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How do you divide you practice time between woods, irons, and wedges?


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A TERRIBLE way to determine what you need to practice would be to simply see what clubs you hit the most on the golf course.

For example lets say you hit a nice drive down a par 4 and you have 150 yards left.  Next you hit which ever club and miss the green on the left side.  From there you hit your approach shot to 12 feet and then 2 putt for bogey.  What was the reason you walked away from that hole with a bogey?

IMO it was both of your approach shots, 1. you missed the green in regulation from 150 yards, 2. your pitch shot to 12 feet was not close enough because you can't "expect" to make the vast majority of your 12 foot putts.

You did hit your putter twice on this hole, proving that is not a good way to determine how to allocate your time to which ever club  when practicing.

Stephan Kostelecky

Golf Instructor

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Originally Posted by David in FL

Ok. For those of us who weren't there......spill!

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

Sounds like a certain somebody had an LPGA moment. :-p

He's played a couple of rounds recently ... one posted about on here a couple of weeks ago in the "What'd you shoot today" thread and the other just relayed to me via text message ... where he finished with a decent score, yet with 37 putts.  On the last one he said that he missed 5 putts inside of 3 feet.  And since he's in the mood lately to come up with goofy nicknames , I figure he deserves one as well.  Hence, "Mr. 37." :)

We're playing a match next weekend (him, me, Pakoh, Golfswine) and if he is still putting like that, he's gettin' taken to the woodshed!

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A TERRIBLE way to determine what you need to practice would be to simply see what clubs you hit the most on the golf course.  For example lets say you hit a nice drive down a par 4 and you have 150 yards left.  Next you hit which ever club and miss the green on the left side.  From there you hit your approach shot to 12 feet and then 2 putt for bogey.  What was the reason you walked away from that hole with a bogey?  IMO it was both of your approach shots, 1. you missed the green in regulation from 150 yards, 2. your pitch shot to 12 feet was not close enough because you can't "expect" to make the vast majority of your 12 foot putts.  You did hit your putter twice on this hole, proving that is not a good way to determine how to allocate your time to which ever club  when practicing.

Here's my thinking in terms of importance: 1. Driver, 2. Wedges (100 yards in), 3/4. Irons and putting. My reasoning: Say I have a 420 yard par 4. If I can put a drive 270-280 in the fairway, I now have 150-140 to the green, which depending on pin position is an 8i, 9i, or PW. Taking the worst cast scenario (hit it fat, thin, or miss way right or left) I'm well under 100 yards to the pin. If I can pitch well I can knock it close and leave a short par putt. Now, assume I'm terrible or short off the tee and either slice it 210 into the woods, or 230 in the fairway. I'm now looking at best at hybrid straight in, being forced to shape a cut hybrid out of the right mess, or worst case I have to punch out and still have a 8i or 9i in. My point is everything is easier if your long a d accurate of the tee

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Well the greens I played are rock hard. Approach shots are not sticking. You can't assume you will be able to chip it close if you fat it thin it etc. I believe its not the same for everyone. Identify your weakness and practice those shots but don't leave out good areas. My driver is not my weakest link but it gets me in trouble at times. Having a friend at a driving range help see things you can't ....if they know the golf swing.
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Originally Posted by Golfingdad

He's played a couple of rounds recently ... one posted about on here a couple of weeks ago in the "What'd you shoot today" thread and the other just relayed to me via text message ... where he finished with a decent score, yet with 37 putts.  On the last one he said that he missed 5 putts inside of 3 feet.  And since he's in the mood lately to come up with goofy nicknames , I figure he deserves one as well.  Hence, "Mr. 37." :)

We're playing a match next weekend (him, me, Pakoh, Golfswine) and if he is still putting like that, he's gettin' taken to the woodshed!

37 putts?  Holy crap, that's a LOT of putts!

Now that you've blabbed though, I'm gonna have to put my $'s on Beach.  Karma........

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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Originally Posted by SoundandFury

Here's my thinking in terms of importance: 1. Driver, 2. Wedges (100 yards in), 3/4. Irons and putting. My reasoning:

Say I have a 420 yard par 4. If I can put a drive 270-280 in the fairway, I now have 150-140 to the green, which depending on pin position is an 8i, 9i, or PW. Taking the worst cast scenario (hit it fat, thin, or miss way right or left) I'm well under 100 yards to the pin. If I can pitch well I can knock it close and leave a short par putt.

Now, assume I'm terrible or short off the tee and either slice it 210 into the woods, or 230 in the fairway. I'm now looking at best at hybrid straight in, being forced to shape a cut hybrid out of the right mess, or worst case I have to punch out and still have a 8i or 9i in.

My point is everything is easier if your long a d accurate of the tee

No doubt that hitting the ball far enough and in play is important, for some that may come easy, for others not.  Allocate your practice time accordingly based upon that though.  Strengthen your weaknesses type of thing.

Stephan Kostelecky

Golf Instructor

Youtube

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I probably spend 70% of my range time on irons (worst part of my game).  I usually hit 95 balls a day.  I warm up with 10-20 wedge shots, transition to irons, and then hit maybe 10-15 shots with my 3W and Dr.

Driver and 3W are the best parts of my game, so I rarely practice with them at the range.  It feels like a waste of time.

