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Practicing

Super_Dave79

Super_Dave79

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Feb 23, 2011
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Location
Dallas, TX Suburbia
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way2high
Hello Everyone,

I'm a bit embarrassed to ask this question but I need the expertise of my fellow THPer's lol.

I am a fairly high handicapper and I have been playing for about 2 years. Due to work and family obligations, I only get to play golf about once a month. I've taken some lessons that helped my game initially but lately my improvement has been very very marginal. I know it is because I don't go to the range often enough and I'm not playing actual rounds enough.

For all you fellow THPer's (especially the ones with low handicaps)........my question is, do you think practicing 1-2 times a week for an hour or so consistently is enough to make a difference?

For the last 6 months I will go to the range a day before I get to play 18 holes. It hasn't made a difference at all. I've been told that I'll never get better only playing golf once a month and practicing once a month. So far this seems to be true. In your opinion, will adding 4-8 hours a month of practice time be enough to start lowering my score?

I searched the forums and couldn't find a thread similiar to this question......but I apologize in advance if it has been asked before or if you guys think its a waste of time question lol.
 
My personal story I do not get to practice but when I have it's been short game and my scores have dropped from high 80's to very low 80's the last 4 rounds. If you think about your shots you hit a limited number of drivers and iron shots. I know it sounds redundant but yes I think you can get better by working on your short game! What issues are you having on the course?
 
achase215 said:
My personal story I do not get to practice but when I have it's been short game and my scores have dropped from high 80's to very low 80's the last 4 rounds. If you think about your shots you hit a limited number of drivers and iron shots. I know it sounds redundant but yes I think you can get better by working on your short game! What issues are you having on the course?
Click to expand...


Really it is a bit of everything but mostly irons and pitching. Putting is decent and is the least part of my problem :)
 
I love to go to the practice range. I find it very relaxing.
I am an 18 handicap and only play once a week, so you have to take this for what it's worth. One thing worth saying is you MUST practice with a purpose. If you just go there and bang balls you will only hurt your game more!

I try to hit the range twice a week in the summer and once a week in winter. I'll hit 60 balls out on the range, sometimes working on hybrids, 6 and 7 iron, other days I may just hit a bunch of 8 irons. I all depends on how I feel. I always want to leave the range on a positive note, that is feeling I know I can hit my clubs well and knowing what clubs might give me trouble under pressure.
I also will hit about 100 chips on the chipping green. The distance varies from about 25 yards in. I then hit the practice green with about 60-100 putts.
All up it takes about 1.5 - 2 hrs.
The biggest advantage of practice (for me) is:
1) I enjoy it
2) It lets me know I can hit the clubs (confidence)
3) It ingrains ball placement and stance, one less thing to think about during normal play
4) It will continually show me the weak points of my game (swing to hard, hip sway, head movement and such)

I am still working on my chipping and my 3-4 ft putts (those are my Achilles heel)!
 
Not to over simplify this, but like anything in life, you get out of it what you put into it. The more you practice, and practice with a plan, the better you will get. JMO
 
I'm not a low handicap, but my opinion is that you will have a hard time making swing changes after your lessons if you don't practice to build the muscle memory. Also, golf is very much about feel; I think you have to be practicing frequently to develop that feel.
 
bhilln said:
I'm not a low handicap, but my opinion is that you will have a hard time making swing changes after your lessons if you don't practice to build the muscle memory. Also, golf is very much about feel; I think you have to be practicing frequently to develop that feel.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this. I got into golf a year ago and have taken lessons regularly during that time. I think I've made decent progress over that time, and I attribute it to the fact that I practice 5-6 days per week. During the winter most of that is using a mat and net in my garage, since most of my practice time is during the evenings. Because of the lessons I'm always working on something and my swing has been evolving over time. So I'm a bit paranoid that if I don't practice for 3-4 days I'll loose the feel and the muscle memory. I don't feel the need to put in really long sessions - some days only 30 minutes, but at least enough to get the feel of the swing.
 
This game requires practice. Even if it's basic swings in the back yard to develop muscle memory. But quality practice is a hard thing to learn. Short game drills are out there which you can also work with whiffle balls aid space is limited. It's a commitment to you and your game is what it boils down IMO. Cheers
 
Took a dozen practice balls and my low bounce sand wedge and walked over to a local park/field yesterday. I put a small towel down and then threw the balls around in circle around the towel and just hit different pitches to the towel for about 40 minutes.

