Practice swings.

[Shanks A Million]

I can't understand how you'd play without taking practice swings. Swings are always evolving, and you always have swing thoughts in your head. You take the practice swing to rehearse it, making sure it's right before going at the ball and halfway through realizing you forgot to do something and suddenly having to redirect the club.

Here's a better question, do any tour pros not take practice swings?

[ChipShot]

I never used to but started to recently. I find that it slows me down just enough so that I can concentrate on my actual shot.

edit* I don't take a full practice swing ever, just usually a few half swings to get a rhythm down.

[zeg]

Here's a better question, do any tour pros not take practice swings?

I'd say that most don't take a *full* practice swing. They all or nearly all have their half-swings and similar exercises, but it's rare to see them rear back and let loose the way a lot of amateurs seem to.

[James_Black]

I can't understand how you'd play without taking practice swings. Swings are always evolving, and you always have swing thoughts in your head. You take the practice swing to rehearse it, making sure it's right before going at the ball and halfway through realizing you forgot to do something and suddenly having to redirect the club.

I tight a half swing to loosen up. But I see a lot of people taking practice swings and digging up the course. What's the point?

i try to have no swing thoughts when I play. I look at the pin, aim, and hit the ball. And as zeg has said, most don't take fu,l practice swings.

[Ash1974]

I take one practice swing to get my rythm, sometimes I will just take a half back swing with my driver/woods ala AK and Mike Weir to make sure my takeaway is not too flat

[jamo]

I'd say that most don't take a *full* practice swing. They all or nearly all have their half-swings and similar exercises, but it's rare to see them rear back and let loose the way a lot of amateurs seem to.

Yup. Look at Tiger before a shot. If he's hitting a cut you see him with the sawed off follow through with the clubface open, if he is hitting a big hook you see his hands dropping way down and coming way from the inside, etc. You never see him take that full 125 mph swing and taking divots like amateurs like to do.

[Fatphil]

Do you take a practice swing?

aren't you the kid who locked himself in the basement a few weeks ago?

[Alley Cat]

Do you take a practice swing?

It's just part of my routine. I like to take one or two practice swings to groove the feeling I want and then make the same swing with the ball in the way.

[Kieran123]

I don't think I've seen anyone practice swing and takes divots James? that would be strange

[Zeph]

I don't think I've seen anyone practice swing and takes divots James? that would be strange

Not on purpose perhaps, but you must've seen high handicappers taking a full practice swing and sometimes take a divot?

[golfro]

I've taken divots during practice swings before...

i dont do it on purpose but it happens

[golfro]

I can't understand how you'd play without taking practice swings. Swings are always evolving, and you always have swing thoughts in your head. You take the practice swing to rehearse it, making sure it's right before going at the ball and halfway through realizing you forgot to do something and suddenly having to redirect the club.

most of the guys on this forum don't even goto the range either anyway... guess they just hop from ball to ball hitting balls here and there.

[Shanks A Million]

I'd say that most don't take a *full* practice swing. They all or nearly all have their half-swings and similar exercises, but it's rare to see them rear back and let loose the way a lot of amateurs seem to.

But the OP said no practice swings, no mention of full or otherwise. Not many people take full practice swings, and I don't ususally do it either, but

nothing ? I think most good players make a very small practice swing because under pressure your swing gets longer and faster, so the full swing feels like that short swing.

[zeg]

But the OP said no practice swings, no mention of full or otherwise. Not many people take full practice swings, and I don't ususally do it either, but

Yeah, kind of an issue of definitions; I think a couple more options would have been helpful. Nonetheless, I do see people taking full practice swings, and sometimes more than one, even on standard full shots from the fairway. Maybe not full speed, but pretty close. As I said above, I'll do this if I've been having major swing problems and need to find the right feeling again, but otherwise just the kind of small practice drill swings that you're talking about.

[golfro]

i also take full swing practices if i'm waiting on a group a head of me. No point in just standing there, I'll pull my driver out and take some full practice swings.

[James_Black]

But the OP said no practice swings, no mention of full or otherwise. Not many people take full practice swings, and I don't ususally do it either, but

Sorry, i should re-phrase it.

I mean no full practice swings. what I do is a few 1/2 swings to loosen up. I mean taking a full swing.

[allin]

Probably to many, when not playing well I tend to start trying to slow down to much and guide the club.

[walk18]

I always take one full one. I have to see where I'm bottoming out. Sometimes I'm guilty of a divot, but I always repair it.