Hacker James Backyard Practice Net (and Accoutrements)

[gregsandiego]

3 hours ago, Hacker James said:

Probably a few. That link was from a  TST Thread. I recall it was also pointed out, you only need your Iphone and Ipad and do a "face call" whatever that is.....you would not have the built in software though to draw the lines and such. Battery life/charge time might be a concern though.

I can't find any thread on liveviewgolf, which I think is the name of that device. But I did find this thread on setting up cameras..

 

[ZappyAd]

Have you filled the pipes with anything (i.e. sand or water) to help with stability or does it not really move around that much?

[Hacker James]

3 hours ago, ZappyAd said:

Have you filled the pipes with anything (i.e. sand or water) to help with stability or does it not really move around that much?

It is fairly heavy so it does not move a lot, but I added the front supports for anti-sway. The previous cage was damaged from a heavy storm surge with very high winds. Also the fittings were not glued before and several had come loose which caused the cage to collapse under its own weight. This time, I glued some of the more strategically placed joints but left open certain ends of fittings so I could still disassemble if necessary. The net itself is pretty heavy. In fact, I sprained my wrist when I tried to put in a tee fitting in one of the uprights without removing the net first.

[Hacker James]

@ZappyAd  forgot to mention. In the past I have used water. Much easier than trying to pour sand. Just use a water hose down one of the uprights, remove a fitting from the base when you want to get rid of the water (or in my case, I had an end cap). But it is not really necessary.

[Hacker James]

Nothing new here, but we have all read the tips regarding taking divots in front of the ball. On grass ranges (or actual play), it is easy to tell. On mats however, you mostly rely upon feel. I like to have a shallow yet descending hit into the ball and take divots after the initial contact. One way to do this on a mat is to place a thin, flat object 4 inches in front of the ball (I simply use a penny or small washer). This way you know your "divot" is as a strip of bacon.  To emphasize this, I sometimes use a very short plastic tee that once stuck into the mat, all you see is the top of it (crown or evolution style tee). This helps eliminate the "bounce" effect of the mat. For Driver, I use a "hit under" training aid as pictured here, to promote a level or upward path into the ball.

[Hacker James]

Several threads on golf mats lately. Some having to do with the "bounce" effect of the mat, others the impact dampening properties. Several companies have moveable sections on their mats that move by mechanical means, others offer simulated turf movement by means of a gel substrate. Both concepts would help I presume.

As a consummate tinkerer, I experimented a little and I have come up with a really cheapo method to experience this.

I simply placed a couple of sections of "tent rods" under a 1 x 2 driving mat (real feel in this case). This kind of acts like roller bearings and allows the mat to move a little forward upon impact. It is only an inch or so when the mat is placed on top of my artificial turf lawn. If you did so on a concrete slab, it would probably not work as well.

In any event, I like the results, it feels more like hitting off grass and less impact vibration. The substrate of the Real Feel has a lot to do with as well. On fat shots with too steep of an angle, the mat will move forward more and the shot will feel a bit weak (this is good feed back also).  As good as the commercial ones?  probably not. Does it work? Yes.

[dennyjones]

pic?

[Hacker James]

7 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

pic?

still out of batteries. I will try to get around to it one of these days. Quite simple though. Most of those Tent poles consist of short rods with an elastic cord running through them. They add support for the tent fabric, but come apart for easy storage when tent is put away. The rods are about 14 inches in length and maybe 3/8 in diameter placed under the mat on both ends.

[Hacker James]

When it comes to golf mats, they come in all sizes, thickness, quality, and price. The more expensive ones offer turf/divot simulating features. One example is the Country Club Elite.

One problem is that on the larger mats, say 48 x 60, is that they can become worn in spots owing to repetitive hitting, making it difficult to place a ball and keep it from rolling. These mats are fairly heavy and can become tiresome moving them around in order to achieve even wear, however the advantage to the large mats is that you are standing on the same level as the ball, in other words, the ball is not above your feet as it would be if you were standing on level ground and hitting off a small mat, say 1 x 2 ft.

My solution is to use separate mats for hitting off of than you are standing on.  I use three small ( 1 x 2 ft) mats. The hitting mat is one of the higher quality which has a thicker base and turf like surface which promotes the feel of taking a divot.  The other two are more robust, but slightly thinner. To alleviate this, I simply nailed the mats to thin rectangles of plywood, or composite. ( a small dresser drawer bottom is perfect for this, if you happen to have an old dresser you are throwing out.)   I then place them on the ground at 90 degree angles to each other and separated by several inches. The reason for this placement is the idea that the trail foot is always at the same place on one of the mats, the lead foot is on the other and you can move it any distance away from, or closer to the trail depending on the width of your stance.  The idea here is consistency. Once they are placed on the ground, they will not move freely owing to the nails protruding through the mat and board(s). The separate hitting mat is small and easily positioned anywhere you want it depending on the length of club you are hitting. You could also use an additional (Fourth) mat for Driver in your set up.

