Why do you practice?

[Hacker James]

Just out of curiosity,,,,,,,,,,,but it seems as  though some people can get so addicted to practice that's all they do.  Its only an observation and may not even be true.  I see people posting about their dedicated practice, making swing videos, enrolled in evolvr, yet you rarely see them even mention a round of golf, or score. I certainly commend people for practicing and showing determination and dedication, but if they never play, what's the point?   It could be simply that for whatever reason, they are not able to play i.e. weather, location, job.  There could be any number of reasons I suppose. But, sometimes it seems to me that some are just so enamored of the mechanical or scientific aspects that it becomes an obsession. You could have the greatest looking swing ever, go through all the checks and positions, but until you take it out to the course, you don't really know what your capabilities are.

I practice a lot at home and you see me in a lot of posts, but I still manage to play 2 or 3 times a month (for the most part). It only seems as though I am online a lot, but really its only because I may read something, and I can easily duck out to the back yard to try it. I may do this dozens of times a day. I too, do videos (hopefully not in excess).   Those practice sessions do produce verifiable results at those times I do manage to get out and play.  The bad thing is however, that my rounds are not close together, I may not be able to play again for 2 weeks or so. That's too long in between rounds, but even so I can see some progress. Also since my rounds are always 18 holes, my HC may be a little higher than those who only play 9 holes and use combined scores. This is not always the case of course. I know the courses I play, they do not even have a nine hole handicap marked on the card.  I may be mistaken, but I am under the impression in those cases, you take the course handicap and divide it in two. (that's a subject for another thread and/or debate though).

Anyway, its not all that important. To each his/her own.

[Lihu]

Every time I seem to be learning a new swing. For the past 6 months alone, I completely undid my swing for a new one quite a few times. I am, hopefully, building the correct one, now.

Practice is the only way I can tell if I am progressing. I can hit 200 to 300 balls in the time it takes for a 4 hour round, and try different things.

Other than that, the reason I practice is to do better on the course.

[rkim291968]

Originally Posted by Hacker James

Just out of curiosity,,,,,,,,,,,but it seems as  though some people can get so addicted to practice that's all they do.  Its only an observation and may not even be true.  I see people posting about their dedicated practice, making swing videos, enrolled in evolvr, yet you rarely see them even mention a round of golf, or score. I certainly commend people for practicing and showing determination and dedication, but if they never play, what's the point?   It could be simply that for whatever reason, they are not able to play i.e. weather, location, job.  There could be any number of reasons I suppose. But, sometimes it seems to me that some are just so enamored of the mechanical or scientific aspects that it becomes an obsession. You could have the greatest looking swing ever, go through all the checks and positions, but until you take it out to the course, you don't really know what your capabilities are.

I practice a lot at home and you see me in a lot of posts, but I still manage to play 2 or 3 times a month (for the most part). It only seems as though I am online a lot, but really its only because I may read something, and I can easily duck out to the back yard to try it. I may do this dozens of times a day. I too, do videos (hopefully not in excess).   Those practice sessions do produce verifiable results at those times I do manage to get out and play.  The bad thing is however, that my rounds are not close together, I may not be able to play again for 2 weeks or so. That's too long in between rounds, but even so I can see some progress. Also since my rounds are always 18 holes, my HC may be a little higher than those who only play 9 holes and use combined scores. This is not always the case of course. I know the courses I play, they do not even have a nine hole handicap marked on the card.  I may be mistaken, but I am under the impression in those cases, you take the course handicap and divide it in two. (that's a subject for another thread and/or debate though).

Anyway, its not all that important. To each his/her own.

I was under the impression that most golfers don't practice as much as they want to play.   When they practice, they hit the range mostly and don't spend enough time on their short game.  So, I don't necessarily agree with your premise that some people are "addicted to practice and that's all they do."

I usually practice a few times a week and play on weekend.   When I practice, I try to make it count, focusing on my weaknesses from the last weekend's play.    Without practice in between rounds, my score goes up.   When my score goes up, I get stressed out.   I also happen to enjoy practice.   It makes me forget about work and other !#$!@# I face every day.

