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How many balls per year?

Luchnia

Luchnia

You will never conquer golf.
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In the single digit thread I made a post about the number of balls you need to be a single capper. I inflated the numbers some simply to indicate the amount of work and the thought that you do need to hit a lot of balls. Keep in mind, not simply ball hitting, but purpose driven ball hitting.

I was looking back on some of Rory's stats and was amazed that it 2015 it is stated that he hit 16,800 balls and did 6800 pushups among a ton of other practice and exercise related items. Not sure what his cap was at that time, but just using his ball hitting as a point. If you averaged 80 per round that would be equal to about 200+ rounds!

Guys like that are so regimented, it makes me wonder how they can still enjoy the game! It is an amazing amount of focus and dedication. Please share any thoughts you have.
 
I don't even warm up, much less practice.
I'm not a particularly good player, either.

Trevino said it best: "The more I practice, the luckier I get."
I never had a problem believing it.

When I saw the thread title, however, I thought it referred to the actual number of golf balls purchased each year.
I begin every round with a brand new ball. Titleist Pro V1x, ball number 79.
May as well start out with an optimistic attitude.
It doesn't last that long.
 
TexasHacker34 said:
I don't think Professional Golfers see the game the same way as us.... It isn't "fun" per se, it is their job.

Someone in the golf industry once told me, if you love golf, do not work in golf in any capacity.
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I agree. Of the other hobbies I have done over the years, once they get so much like a job, it gets dull fast! Sometimes the effort to be good at something is not worth the return for me. Ok, I admit it - I am impatient.
 
Luchnia said:
I agree. Of the other hobbies I have done over the years, once they get so much like a job, it gets dull fast! Sometimes the effort to be good at something is not worth the return for me. Ok, I admit it - I am impatient.
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Luckily for me, golf has never been something I have been really good at, even with lots of effort... so I have taken a much more casual approach to the game, and that seems to do the trick for me.:p
 
90 minutes at the range, play 18, another 90 minutes at the range. 5-6 days a week. Yeah those guys hit a ton of balls.
 
It’s normal in the spring for me to have a few 90-120 minute range sessions a few days each week and another 6-8 hours/week in the short game area. That adds up to over 1000 full swing range balls per week and more than that on or near the green. After spring it’s more like 300 full swing range balls per week and at least another 800 putts/chips/bunker shots per week. I have an indoor putting green at home that during the winter gets used over an hour each day but rarely used in the summer.
 
I bet I hit less than 1000 practice strokes a year on the range. That may change this year as I have some different goals.
 
I would venture a guess that I hit around 14,000 balls in 2019. That is strictly based on figuring that I played about 275 rounds and had about 50 non-putting strokes per round. I probably hit 50 range balls at the most during the entire year.
 
oh I would venture to say I lose about 12,800 balls per year... (answering the question how my brain read the title lol)
 
That sounds like a lot of abuse on the body. I went to the driving range Saturday. I'm still sore today. I can't imagine doing that as a job hours and hours per day. But maybe I could make the allowance if I was at the top of the leader boards for $$$$ earned per year. That'd make it worth it to me.:cool:
 
Scorpion12 said:
That sounds like a lot of abuse on the body. I went to the driving range Saturday. I'm still sore today. I can't imagine doing that as a job hours and hours per day. But maybe I could make the allowance if I was at the top of the leader boards for $$$$ earned per year. That'd make it worth it to me.:cool:
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I helped a guy out saturday by praticing in my shop hitting to the net. I did not realize that I had swung way more that I should have. I went out Sunday to walk 9 and after the first 3 holes my back was sorely aching. Really hurting around 8 and 9. Got home and paid the price. The way some guys can hit tons of balls is amazing to me. I am not in bad shape, but I guess I am LOL
 
tahoebum said:
It’s normal in the spring for me to have a few 90-120 minute range sessions a few days each week and another 6-8 hours/week in the short game area. That adds up to over 1000 full swing range balls per week and more than that on or near the green. After spring it’s more like 300 full swing range balls per week and at least another 800 putts/chips/bunker shots per week. I have an indoor putting green at home that during the winter gets used over an hour each day but rarely used in the summer.
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That is extensive. I have done that in spurts but not consistent.
 
Nerdy_81 said:
90 minutes at the range, play 18, another 90 minutes at the range. 5-6 days a week. Yeah those guys hit a ton of balls.
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I saw a video with Moe Norman and he said he hit around 800-1000 balls a day when he was 14 - 19 years old while learning his swing. Looking at some of the stacks of balls he hit, it might be true. For me, I think 200 balls would be a lot and 800? You could go ahead and bury me!
 
Luchnia said:
I saw a video with Moe Norman and he said he hit around 800-1000 balls a day when he was 14 - 19 years old while learning his swing. Looking at some of the stacks of balls he hit, it might be true. For me, I think 200 balls would be a lot and 800? You could go ahead and bury me!
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Yep. I'd be crazy sore. It would take some time to work up to those numbers.
 