I'm really trying to work on my short game. My ball striking will never be consistent, but I have come to the conclusion that I need to devote 75% and up of my practice time to my wedge play and putting. In the past, when I've been "on" with my ball striking, I'd shoot 90 +/- 3 shots. And when my swing is crap, add a dozen strokes to that. I am convinced that a superior short game turns that 90 into 80.
 
My opinion on the matter is that there is little doubt that my play is directly effected by the amount I practice. I almost never get to a driving range, it's just too far away. But I do play at my local course twice per week, about 4 hours each time. 2 hours of that is competition for league, the rest I just treat as practice. Last year, I was at a driving range 4 days per week. My golf was much more consistent last year as compared to this year.

When faced with limited time, my best suggestion would be to increase the quality of your practice. There are several threads on here about quality range sessions. For me, after warming up with 15 balls or so at a range, I then treat every shot as though it were on the course. I pick a different target to aim for than the previous shot. I go through the same pre-shot routine for every ball. It helps me 'believe' that the shot on the range matters. If I were to hit ball after ball at the same target, my mind would be telling me that if I miss one, it's ok, because I'll have another chance with the next ball.

So in short, increase the quality of your practice by treating every practice shot like you're on the course.

~Rock
 
A newbie perspective:

I'm always amazed at those (not necessarily THPers) that refuse to practice in order to improve. My favorite reasons:

I don't want to leave my good shots on the range.
I get all the practice I need when I play (this one cracks me up).
I don't want to waste my money, I'd rather play.
The pros don't practice, they play practice rounds (did not hear this here).

Now, I get that playing is generally more fun than practicing, but I look at it in terms of finance - it costs me $35 a month for a range membership. I can hit and use the practice green all I want. When I play (once a week) in runs the gamut $25-50, and when I drop that cash I'd like to do better than I did the week before. If I don't practice, I'm going to always suck. I really want to eventually play at least in the 90s consistently (i have a ways to go). I have to practice to accomplish this or just flush $$ down the toilet.

Most of you have pretty good game... But I've read each and every one crabbing about having trouble with certain shots. Yes, it's important to be able to pull it off "in play", however if you can't consistently hit "name that shot/distance" in practice, how can you expect to hit it consistently in play.

It seems to me that folks hurt themselves by refusing to practice, and that makes no sense to me.
 
I hate practicing. Its a waste of daylight to me.

But when Im watching TV or something, Im always putting.
 
I'd say that if it wasn't for my range sessions and short game practice sessions, I wouldn't see much improvement. The work is what makes you trust your shots on the course...and I need to do more of it to improve further.
 
I try to practice 2-3 times a week especially if I'm not playing that week. It's made huge improvements in my game. But I'm also going through a ton of changes this year. In almost all aspects of my game, so I need to ingrain these new techniques into my head. I know I play better when I practice or play a lot. and it's cheaper than playing rounds. I really think any more time you can put into practicing will help. Good luck
 
i use the short range for 7-wedges at the course that's on post where i work...or i hit the chipping/putting green at my club at lunch EVERY day...i switch up both places every other day...always working on either putting, short game or swing fixes with the 7i at the range...i play better when i practice, and since the practice is free, why not? here in NJ, greens fees aren't cheap. i'm not one to blow $85+/round to hack it up.
 
Back in HS I was down to around a 5 hcp, but I also played/practiced 5 to 6 times a week. You will shave off the most strokes with your short game, so I'd focus 80% of your practice on that. I've added several strokes to my handicap in the last few years simply because I was only playing once a month. It's incredible the difference it makes when you have meaningful practice.
 
Super_Dave79 said:
Hello Everyone,

my question is, do you think practicing 1-2 times a week for an hour or so consistently is enough to make a difference?

For the last 6 months I will go to the range a day before I get to play 18 holes. It hasn't made a difference at all. I've been told that I'll never get better only playing golf once a month and practicing once a month. So far this seems to be true. In your opinion, will adding 4-8 hours a month of practice time be enough to start lowering my score?
Click to expand...

Short answer. Yes. If you're playing / practicing that infrequently, you're pretty much doubling your time and that can only help. I would add that you do NOT want to groove bad habits while you practice. Golf is one of the few things where you can spend hours and hours practicing and hurt your actual performance. I spent hours and hours on the range a few years back during a bad patch and only succeeded in grooving a beautiful high slice that occasionally became a duck hook. I had horrific mechanics by the time I wised up and went back to basics, got some help with the grip and setup, and started hitting fairways on occasion again.
 
Draw up a plan, literally on a piece of paper

First decide how much time you can give to practice, I don’t care if it’s 30 min a week, or 30 hours a week. Every little bit helps, but you can also overdo it to a point, wear yourself and body down, also pick up some bad habits.

