Practice fatigue: what's your cue to pack it in?

[SoundandFury]

Just out of curiosity: how do you know when fatigue is starting to mess with your swing?

for me, it usually sets in after I've hit more than 150-200 balls in a day (two sessions). I start either shanking, hitting waaaay fat. No fixing it. It's takes a ton of discipline to not keeping banging away to try to get it back again.

How about you guys?

[inthecup]

I am about the same, I should hit no more then 150 but sometimes it is hard to stop.

[rehmwa]

When they walk up and say, "Look, we're closed.  What are you, some kind of remorseless shaved ape?  this isn't worth it, I have to feed my family, but you take all the profit out of it.  We're not bringing you any more balls, those guys have left for home already.  Stop walking out there and getting your own.  your glove is sweaty and shredded.  Don't you have any better place to be?"

and that kind of thing

[Effington]

If I'm over swinging, I'll get tired in about 100 swings.  If I'm swinging light and easy, I can swing away for hours without an issue.  As a frame of reference, I'm 30 years old and in excellent shape.

The hardest part is when I'm swinging poorly, and can't seem to fix the problem, it's very hard to walk away.  The other day, I had a perfectly good session at the range but had a few bad swings at the end, and then spent 20 minutes trying to fix it when I should have just left.  At the end, it just got worse and I left the range in a terrible mood.

[gregsandiego]

On 3/20/2013 at 0:18 PM, Effington said:

If I'm over swinging, I'll get tired in about 100 swings.  If I'm swinging light and easy, I can swing away for hours without an issue.  As a frame of reference, I'm 30 years old and in excellent shape.

The hardest part is when I'm swinging poorly, and can't seem to fix the problem, it's very hard to walk away.  The other day, I had a perfectly good session at the range but had a few bad swings at the end, and then spent 20 minutes trying to fix it when I should have just left.  At the end, it just got worse and I left the range in a terrible mood.

Excuse me for bumping this old thread but it seemed right on to one I was going to start.

I went to the range today AFTER playing and I'm thinking damn, this is good. I'm so loosened up I can hit so well....

The issue is what Effington says above. If my swing goes to crap I want to fix it. I think to myself, oh incomplete backswing, shoulder turned, relax on the downswing, etc..... but it never works. 

Do you guys try and fix your swing when it goes bad at the range? Or are you smart enough to walk away right away?

 

[Hacker James]

yah, I too am familiar with this. I usually hit balls into a cage daily, sometimes only for a few minutes. When I start mishitting, I just stop. Other times, it is when I notice some sort of pain in left arm from the impact. If  I know that I will be playing, I will make a point to NOT practice at least three days prior other than maybe hit a small bucket right before tee time, but even then, nice and easy.

[gregsandiego]

11 minutes ago, Hacker James said:

yah, I too am familiar with this. I usually hit balls into a cage daily, sometimes only for a few minutes. When I start mishitting, I just stop. Other times, it is when I notice some sort of pain in left arm from the impact. If  I know that I will be playing, I will make a point to NOT practice at least three days prior other than maybe hit a small bucket right before tee time, but even then, nice and easy

That's yet another counter intuitive golf-ism: stop practicing when you make a mistake.

[Hacker James]

I really don't know. I have tried to "work my way through it", but usually at least take a break till later.  They really aren't mistakes per sei, just sort of goes to crap, hence "fatigue".

[RandallT]

19 minutes ago, gregsandiego said:

Excuse me for bumping this old thread but it seemed right on to one I was going to start.

I went to the range today AFTER playing and I'm thinking damn, this is good. I'm so loosened up I can hit so well....

The issue is what Effington says above. If my swing goes to crap I want to fix it. I think to myself, oh incomplete backswing, shoulder turned, relax on the downswing, etc..... but it never works. 

Do you guys try and fix your swing when it goes bad at the range? Or are you smart enough to walk away right away?

 

Is there a third option? 

If I'm just hitting balls, there are two scenarios for that now (as of about a year ago maybe?): 1) pre round warmup, 2) it has been a while since I've just hit, and I just want to loosen up to see if I can "find the ball."

In neither of those scenarios, do I try to fix anything. It's mainly to see where I stand to make sure lessons are chugging along ok. If I hit it poorly, oh well, I typically know what my priority is from my instructor already, so I'm sure as heck ain't gonna diagnose anything. I'll just walk away.

