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Is relying on your prep enough.

Golferbest

Golferbest

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Quite a few golfers will tell you that practice makes perfect. Playing shots on the range , dialing in wedges or putting drills so that you have nothing but absolute confedence in yourself.
While all of this sounds great on paper, is it enough.
Thp is hosting quite a few events this year that are strictly competition. While its all in fun and an experience there is definitely going to be winner(s) and people that arent the winner (s). With books, coaches and therapeutic options out there to keep your focus, how many are still old believers that all it takes is the practice to win?
If you believe something different olease explain?
 
Practice is important, but you still need to get on the course and face real decisions and situations. I have yet to find a range that can give me the chance to hit off of uneven lies. If I am working on something in my swing, I will live at the range, if my swing feels good, I get on the course and play. I see a ton of people taking lessons where I work, some of these guys never go on the course and play, everything they have learned is based on a good, level lie and they don't know how to score when things aren't level lies in the fairway.
 
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Gotta learn to play just like you have to learn to swing.
 
Hawk said:
Gotta learn to play just like you have to learn to swing.
Click to expand...

Did this come through experience of playing rounds with pressure?
 
Golferbest said:
Did this come through experience of playing rounds with pressure?
Click to expand...

I just think it's something you have to do. You can't learn to manage a course on the range and you really shouldn't learn to swing on the golf course. I think you can gain experience with a variety of situations on the course like lmh said, but in terms of actually practicing the swing it's a different story.

Just like I don't think indoor putting practice is all that helpful if you already have a stroke that is sound and repeatable. At some point you have to develop feel and the confidence to actually hole those putts when it matters.
 
I think you need to experience playing with some actual pressure....enter some local tournaments...play for money...something that will get your pulse going.

There were a lot of people last year in the Morgan Cup that had a TON of tournament play and lots of other things and I think if you asked them each and every one of them will tell you that there is no pressure that compares to what you feel on the first tee at a Morgan Cup.

I know Nate said last year that he had played in a lot of big events and didn't think it would be a big deal.....but it was..he said it took several holes for him to calm the nerves.

practice is great...but put yourself in situations where you have to perform with something on the line

just my opinion.
 
Know the layout of a course is a plus, no doubt about it. But a fade is a fade and a draw is a draw. Straight still goes straight. If you understand these shots and know your distances you can play any course you want. How grooved these moves are depends on the level of practice and the type of practice.

If you are playing serious events then there is mental prep but you still have to swing the club. Just because it's an event doesn't change that. You have to hit the ball the same as you would if it was a fun round with the boys.
 
I'm with Freddie on this one, once you have something that's repeatable you can generally play just about any course and know what to expect for the most part. I think people often rely on their course experience too much and don't practice enough though.
 
I love this topic. I am usually pretty calm on the course, but during tournament play I tend to get nervous. I actually usually tee off with a 7 iron or 4 hyrbid out of fear of losing that first ball (which I have done...). The only effective way to calm one's nervous is to hit good shots during the actual tournament. Breathing or poaitive thinking are not enough for me.
 
You can practice all you want and become the best range rat in the world and you can go out and shoot very low scores, but....
Until you try to do that in a tournament or any other competition, you won't know how the pressure is going to affect you.
I think it takes more than just practice to win in competition....it take experience as well to handle the pressure.
 
Practice is what it takes to win. Getting out on the range and the course is the only thing that can get you ready to take your swing to an event/competition.
 
Fun topic.

I think it requires a mix, I don't think you could take some who has grooved a great swing through lessons and range time, drop them into a tournament and expect them to compete.

I played match play over the weekend (first time with competitive golf in almost 3 years) and I know my heart rate was elevated for the 1st several holes. For some reason my full swing was good, but my chipping and putting I was hammering everything way to fast. Got me in a quick hole that I couldn't claw my way out of (2 down after 2).
 
I feel as practice will help you fine tune your swing, accuracy, and distance control. However is that practice enough? Absolutely not. Without getting out to course to play, I feel the above will only help to an extent. Learning how to manage the course can only occur...on the course.
 
Practice is key along with skill but I don't think people (me included) work near enough on the range at odd lies and situations, like learning to turn a club over and hit left handed shots (if you are right handed), up hill/down hill lies, plugged lies etc.
 
I think practice makes perfect, but practice isn't strictly limited to range or putting green work. There are so many aspects of the game that need tuning and repetition to succeed. As others have said, if you step to the tee for a tournament round and its your first one ever, there is a good chance that some nerves are going to arise. Giving yourself the opportunity to feel those emotions and have pressure is a good thing, it will only help you when its time to step to the plate and deliver when the heat is on.

Last March I played a very tough course that I've played many times, shot a low 80s score. One week later I came back for my first tournament in years, played from a tee box closer and shot a 95. Since that debacle I've played in quite a few tournaments and each time I feel more confident.
 
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