You need to practice smart, know your weaknesses, look for answers through lessons, DVD’s , here, where ever. We are all built different and thinking differently so one way to practice for someone else may not be the best way for you.

Basic I think most will agree is always address all three phases, long game (driver/irons) short game (chipping/putting) and then putting. Whichever of these is your weakest link, put first, and maybe allot more time for that area, but never leave the others untouched.

I am a range rat, I love to practice, but these days I just don’t have the time, but I always make sure I get about an hour during the week, and if I am not playing that weekend, then I add another hour or so.

Keep a small notebook in your bag, and write down your “ah ha” moments, these moments when something feels right or clicks, and try to capture those thoughts or moments to review later, or read through before a round.

None of this will take much time, and once you get in a habit it’s easier to keep up.
 
Over the long haul, you either get better or don't get better. To get better, you have to do something to get better. If you don't do anything, you will not improve. If 4-8 hours is all you have then so be it. That is better than not doing anything.
 
I would say that if you are going to play/practice that infrequently, spend most of the time putting/chipping if you want to see any improvement. Personally, my long game didn't improve from a high 20s cap until I started to p/p at least 5 times a week. Now, if you can afford for 1 of your 2 sessions a week of practice to be doing actual lessons with a pro, you'll improve dramatically (especially if you can play and practice at least once each between lessons).
 
I would agree that if you have a limited amount of time to practice, the best way to utilize that time would be to improve your short game. Even if your putting is your best at the moment, it can always get better. Becoming comfortable with your pitch/feel shots will give your game a boost of confidence knowing that you have a great chance of getting up and down. Making those hard par's will help you lower your score much more than you'd think.
 
That's a really good post spazz. I think no matter how much one plays there needs to be some sort of practice, even if it's just once a week

spazzdog said:
A newbie perspective:

I'm always amazed at those (not necessarily THPers) that refuse to practice in order to improve. My favorite reasons:

I don't want to leave my good shots on the range.
I get all the practice I need when I play (this one cracks me up).
I don't want to waste my money, I'd rather play.
The pros don't practice, they play practice rounds (did not hear this here).

Now, I get that playing is generally more fun than practicing, but I look at it in terms of finance - it costs me $35 a month for a range membership. I can hit and use the practice green all I want. When I play (once a week) in runs the gamut $25-50, and when I drop that cash I'd like to do better than I did the week before. If I don't practice, I'm going to always suck. I really want to eventually play at least in the 90s consistently (i have a ways to go). I have to practice to accomplish this or just flush $$ down the toilet.

Most of you have pretty good game... But I've read each and every one crabbing about having trouble with certain shots. Yes, it's important to be able to pull it off "in play", however if you can't consistently hit "name that shot/distance" in practice, how can you expect to hit it consistently in play.

It seems to me that folks hurt themselves by refusing to practice, and that makes no sense to me.
Click to expand...
 
Super Dave - I'd say practicing a couple of times a week for an hour will only help. But it depends on how you are practicing. If you are going to the range and just smashing ball after ball, I don't see a great use of time there. But if you can hit balls by developing a routine for 30 minutes and then use the other 30 minutes to work on short game, I think you'd see some improvement in your game. Also what I'd do when you are taking full swings, find a few clubs that you are very confident in, make them even stronger for you, and work on the scoring irons. That way when you are on the course you know that you only have to get to say 100-130 yards out and you will be confident in how you are going to approach the green.
 
Thanks Hanks... I so wish I'd been in a headspace where I could enjoy golf at an earlier age. I really think it might have been "the sport" for me where I could have excelled. As it is, I played at a jillion other things at a mediocre/recreational level because it required certain attributes I never had no matter my level of fitness.
 
super dave....there was a great mini-article in this month's Golf magazine about practice.
although i don't recall it all....it basically described your situation, where life can get so busy where you only have time to squeeze in a round or maybe only 1 hour of practice. but within that 1 hour or so, there are things you can work on...even if it's only for that 1 hour per week, it's something.
focus on the weaker points of your game or the scoring areas and/or goto the range with purpose and a plan, not just to hit balls.

goto the putting green:
practice chips that you'd have during a normal round. concentrate on grouping them all within a 10 ft circle, then 5 ft circle around the hole.
practice putting 3 footers, 4 footers, then 5 footers and so on. it's not really going to do you any good to practice 30+ footers.
practice bunker shots. focus on getting the ball out and onto the green...getting it close is just a bonus.

put some effort into that and you will get better.
 
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