If I'm there to practice, I am doing it slowly. And I'm doing something very specific that I'm confident is a priority for me. Any full swings I'm doing will be done just to check that piece (lot of times by video)- and I won't care about ball flight. 

I've gone home tons of times without getting my priority fixed. Just part of the process.

Anyway, I'm not trying to sound snotty or anything. It's just become the way I've transitioned to practicing this past year. Gotta say- it's liberating. No more of the dilemma you're describing. I'll let you know mid-season how successful I've been at this new practice methodology (haven't played too much this past year). I'm pretty hopeful so far that I've changed some substantial things that will yield results. (results I'd have never gotten on my own doing it the old way)

[Club Rat]

51 minutes ago, gregsandiego said:

I went to the range today AFTER playing and I'm thinking damn, this is good. I'm so loosened up I can hit so well....

The issue is what Effington says above. If my swing goes to crap I want to fix it. I think to myself, oh incomplete backswing, shoulder turned, relax on the downswing, etc..... but it never works. 

Do you guys try and fix your swing when it goes bad at the range? Or are you smart enough to walk away right away?

Fatigue can play a part, but it varies with one's activities leading up to when they play or practice. When I reach that point, I'll bag full swings and possible work on putting or chipping, or head to the 19th hole. 

Fixing, depends on IF, one knows specifically the cause/problem? Or has a friend / coach / Pro who you normally work with? 
If multiple things are out of whack, then it's usually time to take a step back, call it a day and give it some thought on where to start next time.

Many guys head to the range after they play poorly. I've had several friends who often would take lessons after shooting 72 and I'm like WTF, you played great today !!!
They would always say "something didn't feel right"

I think it was only an excuse to get out of buying me a brewski....

[gregsandiego]

1 hour ago, Club Rat said:

 

Many guys head to the range after they play poorly. I've had several friends who often would take lessons after shooting 72 and I'm like WTF, you played great today !!!
They would always say "something didn't feel right"

I think it was only an excuse to get out of buying me a brewski....

I see the logic in a lesson after playing since your mistakes are fresh in your mind. But does that mean their instructor is on call? For me it's usually lesson on Saturday, play on Sunday.

[Club Rat]

5 hours ago, gregsandiego said:

But does that mean their instructor is on call?

Everyone's situation is different with the person they work with.
Are you taking lessons from someone you have built a repertoire with?
A quick phone call to an instructor would usually enable them to juggle their schedule for a check up.

5 hours ago, gregsandiego said:

For me it's usually lesson on Saturday, play on Sunday.

Consider alternating this routine. Play on Saturday, lesson on Sunday.
This would give you time to let the work sink in though the week and additional time for practice.
Do you experience many thoughts while playing the day after taking a lesson?
 

[Hatchman]

Some days just get away from me making self assessment futile.  Then I just might pack it in at the range or even on the course practicing then move that play to the range, as long as I'm not too tired or frustrated so I can maintain practice with purpose.

[Patch]

I know it's time to quit swinging at the first sight of goofy looking ball flights. 4 or 5 of those, and I know I am physically  tired, and/or lost my mental focus. Also hitting a fatty or two is another good sign I am getting tired. 

Also, alot of times, after a series really good shots, I will tell myself, there is nothing wrong to work on, and stop at that point. I will also cut my practice time short if my ball flights are bad from the start. I figure there is no need to continue to practice hitting poor shots. I know that I have a decent swing, that will eventually show back up later on. 

Usually on my full swing practice days, I rarely hit more than 70-80 balls. More like 50-60. I am the guy on the range that will leave a partial basket of balls, while leaving others to ponder if I am really done, and how they can acquire those extra balls for their own use.

[nevets88]

At the tipping point where you're doing more harm than good.

[MrDC]

I've given up the long range sessions so I never reach the fatigue point there, small buckets only for me.

But on the course I frequently walk 27 holes and start to feel it towards the end, the legs are toast and golf with tired legs is like sex without... well you know.

[saevel25]

I don't hit that many golf balls to get fatigued. 

I'll get the 70-100 ball count. Then I'll try to make those last a long time. 

[jamo]

I'm never really willing to spend the money to go past the point of feeling tired, so that's an easy answer.