At home practice?

[mc0388]

I love to golf. The only problem is, I only get to golf 2 maybe 3 times a month (5 month old baby at home!). My swing feels the best it has and I think Im on the verge of dropping my handicap a few strokes quickly. To take advantage of my few rounds a month, what can I do at home to help?

-I swing in front of a mirror regularly (great help)
-I stretch while playing with my son (on the verge of crawling)
-I have plastic balls I hit in my yard

Does anyone else have anything they would like to share?

[is2linda]

why dont you make a hitting bay at your home. My dad built one with PVC pipes and net. Its really not that expensive and you can practice in your yard everyday.

[alomar123]

I dont now hows your putting is, but this is the easiest aspect to practice at home. Those practice balls are a good idea cause the spin of the ball is really obvious, so keep hitting those

[mkrolewski]

I think it is easiest to practice putting as you really only need about 10 ft. And some training aids use considerably less space.

Chipping and pitching can be done in the yard. Obviously a shorter swing and you do not need to see the roll out. There are low flight balls, etc, so even full swings with a wedge can stay in the yard. The only serious issue is how much do you like the grass in your yard. Of course, you can add a hitting mat.

Switching to full swings, you really run into an issue IMHO. The issue is are you grooving a good or bad swing. Using a swing cage to warm up is one thing. To hit a 100+ balls, you might perfect a bad swing. The ball flight is really too short. And if you allow for longer flight, you need a really big net to catch the strays.

There are devices out there that measure your swing -- more significantly the path of the club head through the strike zone. They would (should) give you feedback on how well you are swinging. I have Swing 3Pro. I have not used it alot yet. It generates a lot of feedback. I hope to practice this winter.

[brgolf]

Set up a can of beer on the floor and do some putting if you have a carpet. Do your full putting routine from 3,5,10,15 feet. This is a great way to reveal if you are pushing or pulling putts in the knowledge that the floor is perfectly flat.

[stebed]

I go out on the course with my 2 year old. He is in his buggy with covers on to avoid stray balls, but that said i choose quite times to take him. He will stay quite for about 8 holes normally. He also goes to the range with me and has even sat in on a driver fitting with me at Titleist.

[lumpuckeroo]

I think it is easiest to practice putting as you really only need about 10 ft. And some training aids use considerably less space.

I agree, IMHO short game is key to breaking through, but is the first thing to go when you don't get to play much. A 10 ft. indoor putting mat will really keep putting sharp, you can also practice chipping from them.

[TN94z]

As far as putting on carpet goes, watch out because if your carpet is the least bit thick, the balls will make a slight impression and they seem to continually follow that same path...or at least at my house it does.

Pitching and chipping is really good at home practice. You can at least work on how far you fly them. I agree with the grass part though! I have many bald spots that I have to let grow in from time to time.

I also agree with the poster that talked about full shots. I don't like hitting full shots if I can't see the entire flight of them..aka hitting into a net.

[ncates00]

Some things I do to practice (a busy college student's practice):

1. Pitch shots in the back yard to different distances to pair down distance control.
2. DON"T hit plastic balls, go with the yellow ones that are harder and foamy or whatever. They last longer and are more accurate as to shape. Here, I generally only hit a 7 or 6 iron.
3. Use mirrors, Leadbetter's "The Golf Swing" book, and his DVD set.
4. Play golf video games. Seriously, it gets in the golf mindset.
5. Fitness.

[jlund]

I chip plastic balls in the house all the time. Sometimes my wife wants to kill me for it...

[flanagan]

I used to practice mini flop shots from the carpet onto the sofa, for reasons not necessary to get into, I'm not allowed to do that anymore (it's that % you miss that gets you into trouble).

[leezer99]

I have a buddy that got one of those nets for his backyard and then asked the pro at our range if he could buy one of the older mats which he did for $20. Now he can practice outside whenever he wants and he doesn't have to sod his yard anymore.

[mc0388]

I appreciate all of the replies. Making a swing net is def. a possibility (being careful to work on fundamentals and not pick up any bad habits). Hitting the plastic balls in my yard has been helpful, but switching to the yellow foam balls my be better. Exercise (oh that dreaded word),,,yeah,,, I need to do that more. Putting, unfortunately I have hardwoods through out the house, and carpeted areas are to thick to putt on)

[squaddie]

Putting, unfortunately I have hardwoods through out the house, and carpeted areas are to thick to putt on)

You can buy putting mats that will lay perfectly on top of a hardwood floor. I have a Hank Haney putting system which has an attached 9' thin mat that lays out well on my floors or carpet.

[mc0388]

You can buy putting mats that will lay perfectly on top of a hardwood floor. I have a Hank Haney putting system which has an attached 9' thin mat that lays out well on my floors or carpet.

Oh, I can see my wifes face now...

[ks8829]

putt on your carpet and focus on solid contact, distance control, tempo, putting to a glass cup

chip on your carpet focusing on solid contact, watch your windows and walls.