[APrince]

I was practicing more than I was playing, I do have a membership at a local course for unlimited Mon-sat though(Sunday is social day and full price).. its like the other poster said. on the range I can hit hundreds of balls quicker than playing a round. I normally practice more with my irons while I'm on the range. I only save a few for my driver and woods. I get a jumbo bucket which is 200+ balls. then ill spend time pitching, chipping and putting on a green for an hour it sucks though, I was in the middle of a swing rebuild before my shoulder gave out and now I'm doing nothing on the dl except icing and popping ibprofens. ill probably be down two months total, which is another month and a half. ill start rehabbing in another week or two if its not more serious. I tore my rotator cuff 17 years ago in the same shoulder and it doesn't fell as bad so heres to hoping. I wish I could put a net out back.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Hacker James

Just out of curiosity,,,,,,,,,,,but it seems as  though some people can get so addicted to practice that's all they do.  Its only an observation and may not even be true.  I see people posting about their dedicated practice, making swing videos, enrolled in evolvr, yet you rarely see them even mention a round of golf, or score. I certainly commend people for practicing and showing determination and dedication, but if they never play, what's the point?   It could be simply that for whatever reason, they are not able to play i.e. weather, location, job.  There could be any number of reasons I suppose. But, sometimes it seems to me that some are just so enamored of the mechanical or scientific aspects that it becomes an obsession. You could have the greatest looking swing ever, go through all the checks and positions, but until you take it out to the course, you don't really know what your capabilities are.

I practice a lot at home and you see me in a lot of posts, but I still manage to play 2 or 3 times a month (for the most part). It only seems as though I am online a lot, but really its only because I may read something, and I can easily duck out to the back yard to try it. I may do this dozens of times a day. I too, do videos (hopefully not in excess).   Those practice sessions do produce verifiable results at those times I do manage to get out and play.  The bad thing is however, that my rounds are not close together, I may not be able to play again for 2 weeks or so. That's too long in between rounds, but even so I can see some progress. Also since my rounds are always 18 holes, my HC may be a little higher than those who only play 9 holes and use combined scores. This is not always the case of course. I know the courses I play, they do not even have a nine hole handicap marked on the card.  I may be mistaken, but I am under the impression in those cases, you take the course handicap and divide it in two. (that's a subject for another thread and/or debate though).

Anyway, its not all that important. To each his/her own.

I'm just the opposite.  I almost never practice.  If I do, it's short game for 20-30 minutes before a round.  I don't want to hit 100 balls down the range, I want to put numbers on a scorecard.  That's why I play golf.

I have respect for those who put in a reasonable amount of practice time, as long as you use that finely tuned (? ) swing on the course.  Those who practice, practice, practice and rarely take it out on the course - I don't get it at all.  To me, there is no point in that.  Golf is about getting the ball in the hole, not about banging balls until your hands bleed.

I knew that guy.  he would spent literally 2 days a week on the range.  I don't know how many thousand balls he hit, but he'd be up on the range for 6 or 7 hours.  He might play one round a month.  I don't think he ever scored better than the low 80's from the middle tees in the few rounds he did play, then back to the range to try and find that secret of a perfect swing.  I never heard him mention a round that he was satisfied with, much less happy about.

As long as I saw him around, I don't think he ever figured out that all you can learn on the range is a swing.  You have to take it out on the course to learn how to play golf.

[inthecup]

I think people trying to find their swing practice a lot. Once you reach a certain level say 18 handicap or lower you want to hit the course more. Also if you,make a significant change being able to take dozens ofmswingsmback to back is valuable. When I start to get into bad habits I might hit the range more I also like to keep my short game sharp so I like to hit the short game area a lot.

[Ernest Jones]

I've only gotten really into golf recently, 2-3 years maybe. Before that I would play maybe 3 rounds a year at most. Up until recently I had never taken a lesson and just tried to dig it out of the dirt, I also practiced at the range but practiced badly as I had no idea what or how to practice. For me it was a conscious decision this year to take lessons and practice more than play, not to the exclusion of playing of course, I still get out and play but I needed to change up my approach because I was not improving. It's also a lot easier to find an hour to hit balls into a net than it is to find 6 hours to drive to the course and play 18, especially when you have two young children and a houseful of chores. I guess I'm lucky in that I really enjoy practicing, it's a close second to playing for me. I'm getting déjà vu here, I think I wrote the exact same thing in an almost identical thread a few months ago, I think it was one if your threads? Maybe it's just déjà vu...

[CBO]

I really enjoy practicing, has nothing to do with time but I spend more time practicing then playing rounds. Setting up the camera at the range and working on something very specific and grooving my swing is the most useful for me right now but I can also really enjoy a day of chipping and putting on the practice green and wallowing around on an empty par3 course on my own with a hand full of balls trying all kinds of shots just minding my own business. :)

[Lihu]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

I have respect for those who put in a reasonable amount of practice time, as long as you use that finely tuned (?  ) swing on the course.  Those who practice, practice, practice and rarely take it out on the course - I don't get it at all.  To me, there is no point in that.  Golf is about getting the ball in the hole, not about banging balls until your hands bleed.

Fully agree with this, but I also consider going out on the course practice as well. For that matter, everything I do with golf is practice right now. There are just so many aspects to it.

[Hacker James]

Yep, that is exactly what I was alluding to. Practice is  very necessary, but without actually playing, it is meaningless.  One would hope that after any significant amount of practice, it would result in lower scores being posted, but if you have none to post......well......

