Mild rant + a little confusion...please reply

[RyderJ]

It seems to me that a vast array of golfers, mainly in the mid-high hcp range, feel the only way they can improve their game is by being on a driving range or even worse, an actual course.  I understand that nothing compares to actually being on a course, but there are so many simple drills that can be done from the comfort of one's own home to correct most, if not all swing problems, improve touch on and around the greens and so on and so forth. Chances are, unless your ENTIRE game is absolutely horrendous, you can do a drill at home to correct the problem or help improve your game in some way shape or form.

My question is, why has the general public become so obsessed with literally throwing away money to try and correct things that can be done for free? Am I the only one who believes in practicing solid mechanics anymore? I know the pros spend every waking moment on a course(exaggeration I know), and that's fine...but they didn't come to that road without solid mechanics or an outrageous amount of natural talent...in some occasions, they have both.

Why do so many people feel they can receive advice on their swing on this site, hit the range or, as I said before and again, even worse, course and become a scratch golfer? What happened to practice? Just saying....thanks for your time...have a nice freakin' day...

[Sheriff420]

I'm the guy you're describing and drills at home just don't compare to actually hitting a ball on the driving range. On the driving range you see if the ball takes a sharp right turn after about 100 yards and you can say to yourself, "crap, I am swinging out to in" and do your best to correct it. You also have multiple targets between 30 and 200 yards to try to land a ball on or near.

I had 3 bad (for me) rounds in a row due to ball contact issues and I got on here to search for a little advice. I found a thread that pointed me to a couple videos from videojug.com and they had a huge impact on how I hit the ball.

I had four issues that worked together to make it really hard to actually hit the ball with the sweet spot on the club.

These were:

-Setting up my target line with the end of my shoes instead of my shoulders since my stance is a little open at address when I stand there comfortably.

-Bending my knees too much instead of just unlocking them.

-Leaning forward too far.

-Starting the hip turn too early.

I also unknowingly dip my shoulder on occasion but I don't really feel it every time.

Practice for me is hitting into a net that I just bought a few days ago beside the house, going to the driving range that only costs $6 for a large bucket of balls and going to the $15 course that is never busy. When I get to my local municipal course I'll hit the practice green that has a bunker next to it to work on my sand, chipping and flop shots.

I just started playing this year and I've only had one lesson so far but I'm getting there (toward breaking 100) due to all my practice.

[FowlPlay]

Coming from one of those people: we don't know where to find these great drills. I mean, yes, there are a few good youtubers, but in reality, I can't figure out if I'm correcting a problem unless I hit an actual golf ball.

[Lofty Lefty]

I'll meet you half way on this one!

Apart from going to the range and hitting 850 ball and playing 3 or 7 practice rounds a week etc (exagg.), I think there is a lot to be said for just swinging a club in your lounge room or wherever.

If you're working on the basic movement of a golf swing (like I am) then you can definitely do that, without balls, with a 9i in the house/backyard.

Putting is the same. All you're working on is your stroke/tempo? Don't need a green or a hole - Putt along the carpet at various targets. The other day I was putting at the legs on my stand bag, working on stroke length and tempo.

I think that working on some of these things at home will improve the quality of your practice on the range/course. If you can get a club in your hands to groove the swing every day (or every few hours) that can take a lot of the frustration out of trying to do that on the range . If you have a big enough reflective surface (sliding door at night for me) that can be a useful tool in finding the right positions in your swing.

As I said, if you can improve the quality of your practice sessions, your golf will improve much quicker. After all, practice does NOT make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.

[Sheriff420]

Ryder, what are a couple drills that you believe would benefit us high handicappers the most? There are a million YouTube videos out there and it's hard to sort through them all and decide which ones to really focus on.

[shades9323]

Originally Posted by RyderJ

Why do so many people feel they can receive advice on their swing on this site, hit the range or, as I said before and again, even worse, course and become a scratch golfer? What happened to practice? Just saying....thanks for your time...have a nice freakin' day...

Perhaps they do it because they want to. When did hitting balls on the range start not counting as practice? Why are you so worried about people spending their hard earned money the way they want to?

