Which of the following best improve your golf game?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Phil McGleno

And when do you practice your full swing? Actually practice it, with drills, possibly filming, etc.?

To answer the question I spend the majority of my time on the full swing. If it's in place I'm virtually guaranteed to shoot par at the worst when I play. The short game and putting I'll mess with once in awhile but it's simple enough that on good days and with good luck I'll shoot 65 and on bad days par as I said. If my full swing is off then 72 is a good day!

Are you actually critcizing how another poster chooses to spend his practice time becsuse you shoot lower scores than he does?

Does that give him license to trash all the S&T; aficiandos that he'd trounce head to head?

[Grndslmhttr3]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Are you actually critcizing how another poster chooses to spend his practice time becsuse you shoot lower scores than he does?

Does that give him license to trash all the S&T; aficiandos that he'd trounce head to head?

I didn't see a problem with his post. It seemed like all he did was provide an argument as to why he viewed practicing full-swing shots as being every bit as important (or more) as practicing short game.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Grndslmhttr3

I didn't see a problem with his post. It seemed like all he did was provide an argument as to why he viewed practicing full-swing shots as being every bit as important (or more) as practicing short game.

Do you think I was reading too much into it?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Do you think I was reading too much into it?

Uh, way too much, yes. He asked a question and then answered the original question (kinda - he didn't say how often he plays versus practices).

Plus, "Phil" isn't an S&T; instructor, not that I'm sure what that has to do with anything...

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by iacas

Uh, way too much, yes. He asked a question and then answered the original question (kinda - he didn't say how often he plays versus practices).

Plus, "Phil" isn't an S&T; instructor, not that I'm sure what that has to do with anything...

I stand by the first line in my original post, but regarding the S&T; bit, I was sure he was an S&T; instructor. My bad.

[Leftygolfer]

I voted practice twice a week and play once a week.  I don't know how anyone with a real job and a family can play 3 or 4 times a week??

The reason I voted this is to really work on your swing, it has to be on the range.  If you want to play really bad I recommend thinking about your swing on the course.  I've had a rough year in terms of playing really bad and that is one of the reasons.

[NuclearMike]

I'd vote for practice over the course every time.  I took the game up after a long layoff back in May of this year but don't have as much time to devote to playing as I used to have.  I've replaced some of my older sticks as well.  I've been to the course only twice in the last two months but I've been to the range twice a week.  Maybe my situation is different since I was gone for so long but as a former low to mid handicap I think that the only way to improve is to be able to make changes (grip, stance, swing, etc.) and the advance planning of a range session- "what do I want to accomplish today?"- can help to implement those changes.  As I'm getting more comfortable with my swing from having practiced as much (and hopefully as well) as I have and  having developed a much more reproducible swing has pushed my confidence to a pretty high level.  Hopefully that will translate to the course.  I'm playing a track that I haven't seen before in two days and expect much better things from my game than I had experienced my other two times on the course since I started back up.  As an aside, I'm really pleased with the equipment changes in the industry since I had bought my previous clubs in the late '90s.  Ain't technology great?  Even though it had nearly ten years since I had played before the past two months I'm longer and straighter than I used to be. My fade has turned into a straight ball or a slight but controllable draw (the shot that I always wished that I had).  Now if I can just get the short game back in order I'll be a happy guy...

[NuclearMike]

OK, change in plans.  I thought that I was doing the right things in practice but went to the course last week and developed a problem on the course that I didn't have during practice.  I'll be back at the range tomorrow with one more thing to work on.  With a full time job (50-60 hours a week) and too much to do when I'm off I just can't find much opportunity to spend 3 of 4 hours at the course, as much as I wish I could.  Even so, I like to practice.  Sometimes it translates to the course, sometimes not.

[Chief Broom]

Polls like this are so subjective.  If given an option I recommend most golfers spend more time out on the course rather than at the range.  Not that the range is bad.  You can work on your game at the range in a fairly short period of time whereas playing takes considerably longer, especially if you're a golfer who likes to ride.  I can get out to the course early in the morning or after work and get in a quick 9 in a little over an hour (and that includes getting there and leaving).  Naturally getting in a quick round requires that the course be wide open, so picking the time you go to play is important.  The range on the other hand is always wide open and depending on what you're working on you can really make the time count, but the problem I have with the range is that if you aren't careful and disciplined you can think you're working on your game when in actuallity what you're doing has little useful benefit.  Perfect practice and all that, but out on the course you get direct feedback from what you're doing so you know right away if it's beneficial or not.

[Steel]

It all depends what you want out of your game, if your happy with your swing and can maintain it through minimal range time great.  Bet for me its 3-4 times at the range, 1-3 rounds per week depending on the weather.  I don't like playing off of a double digit cap, I don't enjoy myself, so I work at my game.  Just started playing last fall after a 12 year lay off and have it down to 6.9, I am now hitting 10-12 fairways per round and 10-14 greens per round, so I am pretty happy with my ball striking.  Now I have to start working on the short game to shave those final few strokes, but they can be the toughest

[bunkerputt]

A little late here, but I'd say listen to Phil.  If you are hitting greens, you can putt like a monkey and still shoot low 70s.  The full swing is the most physically complicated part of golf and it should therefore take more of your time to get right.  When you are striking well, chipping is about as hard as throwing a piece of paper in the wastebasket.  You're pretty much guaranteed to get somewhere close to your landing spot on feel alone.....You do pick a landing spot, don't you?