Hitting into a Net

[Derrick Parker]

I have an old blanket hanging between the garage door rails. I shoot balls at it for hours. Aside from the fact I can't use my driver due to low overhang, the only problem is the balls bounce all over the place. If I hit a ball perfectly straight it comes back to me. Instant feedback!  I had the blanket hanging on a clothesline at the other end of the garage, but I made a slice and put a dent in the dryer so I moved it.

[David Hineline]

Originally Posted by golfballs01

David,

That is awesome that you got the net (FREE) and use it. You've isolated the thought process to the ball striking and not to the fear of a bad shot. Like anything else, its about the confidence that it builds. I am also a fan of the Mizuno clubs. They do indeed give great feedback. The thing that you might give thought to is if you practice too much hitting off of an artificial surface, you will become dependant on a perfect lie, and on the actual course shots, it will feel a bit foreign. I too have different hitting surfaces in my back yard, and find that I need to make somewhat of a transition to real turf before a round. Hitting into a net though took a little getting used to but like you said, once you began focussing on the shot and ball striking quality, it's as though the net wasn't even there.

Chris Warner

That's exactly right. I search for one thing when I hit into the net, that soft feel of a flushed iron! Feels like hitting a marshmallow whereas not hitting it flush can feel like you're hitting rocks. Once I can hit it flush every time then I can worry about distance control and accuracy. I try to get to the range every few weeks and it's so nice to have most things worked out in advance and not waste a 1/2 bucket of balls just trying to hit it solid.

I know what you mean by adjusting to grass. It usually doesn't take much but I have learned that unless I hit a grass range before I get to the course I will take "several" practice swings from my first approach shot on the first hole. I have fatted a few and started the round off bad.

[David Hineline]

Originally Posted by Derrick Parker

I have an old blanket hanging between the garage door rails. I shoot balls at it for hours. Aside from the fact I can't use my driver due to low overhang, the only problem is the balls bounce all over the place. If I hit a ball perfectly straight it comes back to me. Instant feedback!  I had the blanket hanging on a clothesline at the other end of the garage, but I made a slice and put a dent in the dryer so I moved it.

I have found that hitting a driver into a net or blanket provides little feedback so I wouldn't bother with it and just hit your irons over and over again until they all feel flush. Sounds like you have a concrete floor. Find an old quilt or something to throw on the floor to deaden the balls when they drop off the blanket.

[Bullitt5339]

Just this weekend, I rearranged my office to incorporate a net into the corner.  The picture sucks, but there's a lot more room in there than it appears to be in the picture and I can make full swings with irons to practice contact.  Even though I can't see ball flight, I can still tell when I made good contact with the ball.

My wife thought I was nuts when I started, but after I was done testing it out I went to make lunch.  I kept hearing a thump from the back, so I went back and found her hitting balls into the net.  She's not a golfer, but her first comment was "We need to get one of those screens like they have at the golf store..

[David Hineline]

Originally Posted by Bullitt5339

Just this weekend, I rearranged my office to incorporate a net into the corner.  The picture sucks, but there's a lot more room in there than it appears to be in the picture and I can make full swings with irons to practice contact.  Even though I can't see ball flight, I can still tell when I made good contact with the ball.

My wife thought I was nuts when I started, but after I was done testing it out I went to make lunch.  I kept hearing a thump from the back, so I went back and found her hitting balls into the net.  She's not a golfer, but her first comment was "We need to get one of those screens like they have at the golf store..

I love the new office set up. Now maybe you can get some real work done! Sounds like the Mrs. catches on quickly. Might as well pick up an Optishot to go with the new net!

[Fromthecoast]

[URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/63655/] [/URL]

David, how hard was that to build? I'm on my phone so I can't tell if that is real turf but it appears to be. I'd love to do something similar for my son and I to use.

[mwill1957]

I have a net in my backyard (live in Texas) and have tried the wiffle balls to practice.  The net has lots of advantages, especially as a beginner trying to figure out the right swing arc, but the further I get in learning the game t less useful it is.  Being so close to the net prevents seeing the true direction, distance and spin that results from your swing.  When I first started playing a year ago, I tried the wiffles to practice, the lack of weight in the ball made it seem as if I was getting good contact and loft when in fact I was hitting almost every ball to high.  Using the net helped me get to the point I get decent loft on most clubs now so I can work on keeping the ball straight.

[David Hineline]

Originally Posted by Fromthecoast

David, how hard was that to build? I'm on my phone so I can't tell if that is real turf but it appears to be. I'd love to do something similar for my son and I to use.