[Spyder]

It's pretty simple actually, as I'm partially what you're describing. I would much rather spend my $10 and actually visually see the results of my shots and get the feel of hitting the ball. There is no comparison between playing a course, or going to the driving range - or practicing mechanics at home . Practicing mechanics is great and all, but honestly it will not come as quickly as it would working on a course or range.

Does LeBron James go around his house all day making fake "air jumpers" with no ball in his hand? No. He spends his time on the court working on his actual game. I am not saying that working on mechanics would not be beneficial, because they are very important . I'm confused as to why the OP believes the opposite though, when in fact the argument is proven by history and is a well known fact. Nothing compares to actually, physically putting in the work at either the driving range or the course.

Doing drills away from the course/range will only take you so far. At some point you will need to put it all together and try to use it on the course where the conditions will be night and day compared to what you've been working on at home. Some things are static in golf, but the majority of the game changes night and day when compared to actually being on a course, or working at home.

The greatest golfers preach this as well. Some, like Fuzzy said on DVD, advise against certain "home drills" such as putting. You get absolutely no feel because it's not close to being real or accurate. I will pay my $10/$20 on 2 buckets of balls and spend my $50 at the course all day. To me personally, it is more worth while and more enjoyable. Everyone has their preference and they're entitled to do as they please. I've seen more people progress extremely quick when working at the range and course though. Personal level of "natural mechanics" and natural ability do help, obviously, though.

Also, as Shades stated, people will do as they please. You wouldn't go into your neighbors driveway and ask him why he spent all that money on his flower beds and flowers/shrubs, rather than going into the woods and looking for free stuff would you? lol. Trust me, if I had a larger lot of land I would gladly hit balls in my backyard. Not everyone has 5 acres to work with though, hence why ranges thrive.

[Gresh24]

This is silly.  Who cares?  Everyone learns by different methods.  Drills aren't the best for everyone, and as it's been mentioned, there are millions out there that claim to be the greatest thing.  A lot of mid-high cappers are just looking for a few tips to help out, and don't really have a desire to be a great/scratch golfer or care to do drills.  They simply like to play golf.

[SpannersReady]

Because it's fun to hit balls. I'm never going to be a pro. Golf for me is to unwind and have fun. Golf runs along side a busy career and family life. It also serves as excellent web surfing fodder for breaks. If it's not about having fun in your time off then what are you playing for.

Also the flight of the ball diagnoses what you did in the swing. why practice at home without a ball. You could be practicing a hook over and over again and not know.

[Spyder]

Spanners and Gresh nailed it as well in my opinion. +1

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by Sheriff420

Ryder, what are a couple drills that you believe would benefit us high handicappers the most? There are a million YouTube videos out there and it's hard to sort through them all and decide which ones to really focus on.

I'm not the OP but I do watch quite a few instructors online. The best videos that I have ever found are made by Mark Crossfield with (4onlinegolf). Search either of those keywords. He uses HD cameras and is very thorough with instruction. When he talks about grip, he tells you how to grip it and the benefits vs what most amateurs are doing and shows you the incorrect grip as well. Very easy to follow. My favorite video by far is "Mark Crossfield - Top 3 Tips to Stop Slicing".

[Topper]

I wish someone had told me sooner that I could learn to golf without golfing. Does the Wii count?

[RyderJ]

I wasn't trying to offend anyone, so if I have, I do apologize. You have every right to spend your money however you see fit without me saying a word about it. I suppose, however, I'm just a mechanics junkie and believe that anyone can benefit from doing a vast array of drills, that they see fit, to improve their game. I guess for me, the game is always about getting better. I, like someone else said, will probably never become a pro, but that doesn't stop me in my pursuit of mastering the game.

I can't tell you which drills will work best for you, as I do not know your swing...but I do know that there are drills out there that will help ANY hcp, low-high. Again, I wasn't trying to offend anyone by my original post, it just seems that many people desire some kind of magic short cut in improving their game....of course there isn't one. I have nothing wrong with people seeking advice, and making a conscious effort to take the advice given and apply it to their game. But how does one do that? Obviously it would be insanely expensive to hit 800 golf balls on a range every day, not to mention, the majority of us aren't pro so we don't even have that kind of time to dedicate. My answer is by seeking out drills...but again, maybe I'm crazy. I was fortunate enough to have a golf coach that drove home the importance of time efficient drills to improve my game, and it worked. Even after an extended hiatus from the game I love, I was able to start playing again, work on a fair amount of different drills from home and have dropped my scores significantly. The first time I played again, I couldn't break 100. Last Friday I played and shot 80...so I really think there is something to be said for doing drills from home.