(If I had camera batteries, a photo would say it all without all these words).   Trivial, but effective.. 

 

[Hacker James]

I see the mods have rounded up most of my similar posts and did a terrific consolidation job!  That must have been painstaking. I have a penchant for posting whatever happens to be on my mind at the time and don't always take the time to place them appropriately. So, fwiw....Thank You.  (even learned a new word..."accoutrements" ?  This thing now reads like a "blog" and goes back to 2013. 

Edited September 10, 2017 by Hacker James

[1badbadger]

On 3/31/2017 at 3:41 AM, ZappyAd said:

Have you filled the pipes with anything (i.e. sand or water) to help with stability or does it not really move around that much?

If the net is a permanent fixture and isn't designed to be set-up and taken-down regularly, that would work.  If you can't keep the net up all the time and have to break it down after each session I can make some suggestions that have worked well for me in the past.  Laying several sandbags over the base will help keep it stable in windy conditions or if you're on a slight hill, or just for added stability.  For a long time I used 4 bags of lead shotgun shot.  They are small and don't take up much room, but carrying them got to be a pain after a while.  The best method was purchasing a heavy-duty nylon or canvas strap and cutting it in 12-14" pieces.  Took the straps to a luggage repair shop and had holes made at each end (a little smaller than a dime) with grommets in each hole.  The straps are then laid over the base and secured with tent stakes.  This worked the best (most of the time) because it was lightweight, quick to set up and remove, and kept the net very solid.  The drawback was it couldn't be used when setting up on artificial turf or indoors (believe it or not I've done ball fittings in cart barns, conference rooms, merchandise tents, schools, maintenance barns...you name it!) so those situations the shot bags or sand bags work well.

[Hacker James]

@1badbadger, great idea on the straps. This would work on artificial turf if you used the long lawn spikes designed for turf installation. You might need to use a washer or something if using grommets. 

[Hacker James]

here is a suggestion that is so absolutely stupid simple, it is  effective....

You know how many can make near perfect practice swings with a driver, yet when a ball is placed in position, all bets are off?  (I am talking about hitting off a mat, not turf).

Take a short, white rubber tee(those that have a slot for a wooden tee)  and invert it and stick into the hole in the mat. It will be flush with the surface. Visually, the image will appear nearly the same as a real ball. Swing away with confidence knowing that you are not going to have an errant shot going who knows where. It will also help you from lifting up your head too soon and maybe even allow you to see the blur of your swing and the path through impact. 

I would wager this is better than whacking countless balls as you are more focused on swing dynamics than outcome. The results will follow. (saves your back too, no bending over to place a ball).

Dumb? Maybe...Effective....Yes.

[Hacker James]

also just for the Halibut...I found this article which refers:

 

http://www.pgaprofessional.com/golf_instruction_articles/practice_swing.html#.WcHX7bKGOM8

[Hacker James]

More practice aids:

https://1drv.ms/w/s!Ai4ErI93IDVslWhd6f0TtMkMYS9P

This is a one drive link (I wanted to make a photo slide show, but for some reason, Google will not let me 

Edited October 1, 2017 by Hacker James

[Hacker James]

At ;least I was able to shrink two of them down  (not that anyone really cares), This photo stuff is not my strong suit!

Edited October 1, 2017 by Hacker James

[Hacker James]

THE HACKER WHACKER

Simple Tempo Trainer.  I tried my hand at creating a video knowing that I simply "detest" being on camera, and am just too self conscious. So please, disregard my crappy swing, and look at the device if you will.

 

https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ai4ErI93IDVslhEe_ssA4Yhw40Kl

[Hacker James]

Combining tools effectively.

There is no surprise at all the things you can do with a net, ball, and golf club and getting your training aids to work in concert.

I recently acquired the Tour Striker Educator and a dozen of the Almost Golf Balls. One problem with working with a net is that you are always guarded about swinging a full swing as you tend to  hold back a little. The reduced flight balls allow you to do a full swing with a little more gusto and do all the drills associated with the training aids, no matter what they may be. If a shot does go errant, it will not hurt anything. (save your ego, perhaps). With this set up, I can even get back 50 feet or so without fear of flying a ball into the neighbor's yard. This also gives me quite a bit of feedback on flight and trajectory, working the ball e.t.c.

One caveat however. If you go full bore with the Almost Golf * ball and hit the sweet spot, yes, it may go a lot further than you intended, but again, no fear.  Therefore, I would suggest go ahead and do a full swing, full extension, just do not try to swing out of your shoes.  (around 60% is more than adequate).

 

* those "Birdie Balls" work pretty good also plus "sound effects".

Edited October 6, 2017 by Hacker James