Practice with a Purpose?

JB

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@Canadan and I get into a bit in the podcast that will drop tomorrow about practice and how we do it. Whether it’s putting or swing related, do you have a purpose or are you more just hitting balls and rolling putts?
 
I will admit to the second 90% of the time..
 
When I practice, I do so with a purpose. It's usually to try to grind one thing/thought into my swing.
 
I'm usually trying to figure out something I'm doing wrong or groove something I'm doing right. I personally can't hit to hit. I have to make up some sort of game to keep my interest. Hitting a flag on the range, going around all the holes on the putting green in par or 2 putts per cup or start over, etc.... Gotta do something or I just hit a few to warm up after the orange whip. Can't and won't just hit. That gets old too fast for me.
 
When I practice full swing, I am usually working on set up and alignment as that has been an issue for me. I want to see the ball start on my target line and go the proper distance. Putting I am working on speed. I want to get it in a 2 foot circle on lag putts.


Other than that, I don't have a lot of direction when practicing on the green. I need to work on that.
 
I'm definitely trying to be more purposeful in my practice these days. When I go to the range (with no short-game area), I spend the first half working on block practice - something specific I'm trying to improve. The second half is random practice, where rather than just beating balls, I'm experimenting. I'm trying to hit high draws, low fades, trying to hit a 4-iron 100 yards only, etc. In short, I'm learning what's possible and how to accomplish better face control.
 
I'd like to think my practice is focused, but in reality it is likely more on the hitting balls and rolling putts side of things.
 
For ball striking practice, I typically have a purposeful focus. Today, for example I worked on specific aspects of my swing from recent lessons and 50-100 yard wedge shots.

For putting, I don't have a purpose. I don't know what to do. I just roll the ball and hope something clicks. And, no surprise, putting is my weakness. I am in process for scheduling a putting lesson next week.
 
I always have a focused purpose in mind when I practice. Most of the time it's 1. swing tempo, and 2. alignment. 3rd would be ball contact. 4th would be trouble shots from suspect lies.

When pitching/chipping it's about geeen reads, and leaving myself easy one putts.

When putting it's about green reads, and rolling the ball on my chosen line. Then speed.

I will also admit to buying a bucket of balls, and just swinging as hard\fast as I can. Don't care about ball flights. Just a physical work out.
 
Mix of both. I will hit half a bucket just seeing where the swing is and then spend some time working on something specific
 
I used to "beat balls" at the range but ever since I started working with my current coach he helped me realize that part of the reason I wasn't improving was poor practice techniques. At home i do a bunch of drills and mirror work. At the range i so do some drills then be very intentional when hitting balls and pick a target and shot shape just like when I'm on course.
 
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I try to keep my practice sessions as big brain as possible so I will work on pretty big concepts such as contact, ie just hit the center of the club face and not worry about where it goes as long as contact is good.
 
If I'm taking the time to practice something, it's with a purpose. Usually alignment or path/plane work at the range trying to work something out. I don't really practice putting. Just roll a few to get a feel for the day. If I did, or on the really rare times I have, same thing. Without a purpose serves no purpose for me. I have more productive things I could be doing. Like playing.
 
I have forced myself this year to practice with a singular purpose. Whether it's long game, short game, putting or whatever, for that given day, I am not allowing myself to fade into just mindlessly banging balls at the range. It has helped tremendously.
 
I have been this year. I have spent a lot of time working on full swing changes and lessons. I am also joining the One Length Revolution. These 2 combined means I have been hitting a lot of 6 and 7 irons and just getting a feel for the swing. I am hitting those clubs really well, but I have not quite gotten the swing figured out with the much longer driver in hand. That's next on the docket. Figure out where the ball needs to be at address with Driver in order to optimize the contact when swinging freely.
 
I usually start out with a game plan and good intentions. After about 10 minutes my ADHD kicks in and I get bored and start trying stuff I have no business doing
 
Currently practicing with a focus as I am taking lessons and doing a full rebuild of my swing with the driver. I don't want to roll into Vegas and the Morgan Cup being "Mr. Shortknocker"! 🙃
 
This is a great thread topic! My instructor has been having me do my on course routine when on the range. I use to just hit balls and not reset my alignment etc. Now i walk back pick my line and practice swing and go. I do this even if i am just doing a wedge session. Alignment has been an issue and i do see that it is helping me on course also.
 
I usually have something planned in my mind when I go to practice. Sometimes that changes a bit depending on what is happening. I might go with the intention of dialing in partial wedges or working on shot shaping or flighting the ball etc. sometimes though I get there and whatever I came to work is just working perfectly so I change that up and work on something else for a bit and then finish up going back to the original plan to end.

It all really depends on where I feel like my issues are at the time usually. Putting is a bit of a different story. I don’t know that I practice that with quite as much planning or efficiency. It’s more trying to get started on a line with a smooth stroke and the correct pace. If I miss I miss but as long as those things were correct I am not unhappy. That just means I didn’t read it perfectly. I generally hit multiple balls from the same line so I try and adjust between putts as once I see the roll I feel like it helps me learn to make a better read.
 
This year focus on gapping. Switched to a 3 and 5 hybrid, then 7-PW and SW. Hitting into a net with a Mevo since range balls won’t give me the right distances.
 
Unless I am working on something from a lesson I usually focus on setup, alignment and target. I make sure that I go through my routine and pick a specific target before every swing.

Putting I have a couple of routines. I set up 4 stations around a hole and roll 3 putts at 3 feet and 5 feet. I make 3 consecutive putts before moving to the next spot. If I miss one I start again at that spot. I am not good enough to make 24 putts in a row without missing one but I usually can make all the 3 footers without having to restart a station.

After that I take one ball and putt to different holes holing each ball. That way I don’t get into a groove on a specific distance and I keep seeing the ball go in the hole.

The putting routine is new and I am putting much better since I started doing it. I stole part of it from Hideki. Hideki does 6 footers also. I usually don’t have enough time to practice 3, 5 and 6 footers.
 
Definitely practicing with a purpose, I am picking a line/target on each shot and trying to hit that once warmed up. For putting always picking different lengths and breaks.
 
I hit balls nearly every day into my practice net. I’m always doing it with a purpose. I’ve been working on lengthening my backswing and getting my hands back to square on impact. I’m trying to get that to be automatic. My chipping had been horrible but my backyard practice into a target has been fantastic. I’m saving strokes every round just from working on making good contact every time and being on the correct line.
 
I bring a gameplan with me to the practice areas. Putting and chipping are game-based (3 feet, 5 feet, 8 feet, etc.) and my full swing routine stays simple with 2 or 3 swing thoughts depending on what I need to work on. Always step back after a shot and go through the routine I'd have on the course before the next.
 
Practice starts off with seeing how the shots are going, then correcting (a guy can try), lastly short game to work on scrambling for bogey.
 
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