Anyways, I have to run at the moment, but again, I never meant to offend anyone and apologize if I have. I was a bit frustrated last night reading through some old threads and had to get it off my chest. Thanks for those of you who responded, and again...I never meant to judge, offend, or piss off any of you. I love this game and just want to be better at it, as I hope you all do too.

[Spyder]

I don't think you offended anyone at all, Ryder. You offered your opinion respectfully. The other posters are just doing the same thing and asking questions to get a better feel on your stance, that's all. On my own behalf, I just can't do drills to improve. I personally improve better when I'm at the course. The range is a distant second to the course for me. I would love to save $50+ a week on range time if drills at home worked, but I do enjoy range time. I love all aspects of the game and that includes the range for me.

[dbuck]

I do a lot of stuff at home.  I made a few swings outside this morning thinking about shoulder turn and tempo. I often putt on the carpet, but I am mainly working on alignment and smoothness.  I like to practice my address position on the tile floor using the grout lines so I can see and feel what a square, open, or closed stance is like. And I must admit that some of the better video games have improved my course strategy.

None of this however is a substitute for hitting balls at the range or course.  The flight of the ball is the only true feedback. Unless you have a very nice putting green at home, you cannot duplicate the feel of the real greens. The video games are sometimes more forgiving and also sometimes more penalizing than the course.  And of course, real golf is a lot more fun.

[RyderJ]

Thanks Spyder. 50$ a week on range time? Wow that is really steep...well, for a poor broke beggard like myself anyways...lol. I hit the range once a week, but play 10-12 rounds a month...the rest of the time is just me doing drills. I found a short, but challenging little course near my home that has frequent player cards for 100$(normally 34$ a round) a month, so I pay that and play as much golf as I can...the rest of the days are just me doing drills.

[Spyder]

Wow, $100/mo. is the deal of a lifetime for essentially any course at that price. I get a great deal at a course I go to a lot because my buddy is the General Manager and gets us out on 18 w/ cart for $10 any time of the day/week. I'm pretty lucky in that aspect there. I can also go up there and have a few beers and play around with the putting/chipping green as well so I really don't spend much aside from the range @ $10 per large bucket. I think there's roughly 120 balls in the bucket though.

[johnclayton1982]

A few things:

1.  You probably don't have a wife and kids.  Not to say they arn't wonderful, but for me anyway one of the best things about golf is that it is an escape a bit.  Hitting balls at the range or playing a quick nine holes in the evening puts me in a much better mood when I get home for the day.  After work I'm usually stressed out and tired, and find an hour or an hour and a half of golf time puts me a great frame of mind to go home.  When I go straight from work home I'm in a bad mood and don't have as much fun with my family.  I wouldn't like to be doing these drills with screaming kids, wife asking me why not taking out trash, helping with homework, etc...  I'd be alot of golfers use golf in the same way to relax.

2.  It depends on where your facility is in relation to your house / work.  My club is about 3-5 minutes from my office and on my route home.  I'd probably be looking for home solutions if I had to drive 30 minutes to my club / range.  $100/mo. is a great deal.  I pay $386/mo. for unlimited range and course and consider that a bargain.

I actually have done a drill at home that has really  helped me.  Stand next to a wall.  Lean your head forward so your forehead touches the wall but just barely.  Do a golf swing.  When you first start, you will feel your head move away from and into the wall quite a bit.  Start with half swings and move to full swings.  After a few weeks of doing this every day, you will be able to do a full swing motion without your head either coming off or pressing into the wall.  I had a problem with moving my head and this fixed it and really helped.  After you can do it consistently without moving your head, do it without picking your left foot off the ground at all (harder).  It forces you to swing with your trunk and rotate around the spine - if you cheat, either your head moves or your left foot comes up.  I do this in the AM before everyone else is up.  i can usually get in 100-120 swings in 20 minutes.  My instructor (who gave me this drill and I really like) said after another few weeks I'll start doing it with 5 lb weights.  Its a great drill.