Is playing the best practice?

[wadesworld]

In their books "Every Shot Must Have a Purpose" and "The Game Before the Game," Pia Nilsson (Annika's coach) and Lynn Marriott advise strongly against going to the range and beating balls. If you spend an hour hitting balls they say, you haven't practiced for an hour, you've just consumed an hour of time by hitting balls.

Nothing new there.

They advise a practice plan. Things like a draw, a fade and a half-shot with each club. In short, they say, "Don't just practice. Practice playing golf."

So, given that, is the most effective practice to just play? Obviously we sometimes practice simply because we don't have time to play, or because we can't always afford a greens fee. But if those obstacles weren't there, would we be best served by spending our time playing? Why would hitting a draw 8-iron the range be more effective than hitting a draw 8-iron on the course?

I have my own opinions, but I'm just interested to hear the thoughts of others.

 

[TRyan]

I dont think this is the case for me. When I go to the range I practice with a purpose.

For example: On Tuesday I went and played 18 holes. I shot an 85, but my irons were awful. Short game saved my butt. So when I finished I went home and grabbed a sandwich and then headed to the range. I brought 4 clubs: PW, 9I, 7I, 5I. I hit 100 balls working on my grip, swing path, and paying attention to my ball flight. For me, this isn't something I could have fixed on the course, but it was important instead for me to see how manipulating my grip and swing path effected how the ball traveled.

 

[Mulligan9111]

The only time that I go to the practice range and hit more than 30 balls is when I'm working on something in my swing.

So I'm a pretty big believer in practice playing golf. I personally think that playing golf is the only way you can truly judge where your game is at as a whole.

 

[Spiritomb]

You got to go to the course to get better, but if you have a problem with your swing. You go to the range.

 

[dhjkelly]

Strangely i've come away from spending to much time at the range unless i'm working on something specific. Also go if new clubs need to be worked on. I usually play once a week and the odd week i play twice.

I find you'll never hit balls at the range like you do on the course

 

[Spahrticus]

I would tend to agree. The range is a perfect place to clear up specific swing faults that crop up, but can be counterproductive. I also have a huge problem with range mats. They seem to cover up swing faults and encourage sweeping through the ball. Fine for practicing with a driver, but they are terrible for practicing with irons and wedges. All in all, I'd rather play a practice round, unless something has gone off with my swing and I need to figure that out... then it's off to a grass range for me.

 

[cpljohnst]

I've always preferred play to range practice. I'm just not a ball beater. I don't mind chipping and putting practice but for some reason just don't do well on range. Hard for me to stay slow and keep to a range practice plan. Tend to get faster and faster and mess up my tempo.

Bubba Watson is a modern player that would rather play to practice.

 

[Germerican]

When I go to the range I work on my swing. Fix any mechanical issues and try things out. Also a good place to try out your new toys or do comparisons. I know the range is not ideal as the mat is one length and one lie as compared to the actual course where you have different grass lengths and lies.
I will say that simply working on my form at the range has made a difference in my approach on the greens.
Besides, who wouldn't want to smack a bucket of balls?

 

[Nate]

Very interesting but one of the things that Lee Trevino brought up on Monday was that he would play tournaments leading into a major. He said, "How else would I know what my game is doing unless I got out there and played?".

I do think playing leads you to know what you need to practice on the range.

 

[TripleBogieTim]

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.

 

[TRyan]

Very interesting but one of the things that Lee Trevino brought up on Monday was that he would play tournaments leading into a major. He said, "How else would I know what my game is doing unless I got out there and played?".

I do think playing leads you to know what you need to practice on the range.

This is what sticks with me. I know I dont go to the range just for the sake of going. I always have something I am trying to work on. Right now, it is iron swing. Sometimes it may take me 2 hours to hit 50 balls, because I am taking lots of dry swings and I am stopping at various points in the swing to check positions. This isnt something I can do on the course, or at least not without making some people upset

 

[rtparty]

I use the range to dial in yardages. You can't groove that 80y wedge swing on the course really. So I use the range to dial in all my yardages.

But overall, playing is much better for me.

 

[Badger_Golfer]

No because you only get 1 chance at a given shot. You need to practice with a purpose, hitting shots to specific targets and putting yourself in situations where you know that you struggle in.

 

[Gianna1025]

When I go to the range it's usually to get my fix. I do take my time and try to practice with a purpose though. I try to go through the bag and hit 6-7 good shots with each club. I would much rather play though. I don't like hitting off mats. I feel like you don't get the same interaction with the club when hitting off a fairway or a good grass range. That being said, I'm going to the range tonight when my clubs get delivered from UPS

 

[Jank]

I think that once you become a "better" golfer, playing is the best practice. Just starting out, I think that a golfer would benefit much more from the driving range.

 

[wadesworld]

I think that once you become a "better" golfer, playing is the best practice. Just starting out, I think that a golfer would benefit much more from the driving range.