I am a former golf course supt but don't let that scare you. If you have ever planted grass successfully you can have a putting green. The short course is as follows: I took my lawnboy and started cutting through the existing lawn down to stubble and raked it off. I then brought in a few tons of sand and shoveled and broomed the area smooth about 2 inches deep. I planted L-93 bentgrass and watered a few times a day. I found an old Ransomes walk behind greensmower and started grooming the surface fairly quickly because I wanted to start putting and chipping. I had to add new seed every month or so until it was filled in. Fertilized every few weeks. Sprayed fungicides monthly. The way I did this is totally different then when I built greens on the golf course but I didn't have 20K to spend. It cost me a few hundred dollars which included the mower. If you live down south you would sprig champion bermuda or similar and you could do it much the same. My superintendent friends would cringe and I have had problems keeping the grass happy all the time but I putt and chip everyday and improve my game so what do I care if I have a few dead spots every now and then. It is the greatest home landscaping project I have ever done and I use it every day. I look forward to getting home from work to practice and waking up on the weekends to mow for a few minutes and begin practice. There is a bit of a learning curve to all this but that is what google is for!

[David Hineline]

Originally Posted by mwill1957

I have a net in my backyard (live in Texas) and have tried the wiffle balls to practice.  The net has lots of advantages, especially as a beginner trying to figure out the right swing arc, but the further I get in learning the game t less useful it is.  Being so close to the net prevents seeing the true direction, distance and spin that results from your swing.  When I first started playing a year ago, I tried the wiffles to practice, the lack of weight in the ball made it seem as if I was getting good contact and loft when in fact I was hitting almost every ball to high.  Using the net helped me get to the point I get decent loft on most clubs now so I can work on keeping the ball straight.

Wifffle's will help you develop a swing in a tight area. They aren't completely worthless and can give you "some" ball flight  feedback. They are better than swinging at air all the time. The next step is the dimpled foam ball then the Almost Ball if you have enough room. Use these to learn to swing, learning ball flight control and most importantly, hitting the ball to a target. Use the net just for finding a swing that produces consistent, solid ball contact. Do this for a month and if you feel like you are coming along well go to the range and fine tune what you have learned. That is what I did and was blown away by my accuracy and my solid ball striking. When I used to just go to the range it would take quite a few balls to just feel like it was hitting it well.

I have not mentioned this in previous posts but at this point in my comeback to the game, which is 18 months after nearly 15 years away from golf, I am mainly concerned with building the skills and tools to score well. I golf every few weeks but I am not ready to score well and have about a ten handicap at this point. I hope to drop 5 off that by next year at this time. By far I am way more driven to developing my short game and being able to consistently hit solid shots on the sweet spot every time then go shoot an 82. I quit the game because I was sick of playing below my abilities but didn't have the time to improve so when I decided to start again I took it serious enough to build a way to practice at home. Next year it all gets tested and I will focus on getting through 18 holes of golf with minimal mistakes and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. That is a different game altogether...mental, but if you don't have the mechanics down you can't even begin to tackle the mental game.

[mmoan2]

This thread is very good advice. I went to the range last Sunday after practicing a lot that week and was hitting the ball like a pro. I warmed up with a few half swings with a PW, a few full with a PW, and then pulled my 8i. I hit 5 balls in a row about 165 yards to within 20 feet of the practice pin. After flubbing a 5i, I hit about 5 of 7 to a 200 yd pin. Driver was straight and long. After chipping and pitching like a stud, I figured "Well guess my swing is perfect, time to sign up for Q-School and quit my day job." Then I had a lesson with my local pro on Monday night. I thought I'd show him how superior my swing had become and he could say "guess we're going home early tonight." My first shot was a shanked AW. Then another. Then I severely pulled a AW after hitting a few reasonably well. Pulled the magic 8i. Good contact, but pulling them like crazy. Damn was it frustrating! The pro filmed me and showed that I was still pulling my clubhead inside, but I was compensating for it well with a powerful over-the-top move which relied on my timing in the wrists to get a good ball flight. In other words, my swing was an absolute mess in many respects, but it fooled me into thinking it was fine because of my excellent ball flight the day before. Worse yet, it FELT good, and that's a big danger. Everyone wants to feel comfortable doing something, even if it's the wrong thing. So now I've set up a rug in my garage to hit at with a turf mat, plan on buying a good camera, and I will eschew half of my planned driving range trips to work in the garage on the right swing. Hopefully at this time next year, I've grooved a "proper" swing and am far more consistent.

[Brakkus]

I once had a rebound net that was for tennis practice,second best thing behind having a wall. I used it religiously and I can say I have never hit the ball as well since.Sometimes for only 15 mins a day. To me having a golf net can only be beneficial. If you use it in conjunction with some range time I don't see a downside. In fact for me having a large front lawn gives me pitching and chipping practice plus the driving net.