[boogielicious]

I practice golf for the same reason I rehearsed as a musician or did cycling, track, rugby, baseball, etc. practice/training for other sports or even did "homework" for school.  To improve during play, I need reps at what I am going to try to do.  That is the only way I will become a better performer.  I view the round as performance.

I play 1 to 2 times a week, one 9 hole league round and usually a weekend round with friends.  This year I haven't been going to the range or practice green as much as I did the last two years due to weather or schedule.  Last year, I would stop by the practice green a work on short game once a week and hit the range once as well.  My HC and "performance" improved more last year.  This year it has stagnated because I have not put the effort into improving my weaknesses as much.

I enjoy working on the weaknesses because I like playing well and I like improving.

[NuclearMike]

I practice twice a week and can't get to the course very often because I just can't spare the time.  I'll spend two hours twice a week at the range rather than five twice a week at the course.  Golf is my only form of relaxation and exercise and I take my time at the range to try to improve my game.  I play better at the course than I hit at the range because of much improved fairways vs. the range.  For me I love getting to the course but I also love simply going to the range and hitting balls, always with a purpose, but also to get away from everything else that fills my days.  My range work has improved my game substantially over the past couple of years even though I've played less than 25 times in the last four years.  I'm struggling with my iron play now, but I'll get it right with work at the range.

[Brakkus]

Because I simply love to hit balls. Sampras played tennis because he enjoyed winning more than playing, whereas Federer simply loves tennis first. To me its unimportant to play lots of golf. I love hitting the ball first. Due to lots of commitment on my time I cannot justify a round of golf with any regularity and finances are a squeeze to consider a club membership at this point. However I am blesses to have a fair amount of land living in a rural farm area. I have a net for full swing and have enough room to chip and pitch of different lies. A small amount of practice each day twice a month at the range and I have steadily improved. Would love to play more golf but I view any time spent swinging a club now as the foundation for years of enjoyment.

[Abu3baid]

Hello,

I practice because there is something for me to work on.  Don't get me wrong, I do like to just hit balls as well, but I hit them with a purpose and that is to improve my "golf game" on the course!

I will be at home and every so often I will tell my wife that I have made a discovery and she just laughs (because apparently I am always making discoveries), so first I test this on the range and if I am successful with it I take it out to the course (and then usually back to square one).  Also, when I practice it is usually for a specific club and to fix a specific thing!

I have to admit something though, because the range I go to is not off of real grass I hit my 7 - pitching wedge perfect every time, unfortunately that doesn't translate into perfect hits on the course, so I do suggest practicing off of real grass when ever possible.  The range I go to is perfect for practicing the driver only!! (IMO of course)

So, yes there is definitely a relationship between my practice and playing.  I will usually hit a bucket and then go play nine!

Regards,

Abu3baid

[Strandly]

When I started playing a bunch this spring I was spending multiple days at the range to figure out how to simply hit the ball consistently.  Now that I can do that I've shifted to playing more rounds.  I do need to get back to doing the range more often but damn it's hard when you get on a roll and your rounds are dropping a shot or two each time out.

[PirateJim]

I enjoy spending time on the range.  I can certainly see how some individual might find that to be all the "game" they care to play.  It wouldn't be a heck of a lot more pointless than the game of golf as a whole if you step back and take a critical look at what we're doing.

Personally, I also enjoy spending time on the course, so I do both as often as I can manage.  But I try very hard to disconnect my time on the range and my time on the course.  On the range I am trying to focus on mechanics, and my mechanics still need work.  On the course, I try (often unsuccessfully, but I keep trying) to focus on direction and distance control without thinking much about swing planes and what my wrists or hips or knees are doing.

So that's why I practice: A) Because for me it is fun in and of itself.  B) To incorporate things my instructor is telling me I ought to be doing but don't seem to be.  C) Because hitting more balls on the range seems to result in hitting less on the course and thus makes my time on the golf course more enjoyable when do play the 'real' game.

[theworldengine]

Hello, I have to admit something though, because the range I go to is not off of real grass I hit my 7 - pitching wedge perfect every time, unfortunately that doesn't translate into perfect hits on the course, so I do suggest practicing off of real grass when ever possible.  The range I go to is perfect for practicing the driver only!! (IMO of course) So, yes there is definitely a relationship between my practice and playing.  I will usually hit a bucket and then go play nine! wRegards, Abu3baid

I don't care what surface you are on, hitting those irons perfect every single time is really ****ing impressive. Care to post a swing vid? There's something you are doing that nobody else is.

[Hacker James]

Originally Posted by theworldengine

I don't care what surface you are on, hitting those irons perfect every single time is really ****ing impressive. Care to post a swing vid? There's something you are doing that nobody else is.

I doubt if he meant "literally".