That's one issue I have with this theory as well. Not only with playing vs range, but also "practicing playing golf" while on the range.

If a poor player tries to hit a fade 8-iron and slices the heck out of it, then tries to hit a draw 8-iron and tops it, and then tries to hit a half 8-iron and shanks it, did they accomplish more than just tying to hit 3 straight 8-irons?

If you don't have a good swing grooved, shouldn't you be spending your range time trying get a better swing grooved? I can certainly see how just hitting balls is not productive for players scoring mid-80's or better consistently. But for people who are really struggling to hit the ball consistently, their time might be better spent working on whatever drills their pro has given them, rather than practicing things they can't pull off with any consistency.

 

[Hawk]

It's good practice for learning how to play. Poor for learning how to swing, putt, chip, etc. I don't buy the theory. The best players in the world practice on the range.

 

[Ndfan301]

I'll agree the best practice is playing. However if you are working out a swing flaw, changing your swing, or learning a draw/fade/etc. then go to the range. The worst thing you can have happen is be out playing, having a magnificent round, and screwing it up on 18 because you needed a draw but haven't practiced it at all.

And I forgot to add, when I go to the range it's for working on something. After I have done that, I go to half swings on my low irons, and then if there are enough balls play a couple simulated holes.

 

[Mulligan9111]

That's one issue I have with this theory as well. Not only with playing vs range, but also "practicing playing golf" while on the range.

If a poor player tries to hit a fade 8-iron and slices the heck out of it, then tries to hit a draw 8-iron and tops it, and then tries to hit a half 8-iron and shanks it, did they accomplish more than just tying to hit 3 straight 8-irons?

If you don't have a good swing grooved, shouldn't you be spending your range time trying get a better swing grooved? I can certainly see how just hitting balls is not productive for players scoring mid-80's or better consistently. But for people who are really struggling to hit the ball consistently, their time might be better spent working on whatever drills their pro has given them, rather than practicing things they can't pull off with any consistency.

What you are describing is I think exactly what they mean though. If you are going to be on the driving range, you should have a purpose as to why you are there. Doing drills/working on a swing problem is a purpose. Atleast that's my take on it.

 

[Ndfan301]

That's one issue I have with this theory as well. Not only with playing vs range, but also "practicing playing golf" while on the range.

If a poor player tries to hit a fade 8-iron and slices the heck out of it, then tries to hit a draw 8-iron and tops it, and then tries to hit a half 8-iron and shanks it, did they accomplish more than just tying to hit 3 straight 8-irons?

If you don't have a good swing grooved, shouldn't you be spending your range time trying get a better swing grooved? I can certainly see how just hitting balls is not productive for players scoring mid-80's or better consistently. But for people who are really struggling to hit the ball consistently, their time might be better spent working on whatever drills their pro has given them, rather than practicing things they can't pull off with any consistency.

Just read in last month's Golf Digest that Haney said you should swing an iron 100 times a day. Regardless if you hit a ball of not.

 

[Arkie_3_fan]

I'm not big on hitting at the range either. I'll try to go early in the season to knock some of the rust off, but usually I don't go back unless I'm trying to sort out some issue with my swing. I usually get to spend an hour or so on an empty course after our Tuesday scramble, and that's when I'll hit drop a few extra balls if I hit a bad shot or if I want to try a couple of different shots from the same lie. I may try to hit a draw or fade, repeat a shot that has given me trouble recently, or just practice stuff like how far out I need to start a hook shot on our 90 degree dogleg left hole.
Playing is always more fun that practice for me, and I'm all for having fun.

 

[StLCardsFan]

If you told me that in two weeks I had to be playing my best golf and I had two choices to prepare. I could play 2 rounds (assuming my home course and I already knew all the ins and outs), or could use the range 5 times for 2 hours each (unlimited balls, sand, chipping area, putting green) in order to get ready. I would choose the 2 rounds. I agree you can practice with a purpose on the range and get better, but there are also limitations to the range. I would much rather have the real world practice of the course to get my game ready. To me there are so many situations that come up (wind direction, elevation change, good lies, bad lies, rough, the awkward chipping stance) that you can't duplicate in practice that the only way to encounter them is to play.

 

[TWright971]

If given the choice between playing and the range I definitely would choose to play, but I think you can maximize time spent on the by not continuously hitting the same club over and over unless you are trying to work outa swing issue. After warming up I try to take out my driver, a long iron and a shorter club (8-aw) and try to hit them in order at different targets just like I was playing a round, I have found this makes my range time carryover better.

 

[staticline]

Hitting balls on the range is easy. Hitting a ball when there is trouble down both sides of the fairway is an entirely different matter.

The range is for working on something. When you get to the course, hopefully, you don't think about what your working on.

 

[Fryt]

For me I feel playing is my best way of practicing. Maybe I just don't have the concentration on the range to practice. I find it difficult to try and replicate game like situations that you would find on the course while at the range. I really only ever hit the range to work on one thing in particular or if I get a new club I want to whack around a little bit.