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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First rev this was a total that added up to 145% of my range time.....

revised:

short answer that maths out:

full swing 6i on up:  40%  (shot shape and stock swing)

SW/MW/LW pitching shots:  25% (really should do this more - real payoff is here) 20/30/40/50 yard carry shots, mostly SW using the bounce as noted elsewhere

Driver:  20% (it's different than the other full swing shots - deserves special attention)

full swing short irons:  15% (gotta hit the whole bag - just try to make sure they are reasonably straight and the yardage assumptions stay consistent)

I think what's distressing here is this is 75% full swing work and only 25% of 'touch' practice (i.e. wedgework and partial swing control)....I wonder if the mix shouldn't be more balanced to touch work

putting is another thing - tack that on top of it all

mix in all that other stuff on occasion (punch shots, odd lies, lofting/delofting, shaping, sand, etc etc etc)

We have a local very nice course that has all the range facilities you could ask for, range, chipping, sand, putting, etc etc.  And it's a day pass.  So this is a good idea to just go and hang out and do everything, pace yourself, have some drinks, bring friends......

Bill - 

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I do the same practice routine pretty much every time I go to the range.

I always start with the Sand Wedge.  I hit about 10 pitches, then move up to full swings for about 10 more balls.

I then hit probably 30 balls with a 7 Iron.

I then hit probably 30 balls with a Driver.

Then I cool down with the Sand Wedge again doing some more pitches and a few more chips with 20 or so balls left.

I find that if I can hit those 3 clubs consistently well then I can hit everything in my bag well and right now it's working pretty good for me.

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I practice range like you would shooting jump shots . . . start easy with wedges working my way up to the driver then back down. Starting with easy wedges also builds my confidence so I keep the correct mindset.

Seems to be working, I just need to put in more time doing it.

TaylorMade R11 Driver

X-20 Irons

Fusion FT-3 Driver

White Hot XG 9 Putter

 

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Interesting site here...how to break 70 protourgolfcollege Check out what they learned to get players better they got it broken down in a word Awesome I don't know how to post the link on my cell phone check that site out for you people who are trying to get to tour level
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Originally Posted by noSnowman

Interesting site here...how to break 70 protourgolfcollege.

Check out what they learned to get players better. they got it broken down. in a word: Awesome.

Sorry, but I couldn't resist anymore.

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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Well for those who won't go to the site they learned most player's pratice backwards...long game to much short game not enough. 100 yrds and in including putting needs 75% of your practice time!
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Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Do you finish all of your rounds with just 14 drives and 22 iron shots?  No penalties for OB, no water hazards, no missed greens, no bunkers, no chunked chip shots, no thinned irons, etc, etc, etc?

If so, then I completely agree.  You need to work on your putting.  However, I "speck" not.  I would wager a fair amount of money that you don't average 45 putts per round to get that 10 handicap. ;)

You would be correct sir. My current average is 1.9 putts per hole. Trying to get to 1.5 or so. That's 7.2 strokes a round if I didn't work on anything else. This is not to say I don't work on chipping, irons, woods and the driver. I'm just saying hittin' is for show and puttin' is for dough. I just feel I can get more back with the putter than a chip shot, but then again that's just me. Great question though. I guess I just didn't clarify myself. Thanks for the response!

Driver      -  K15 10.5 w/ Ping TFC149D Shaft in stiff

4 Wood   -  Rapture V2 17.5* Aldila S-75

Hybrid    -   Super Hybrid SS 19* w/ Matrix Program

Irons      -   i20's 3-W, UW, SW & LW w/ KBS Tour Stiff +1/2" White Dot

Putter    -   White Ice #9 33"

Ball       -   B330-S & B330-RXS

                 D2 Feel

 

Bragging about a 200 yard 7 iron is not golf.

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Originally Posted by Na5carr3

You would be correct sir. My current average is 1.9 putts per hole. Trying to get to 1.5 or so. That's 7.2 strokes a round if I didn't work on anything else. This is not to say I don't work on chipping, irons, woods and the driver. I'm just saying hittin' is for show and puttin' is for dough. I just feel I can get more back with the putter than a chip shot, but then again that's just me. Great question though. I guess I just didn't clarify myself. Thanks for the response!

But, honestly, how much of the difference between 34 and 27 putts is actually made up of putting, and how much of it is made up from getting the approach shots/chip shots closer to the hole in the first place?

The only way I see to average 27 putts per round is to either a) strike the ball as well as the pros and consistently have 8' or less for your first putt ... or b) continue to miss most greens and chip fairly decently.

No matter how you slice it, that difference in putts isn't made up by practicing your putting. :)

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Originally Posted by Golfingdad

But, honestly, how much of the difference between 34 and 27 putts is actually made up of putting, and how much of it is made up from getting the approach shots/chip shots closer to the hole in the first place?

The only way I see to average 27 putts per round is to either a) strike the ball as well as the pros and consistently have 8' or less for your first putt ... or b) continue to miss most greens and chip fairly decently.

No matter how you slice it, that difference in putts isn't made up by practicing your putting. :)

Sure it is. I'm that good on the approach. No, seriously, you make a good point. I just prefer to work on that more because I know that's MY weakness.

Driver      -  K15 10.5 w/ Ping TFC149D Shaft in stiff

4 Wood   -  Rapture V2 17.5* Aldila S-75

Hybrid    -   Super Hybrid SS 19* w/ Matrix Program

Irons      -   i20's 3-W, UW, SW & LW w/ KBS Tour Stiff +1/2" White Dot

Putter    -   White Ice #9 33"

Ball       -   B330-S & B330-RXS

                 D2 Feel

 

Bragging about a 200 yard 7 iron is not golf.

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Not much for me to say here.  GD is my brother from another mother.

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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My best days in golf were when I spend most time practising putting. I hated it. The practise green near my home were bumpy and wet but I would just persevere and try to get the stroke right.

Interestingly, if I get my putting right, the rest of my game just fall in places. I cannot explain it but maybe it has to do with getting my rhythm right. I cannot be sure.

I also watched how the tour players spend their time before their designated tee off time and noticed that they spend most times putting or chipping. In the range, most times were spent on wedge. Strangely, they spend the least time on drivers and woods, perhaps only 2 or 3 shots at the end to cap the practise.

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Note: This thread is 3976 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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