I would say each practice time in a net gives you an opportunity to work on one area of your swing. For instance my last session was about half an hour the other day and I found that I wanted to feel if there was any tension in my hands because when I got tight on chipping my right hand would snatch at impact causing a skull or a duff. Sometimes I will top the ball occasionally and suspected this was the cause. Anyway just that one session I found my tightness had decreased and ball contact became cleaner,even felt like I had increased my club head speed.

I agree that not seeing your ball flight takes the focus out of hitting the ball a long way. Funnily enough I think that sustained practice in the net will lead ironically to more distance, because you are now forced actually to feel your swing rather than seeing the result of your swing. If you are careful with what is being practiced then there's no way you can end up hitting a worse ball flight surely.

[tstrike34]

This thread (which I found on Google) has been one of the most enlightening threads about golf ever.

And its really helped me maximize my Xmas gift. I feel better and better with each session I go out to the Chamber to get some work in.

Nice thing about it is that I can go anytime I want to.

[Beachcomber]

This thread (which I found on Google) has been one of the most enlightening threads about golf ever. And its really helped me maximize my Xmas gift. I feel better and better with each session I go out to the Chamber to get some work in. Nice thing about it is that I can go anytime I want to. :dance:

Chamber? I gotta see a pic of your setup! I'm envisioning Walter White in a hazmat suit hitting 2i stingers into a net... With HAL9000 giving you audible feedback on path, face angle, ball speed, etc.

[tstrike34]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Chamber? I gotta see a pic of your setup! I'm envisioning Walter White in a hazmat suit hitting 2i stingers into a net... With HAL9000 giving you audible feedback on path, face angle, ball speed, etc.

Please see my video (ignore my horrible, but rapidly improving swing).

http://thesandtrap.com/t/63845/my-swing-tstrike34

[Brakkus]

I would like to add that for those who feel they need see their ball flight well why be scared. From my tennis coaching you are told it's better to hit the ball slightly long than into the net. You can always adjust your aim while hitting into the net usually means you may be doing a whole host of things wrong. Simplistic yes but the same principle in golf I would rather hit the ball solidly in a net and then have to correct my ball flight than hit it straight and duff it,thin it and fat it every few halls. I take the first scenario any day whereas mixing in uncertain contact in a round of golf costs lots of strokes.

[David Hineline]

I had to take the net down because of snow last week but when I set it back up I am going to hang a thin strip of fabric or whatever to aim at. Say 4-6 inches wide and about 6-8 feet from where I am hitting. If you can hit that and you aren't putting any side spin on it then you are basically hitting it at the target. My accuracy was great right before the snow. I was hitting my 60 degree from about 30 yards with the Almost Ball over the weekend and probably hit 300 wedges. 12 holes in one, 6 on the fly and some even sucked back into the hole. I also dinged the pin about 10 times and riddled the area around the cup with marks leaving the ball around 1-2 feet away dozens of times.

[boil3rmak3r]

I transformed a room in my house into a hitting area last year (mat, net, and a full body mirror). I only use it during the winter months (I'm in Indiana). I was a little nervous about engraining bad habits because I couldn't see my ball flight, but that fear has totally gone away. After using the setup for a number of months, I was able to tell how solid my contact was based on sound and feel. I can also get a good feel for whether I've made a good hit DOWN on the ball or whether I scooped it (envision hitting a 9 iron into a net - scooped shots hit the net 5 feet high and may bound upward after that, while a nice hit down on the ball drives into the net 3 feet off the ground). I also have a high speed camera and software that I use to analyze my swing, but have learned to only use video every couple of weeks or so. If I used it more often than that, I would get frustrated because my swing hadn't changed. I try to wait to video long enough to give myself a realistic chance of actually making a swing change. As for ball flight, I am 100% a believer that small tweaks can help change the shape of your shots. The net develops the foundation for solid strikes and the range tells you what tweaks you need to make. Having said all that, I still go to a heated outdoor driving range every couple of weeks to see the balls actually fly. Hitting into a net gets two big thumbs up from me.

[golfballs01]

You would be surprised at how many golfers experience the same situation. I teach a lot of students that have gotten pretty good and relatively consistent in their ball flight. What they don't realize is, if a swing isn't mechanically sound, they will plateau, and reach a point, where improvement will cease. The laws of nature are what they are and they don't change for anyone. We either work with them or they work against us. That's why good fundamentals are important. The idea of getting a good camera will make a significant difference. There are two aspects that you will need to address. Understanding correctness, knowing what you are looking for in the swing, and then knowing how to make the changes. There is so much good information available these daysn so spending a little time truly learning the swing will pay great dividens. The two views you will want are (down the line), revealing a view from behind you, looking at the target, and (face on). This is where you are looking directly at yourself from straight in front of you. I have a Casio XLIM camera that I use. You can get it on e-bay. It's 1,000 frames per second and in HD. Great camera!

Chris Warner

Master Teaching Professional