Luchnia said:
I helped a guy out saturday by praticing in my shop hitting to the net. I did not realize that I had swung way more that I should have. I went out Sunday to walk 9 and after the first 3 holes my back was sorely aching. Really hurting around 8 and 9. Got home and paid the price. The way some guys can hit tons of balls is amazing to me. I am not in bad shape, but I guess I am LOL
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When I was much younger, I would take alive at the start of a round. I wouldn’t be hurting afterwards. I think I’m going to start doing that again.
 
Please don’t make me do this math.
 
6-8 dozen 6 dozen is the gamer

the other two dozen is usually me messing around with other balls
 
I'm laughing at @mtbloco because I'm sitting here trying to do the math. I mean, do you take out putts?? 'Cause that makes a big difference.

I'd guess I hit less than 4k balls last year. That was really all my body could handle. I got hurt when I overdid it for a bit.

I make an effort for them all to be purpose driven, but as far as your single digit cap thing goes, that's really based on the individual. I hadn't played in almost 15 years until last year, and I don't think I ever went outside single digits when I got started again. I can't swing at all like I used to, and I sure can't hit 16,000 balls in a year physically, but I could (can) still hit a golf ball. So I don't think there's any magic number to a better cap for everyone. I am trying to put myself in a position to hit more balls this year though, if possible.

As for how much the pros hit. If you love it, and can do it (and get PAID to do it), a lot of people would love to play 200+ rounds a year and also practice like crazy. Some guys here do. Anything that's your job can seem like a chore at times, but I'd absolutely love to live the 200 rounds and a heck of a lot of practice mixed in regimen. If God wants to challenge me with that burden, I will bear it. lol

edit: side note from a former personal trainer - 6800 pushups is like 20 a day. :/ I applaud his effort, and the focus the industry has put on fitness more recently, but the ways they talk about it are .. I don't know. I can't think of a diplomatic description right now.
 
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OldandStiff said:
I'm laughing at @mtbloco because I'm sitting here trying to do the math. I mean, do you take out putts?? 'Cause that makes a big difference.

I'd guess I hit less than 4k balls last year. That was really all my body could handle. I got hurt when I overdid it for a bit.

I make an effort for them all to be purpose driven.
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I was only thinking of purchased balls.

 
I am unfortunately a bit of a perfectionist. I wouldn’t say it has to be perfect but I don’t want to do something unless I am doing it at a level I am happy with. I have hit a lot of balls over the last 2.5 years and the returns are starting to show. Will I ever be satisfied? I think so but I will continue to work on my game even then because I don’t want to backtrack either.
 
There was a period of time I was obsessed with keeping my single digit handicap. It spanned over three years. I played almost every day of those three years. I also hit balls usually before going out. After finishing the round I might go back out and play nine more is someone asks me to play. If not I would go back to the range and work on the things that did not work that day for me. After the three year period I kept my handicap in the middle single digits 6/7. The problem was it became work not play. So I stopped and just played three times a week and hit balls sometimes if the game go a little out of whack. Today I still play three times a week but I no longer hit balls at all on the range. I just want to enjoy my time on the course without worry of shooting in the 70,s every time out.
 
I've been hitting about 100 balls with purpose/day at the range 6 days a week and taking a lesson and probably pounding another 100 balls another day of the week. I also tend to do short game (chipping and putting) 2-3x a week, but am considering swapping this routine for the foreseeable future and focusing more on the short game. I'm 54 and returning to the game and just not sure my body will hold up the the rigors or this swing of mine if I practice this much. So far-so good though.
 
Stryker said:
I am unfortunately a bit of a perfectionist. I wouldn’t say it has to be perfect but I don’t want to do something unless I am doing it at a level I am happy with. I have hit a lot of balls over the last 2.5 years and the returns are starting to show. Will I ever be satisfied? I think so but I will continue to work on my game even then because I don’t want to backtrack either.
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I am somewhat like this. At my age, I am not a perfectionist to the point of no return, yet there is a level I desire. I don't really have to be a single capper or anything like that, but there is a level inside of me that I feel is comfortable/satisfied, if that makes sense. Even when I play with others I am really playing against myself and I don't seem to reach that level yet.

I tell my buddy not to be concerned so much when we play as I am really playing against me more than him. I like to reach some levels of improvement or I know I will get bored. An example could be a level of chipping that puts 90% of my chips within a 10' circle. It could be any number of goals.

In most everything I have ever done I can somewhat attain that level - golf not so much and I think it is because:
1. I am older now and cannot attain what I did 10 years ago
2. It is not so much one game, but incorporates many different games/facets - short game - putting, chipping, pitching, mid-game, long game, course strategy, etc..
 
I do not believe my game would be anywhere near what it is if I didn’t practice. During the spring and summer I hit golf balls pretty close to 7 days a week whether it be on the range or at home on my SkyTrak. As for your question, I really have no clue how many balls I actually hit in a year
 
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