Where/How Do You Practice?

[Jarrod Putnam]

Please excuse me if this wouldn't be the correct section. "Golf Courses & Architecture" seemed more of a course area, not so much range/practice areas. I know another thread exists on this subject, but it has been dead for a couple years. Im hoping this one won't die in as weak of manner as the last.

So where & how do you guys practice that isn't JUST on the range? Do you have your own personal setup on your property? Maybe in your basement? Share em here!

Ive been practicing at my buddies house everyday for the past couple month. Over that time period, we have accumulated about 1500-200 balls to hit around (obviously quite a bit get lost, when it gets a bit warmer we intend to sweep the area and collect the lost balls). From "tee" to "green" is about 120-135 yards give or take. We usually are swinging a 54 Wedge, A Wedge, Pitching Wedge, or maybe an easy 9.

- View from the "tee". There is a small stream directly in front of us. There is a swamp about 100ft to the left of that shed, and 300ft on the right, thus creating a natural hazardous "fairway" if you will.

- From the top of hill to "green" area. We built a sand trap on the right side, and are currently growing the grass for the green. Obviously not going to be great quality. Still need to drop about 650 lbs more sand in the bunker. 1500 so far.

- View looking back from about midway back towards "tee".

-Photo of the bunker in progress. Just needs a bit more sand and some cleaning up around the edges.

[mdl]

Nice.  Get some birdieballs!  I live in LA, so no buddies with huge property, but I got myself some birdieballs and a little mat and I just go to the park and practice there.  The awesome back yard setup is great for short game practice, but with the birdieballs a 3W shot goes no more than ~45 yards, so you could have free practice space for all your clubs.  And they're WAY better than other practice balls I've hit.  The give you good information on contact, direction, and shot shape, and decent info on shot height once you get to know what your shots look like with them.  I practice almost exclusively with those these days, along with real balls for short game practice.

[Jarrod Putnam]

Never heard of birdieballs. Gonna have to look into em, thanks! Yeah it is mostly for short game, but my swing has carried over into my long irons quite a bit. We are just going for shot consistency at the moment. Hell, just today I was there from 8:30am to about 3pm hitting balls the entire time, maybe 30 mins of stopping throughout. Hitting close to 500 balls a day really gets your swing ingrained into your head hhaha

[JCoop]

I have a couple acre field with a flag at about 75 yards that I hit short game clubs into. I also have a fairly large yard that surrounds the house where I practice pitching/chip shots.

I also devised a "net" out of a sapling framework that I lashed together with some very heavy fabric draped over it as a back stop. I can whack balls into this thing for hours without having to go chase them.

Periodically, I just have the blood lust and tee up a ball for the driver. I rarely ever recover those balls way off in the woods where they end up.

[awmgolfer]

During the winter which for me runs from mid-November till beginning of May I use the school. I live about a 1/2 mile from the high school in town which I work at, plus I teach instrumental music so my room is pretty big. Most of the time I set up a blanket wall using two music stands and use my golf mat to hit foam balls into it. I use my laptop to record and analyze my swing. This is when I make most of my swing changes. I usually take a break from November till end of February but once the end of February hits I start working on the swing. Once I start feeling good about things and the work I am doing I move into the gym on the weekends or late nights as the 1/3 flight foam balls actually allow me to see ball flight.

Over the entire winter our home is older so the floors upstairs are fairly uneven which is great for breaks. The strip right by our bed is fairly straight though so I spend all winter putting and our carpet runs at about a nice 11 on the stimp. Usually when the season rolls around I have to spend very little time on putting which is nice. Once the course opens I spend a lot of time on the short game and this year I am going to work on working the ball and more specialty shots. Once summer hits though I only practice on the course.

[Jarrod Putnam]

AWM how exactly do you analyze your swing with your laptop? I assume a swing program of sorts? Or simple recording and slowing it down?

[Jarrod Putnam]

A bit better of a picture of the swamp hazard. It's a bit hard to see the actual water, but once you go right of the fence you are up to your knees in swamp.

[Jimdangles]

local golf course. mostly chipping area. and driving range during weekends when its on the grass.

[BuckeyeNut]

I never practice.................

I just play!............a lot.

[zipazoid]

I love to practice while playing, as opposed to hitting balls at a range. I have difficulty being patient with actual 'practice' but I like going out on the course alone & hit 2 or 3 balls, throw a few into a bunker, putt on a green for 5-10 minutes.

Having said that, I do hit the range at least once a week cuz it's just so beneficial, so I just make myself slow down, commit to every swing. I also practice my putting a lot . I'm getting older & starting to lose distance, so putting is my equalizer.

[Valleygolfer]

My newly set up practice area. Aside from the range this is a 40 yard pitch shot to the red bucket.

[cruzthepug]

I've got this setup in my back yard.

Both the net and mat I bought off ebay. I usually try to hit about a dozen balls with my Tour Striker, a dozen with either a 7 iron or PW and maybe a few with the driver almost everyday. As long as I'm hitting it good on the course, that's my routine. When things get out of line, I'll make a trip to the range.