Range vs Course for practice

[Lihu]

4 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I think a mix of range and course is ideal.  The range is the place to work on swing mechanics, especially if you're trying to make changes to your swing.  You can go to the range and not care even a tiny bit where the ball goes, which is essential if you're learning something new.  The range is where you learn the golf swing, the course is where you learn to play golf.  

I'm not trying to change anything at this stage, but I still find that at least one range session a week helps me maintain my swing.  I can concentrate on alignment, ball position, and tempo much better than I can on the course.  I'm not one for a long practice session, just long enough to sip one beer while I practice, maybe 34-35 minutes.  Of course, then I go inside the tavern for a couple more with my buddies.  I almost always warm up on the range before I play, but that's not the same as practice.

Good point, on the course you generally need to retrieve the balls. . .

[nevets88]

Imho, for me, the best way to efficientize practicing would be to have video of swings and analyzing them quickly while playing a practice round to reconcile feel ain't real on the course. What do you do differently you can't see practicing on the range, what do you really do when you have a downhill lie, try to curve it, fried egg lie, etc...?

It's not really a range - boom - course progression, I think of it in increments like this:

• Implement new piece at home in front of mirror
• on range slow 1/2 swings hit crappy shots
• faster 3/4 swings till you can hit it decent 
• hit it decent with someone watching
• hit it decent on the course alone
• hit it well on the course w/someone watching
• hit it well on the course playing w/a group w/pressure (money, league)

[chilepepper]

This thread has me thinking. I ve been big on the range for practice and log my rounds on Ghin. However the range is flat grass usually. Not exactly golf course lies. I can't practice downhill, uphill, side hill etc lies. Might be a good idea to purposely play the occasional round during slack times and play multiple shots from odd lies, fwy bunker shots etc

[Groucho Valentine]

8 minutes ago, chilepepper said:

This thread has me thinking. I ve been big on the range for practice and log my rounds on Ghin. However the range is flat grass usually. Not exactly golf course lies. I can't practice downhill, uphill, side hill etc lies. Might be a good idea to purposely play the occasional round during slack times and play multiple shots from odd lies, fwy bunker shots etc

You can do that at the range too if there are hitting matts around. I used to just prop something under it (like piece of wood or an old shoe) to simulate the different types of uneven lies. It worked pretty well. But the real thing is preferred if you can manange. When I practice on course I'm careful not to tear it up too much. Just maybe take a couple shots, and move on. 

Edited May 26, 2016 by Groucho Valentine