How much do you practice?

[squaddie]

I'm a high-handicapper and can only practice more often at the range than the course. But to make my practice rounds productive at the range I do the following:

* Take a few practice swings on the mat - helps me get my groove if I'm hitting fat or thin (or on the hosel)
* Consider the results of every shot - if something went wrong or I didn't like the shot I try to consider the problem's source and what to change on the next swing
* Play a practice hole with the targets, and switch out a club for each swing and pick a new target each time (like one does on the real course)

Switching out the club at the range has helped me a lot, as now when I pull out different club I typically hit it pretty well without having to take a lot of practice swings.

I realize a few problems using the range for practice include being unable to hit from uneven lies or the rough. If the range doesn't have a bunker then you can't get any practice in with the sand. Hopefully I can squeeze in more actual golf rounds this year so I can practice under real course conditions.

[lynchjo]

Beau Rials, Mike Bennett (Medicus Advisor, PGA Tour Instructor), Bob Koch (Inventor of Medicus Dual-Hinge Driver) giving the Medicus Swing Trainer make or break points to your golf swing. The ways you can use your Medicus Swing Trainer to improve your golf game.

The upper body continues to rotate turning slightly away from the target while keeping the right elbow close to the right hip. As the hands travel around the body and continue to cock/set, the Medicus Swing Trainer will become parallel to the target line and parallel to the ground with the toe pointing towards the sky.

COMMON FAULTS:
A. Weight transferred to the left instead of the right (reverse pivot).
B. Over-rotation of hands, causing the clubface to travel too far inside.
C. Continuation of B above.
D. Right elbow pushed away from the right hip and the club lifted outside the target line.

[jaragon126]

During the warm months, I go to the course on my lunch hour from work and will mostly practice short game (chipping & putting). On occasion I'll hit balls at the range. Then, I'll play 9 holes after work ... usually at least 3 times a week.

On the weekends I'll play 18 once or twice. I'm in a league so we have tournaments about every other weekend.

What kills me is the winter months when there isnt' enough sunlight to get out during the day. It's already getting cold & wet here in Colorado, and there isn't much daylight left after work. So I'm rarely playing after work. I'll still try to go to the course at lunch, but after work I usually just go back to the course & practice.

One thing that is good is that the course is pretty empty at night now, and the starters appear to be gone for the day. So I'll jump out on a hole that's close to the range & either play it or hit a bunch of balls from 100-150 yards in.

Plus the course aeration schedules are happening now, so the greens on the courses are a nightmare to play on for a month or so.

During the winter months, I rarely even pick up a club because it's usually cold. The bad thing is, I lose my swing & have to restart all over again in the spring. I've tried putting on the carpet inside, but it's alot slower than a real green & I'd probably learn to hit putts way harder than I need to on the grass when I start playing next season.

It sucks when you see that some of the lower handicap guys hardly practice It's no fair!

[LongballGer]

This is pretty much my daily routine:

6am-9am chipping and putting

10am-4pm hit wedges inside 100 yards

4pm-6pm play on the course

7pm-8pm bunker

8pm - 9pm hit balls with woods, long irons, mid irons

[jaragon126]

Wow LongballGer, that's literally a FULL day of golf :) How old are you & what do you do for work that you can spend that much time at golf?

[LongballGer]

Wow LongballGer, that's literally a FULL day of golf :) How old are you & what do you do for work that you can spend that much time at golf?

I'm 20. I'm not working atm.

I got a couple months off and then I start the PGA/PGM program so that I can start playing on the EPD tour.

[jaragon126]

I'm 20. I'm not working atm. I got a couple months off and then I start the PGA/PGM program so that I can start playing on the EPD tour.

Man I'm jealous!

[Chief Broom]

Six hours a day hitting wedges inside 100yds, hehehe...

Sorry that just kind of strikes me as funny. Probably what it takes to play at the professional level, but damn...

[mhodar13]

I practice whenever I can, which is very often. I try to play once a week, but don't always get out. I usually get to the range if I don't play that week. But most of my practice time is in my own yard. I hit whiffle balls around the yard and I have an awesome golf digest pin with a cup that I got for my birthday. Although I can't putt because my grass is very long, it is great for practicing pitches, chips, flops, and even full shots with wiffle balls. I often set myself up with an obstacle right between me and the pin, and try to hit wiffle balls as close as I can to it. It really helps woth learning to shape shots better. I also spend a lot of time practicing putts and short chips inside, my carpet is very much like a real green. If you have a small yard like me (less than a half acre), get creative with your drills and you'll start improving in no time. Again, you are much better than me, so you've probably mastered everything I'm still working on, but you get the idea.

[lpuppy79]

i need to work on my putting. last nine holes i played i three putted almost every one of the 9 holes. i have i tendency to think the putt will break more than it actually will.

[MiniMoe]

PRACTICE? .... PRACTICE? We are not talking about a game,but PRACTICE? Practice... practice? Not a real game, not something that matters, but practice? Oh, got side tracked. I practice putting a lot.. not on drills, but putting games, especially short putts. I also have round that I try different shots and hit more than one ball, but I don't beat balls on the range. I get bored too easily.

[kevin.chan]

I play about 4 to 7 rounds a month .
Hardly go to the range but I do practice putting at home , about 5 to 8 hrs in a week.
Now I putt about <32 putts per round .
My short game and chopping around the green is okay and always give me short putt to the hole.
But I know if I need to go a few shots lower than current handicap , I have to put a lot of time at the range .

To work on my long iron and 3 wood.

[jdub]

I work at a gas station just to pay for my golf needs

I work 4 days a week 9.5 hours a day

and I play twice a week and hit 2-3 buckets of balls a week

[Ty Haegs]

I play 18 holes at least once a week. I hit up the driving range though about 4 times a week. My range has a really cool special that when I buy balls Monday - Friday before 6 pm they give me double for free.

[andyh]

Practice Every day for 2 hours. 1 hour on the range hitting from wedges through all my clubs to driver. Try to vary shots from draws to fades. Also I play in a lot of wind so am working alot on knockdowns and punches.

Then the other hour is short game. Chipping, putting and bunker game.

I used to work mostly on 3-4 footers and lag putts from 20, 30 and 40 feet. But the last few weeks have changed it a bit after a 36 putt round. (my average putts/round is 31). So I have been doing drills from 6, 8 and 10 feet and this my last few rounds have been incredible putting.

I sometimes practice another hour or so in the evening, then it is normally more putting and chipping.

Biggest problem for me is GIR. I putt well, get up and down alot, drive well. But I only hit 6/7 GIR per round. Need to improve this.

By the way longballger, I see u use a Mizuno fli hi 21. How is it? I have been thinking of replacing my Ping G10 21 degree hybrid due to too high a ball flight.

[daveg]

Instead of lunch at work, I'm lucky to have a course with a good practice area about 5 minutes away, so lately I "eat lunch" at the course. I'm reading "The Keys to the Effortless Golf Swing" by Michael McTiegue and committed myself to do what he suggests in the book. I hit a small bucket, then chip and putt. I've been doing this, weather permitting, for several weeks now. Before that, I'd make it to the range maybe once a week or so.

I wish I had the budget and time to get out and play more, but.....