk, laying off a day or two seems like a magic pill -- the zest returns in force.

When practice does not seem productive and your game loses a little zing, then a day or two of rest or even a week or more) can be a good thing. On the other hand, when you are working on something, seeing improvement or enjoying the game, I think your body can handle every day for extended times. Pretty sure I play over 300 rounds a year and practice every time I play -- makes me feel good. If golf gives you an adrenalin rush, then do it every time you can.

[ks8829]

I played everyday about 20 years ago and the best score I shot was 75 but most of my scores were in the high 70s and low 80s. I never practice and just played everyday.

If you seriously want to lower your handicap you need to practice more than you play.

start from putting, chipping around the green, 10,20,30,40,50 - 100 yards pitch shots alone will drop 5+ strokes off your score and more importantly keep it off consistently.

Practicing will help you get to the next level the fastest and you will see the improvement in the score.

When I played everyday, I just enjoyed being out and played, I really did not care about improving so much or I did not have the guidance to know any better.

[TN94z]

  ks8829 said:

I played everyday about 20 years ago and the best score I shot was 75 but most of my scores were in the high 70s and low 80s. I never practice and just played everyday.

My thoughts exactly