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Is playing the best practice?

I see both sides of the discussion. And really agree with Wade that if you're trying to learn consistent ball contact you are probably better off taking it slow at the range.

There is also a cost issue. The range can be done more affordable in most cases.
 
Just playing works for me although I will go to the range but only to work on some specific problem. Too easy for me to get in a groove on the range and hit good shot after good shot because everything is controlled. I'd rather just play it out.
 
I think beating balls is only useful when trying to change something in your swing or figure out something that has gone wrong. When I'm playing fairly well, I want nothing to do with hitting a hundred balls at the range. But if I start pulling everything left (my normal miss), or hitting a weak fade (my lazy swing miss), I'll go hit balls and work on it so that I get the feeling of that bad swing out of my muscle memory asap.
 
I hate practice, even if I had time for it, so I'll side with the playing is better camp just for that reason.
 
In my teenage through college years hitting 300-500 balls a day was relaxing and therapeutic. Now that I'm older and wiser I don't seem to have the need to "dig it out of the ground". My range time is now 15 minutes of putting and/or hitting 30-40 balls before a round to warm up.

I do think that the most useful range time is AFTER a bad ball striking round to fix any problems - hopefully that's only necessary every 15 rounds or so. I'm always amazed that I almost never see anyone with an alignment aid(mine is my 2 hybrid) on the range. Almost every golfer I see on the range is doing something wrong in their alignment or ball position. Very easy to correct but they don't seem to have any clue that a club on the ground might help!
 
TripleBogieTim said:
I have never been a range rat...I have been making myself go more lately..but only because I have new equipment to dial in. I don't mind the chipping, pitching and putting practice...because it's closer to playing real golf...there is a goal..get the ball in the hole.

I really prefer to try and play late in the day on weekdays or some other time where the course is slow so I can play and hit mulitple balls on some shots...If I have 6 iron into the green and I pull hook it...I will drop another and hit it again and keep doing that until I produce the desired shot...I will pick up all the balls except the first one and play out from there...I just find this much better practice for me.
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This. I don't have the hurdles that the OP mentioned and this is how I prefer to practice. Hit the course when it's slow and play a few balls. When I go to the range it's because I have something specific that I want to test or I might hit a small bucket just to get warmed up before a round. Other than that it's the course for me.
 
it's the best for me. i hate going to the range when all we have is mats there.
 
The range has it's place and so does the course. If you are working on getting the muscle memory for a consistent swing, then you should definitely put in some range time if possible. It is taking me a lot longer to groove my swing by only playing on the course than it would if I had both range and course time. But when it's a choice between one or the other, the course wins every time.

I do think that range time needs to be moderated though. More is not always better. I tend to get sloppy on the range because I go too fast and get tired too soon. After about a half hour I really don't think it's helping me anymore.
 
Two Types of Practice:

1) Technical (Working on a specific change)
2) Target

The Range is ideal for both of these. The key is to be focused. Never just Bang Balls. Never...
 
I used to hate practicing.

However, I've started taking lessons finally and now I have a purpose to my practice. Before, I felt like I was just aimlessly whacking away at golf balls. It's a little different now - I have certain thoughts and points of reference that I constantly draw upon on the range. If I hit a bad shot on the range..I have a way to correct it. Practicing with a purpose is most definitely useful for me.
 
I think it's the best overall practice. If you're trying to concentrate say on shallowing your swing plane on irons, then maybe hitting 100 balls at the range is best. But to get the most overall practice, playing 18 has no substitute. Especially if you're on an empty course, where you can practice some shots 4-5 times. You will run across shots on course you wouldn't think to practice, or physically can't on the range.
 
Most golfers do not want to practice or do not know how to practice. Both of these result in handicaps remaining the same for the past two decades. Lasting improvement can only be attained through practice. However; practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice is the key to lasting improvement.
 
Absolutely playing is the best practice. I have never been to a range with down hill and side hill lies. Or one with trees bushes and rough to hit out of around and partial swing shots.

The one stat Tiger used to top when he was winning everything was scrambling. You cant practice that from a flat level perfect lie on a mat or grass range. You could see that in his game too when he was working on his swing changes. Too much range not enough play and he was not getting the ball up and down like Tiger.
 
I have a small 9 hole course that is pretty cheap $12.50 and twilight being $9.50 about 10 mins from my house. So for me I'd rather play 9 than go to the range and it's cheaper.
 
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