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Practicing, thoughts wanted

lopsta5

lopsta5

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Hi guys,

Im not a massive fan of practicing because i just seem to get bored by myself hitting balls, but i want to try to get better and i know practicing is the only way to do that.
What do you guys do to help you get out there and do it? Does music help? Ive never played or hit with music playing, maybe get some headphones and zone in.
Also where i live we dont have big ranges like you have over there but i can practice at my club, just not a fan of hitting heaps of balls a couple hundred meters away then having to go pick them all up.

Im really just wondering what helps you get enthused to get out and practice?
 
I will pick a course i normally play and play several holes of the course on the range.
 
You should go in with a plan. Hitting balls into nothing gets pretty boring. If you don't have a big range maybe just find a field and set up some baskets and work on 100 and in. I fins targets make it much more enjoyable.

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I like practicing, but honestly if I go to the range with the intention of hitting drivers, I hit them like garbage.

I mainly go to the range to practice 7 iron and down. Majority of the balls I hit are 100-120 yards, to pin down yardages and be as "on" as I can with those clubs as possible. Maybe 5-10 driver, and a handful with long irons/hybrids. I spend more time around the practice green when I go, than I ever do actually hitting balls down range anymore.
 
I used to hate practicing, thought it was so boring. But I find that now, I love to practice, and 2 hours can go by far too quickly. What helped me was limiting myself to 45 minutes on the range, hitting mostly irons, and working on a variety of shots. Try some draws, fades, and don't worry if it's not perfect. Then I'll start jumping around clubs, as I would in a normal round. Driver, 6 iron, pw, 3 wood, 5 iron, 9 iron.....like that. And take your time between shots.

Then I'll typically spend at least an hour with short chips from 10-20 yards at most. But no just mindlessly chipping. Give yourself interesting lies, in the rough, uphill downhill, etc...This makes it fun, and simulates real situations. Watch some Phil Mickelson short game videos before you go out, and try some ridiculous shots. Who knows, you might fall in love with practicing like I have.
 
I go to the range once a week, start with my wedges, then irons, hybrid, fairway and finish with driver when I am really warmed up.
Sometimes instead of the range I will go play 9 holes (alone or with wife) and play 2 balls (white and yellow). It's like playing 18 in under 2 hours.
 
The only way for me to really practice is to play. No matter what my intention is when I go to the range, it always ends up as a session of experimenting. Then I screw stuff all up.
 
I love playing rounds but i guess its not really practicing as such. Maybe i could just try playing holes and then when getting to the green throwing a couple extra balls out to chip and putt before moving to the next hole.
 
lopsta5 said:
I love playing rounds but i guess its not really practicing as such. Maybe i could just try playing holes and then when getting to the green throwing a couple extra balls out to chip and putt before moving to the next hole.
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If want a good way to practice on the course AND are able to get out by yourself once in a while a great game to play is Worst Shot. It's basically a two ball scramble BUT you have to take the worst shot and play the next two from there. It makes you work on your consistency (have to hit two good shots in a row), have to recover from bad shots TWICE and puts pressure on you when your first hit/chip/putt is a good one because now you have to hit another good one. I just do it for 9 holes cause you get in 18 holes worth of shots and It's a little tough on the ego, My best score this year's been a 45, but if you go in with the idea that it's practice then you'll be OK.
 
I used to think the range was boring - just wacking balls. When I dedicated myself to getting serious/better a couple of years ago, I realized that I would have to make it fun. And I did. And now I really like going to the range. As others have mentioned, hitting at targets, working on distances, hitting draws and fades. Imagining the shots the one needs on the course and then practicing them.
 
Was listening to Hank Haney radio today. He says 1/3 full swing, 1/3 short game and 1/3 putting. ( 3 hour practice would mean 1 hour of each)
 
Borss said:
Was listening to Hank Haney radio today. He says 1/3 full swing, 1/3 short game and 1/3 putting. ( 3 hour practice would mean 1 hour of each)
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That's great advice that in my experience, only low single digit players follow. I've always enjoyed spending an hour or two working on my putting or short game but there are only a handful of guys at my club that feel the same way.
 
I really like that idea. I'll need a basically empty course to make it work, but I may just have to give it a shot.
 
The best practice for me is on the golf course. There's a lot more to learn for me on the course - difficult stances and lies, how the club interacts with the ball and the turf, different bunker and green situations, hitting shots from all sorts of positions and obstructions.
 
i can't relate, because i often enjoy practicing more than playing. when my family is out of town, i'll practice for 3-4 hours, working on all aspects of the game. not because i'm crazy committed to golf, i just really enjoy practice.
 
Thanks guys for your ideas. I will have to try some. After playing in the pro tournament i think it opened my eyes a bit and stirred something inside to get better.
 
Skip the range and go play a practice round at off hours, this is a great time of year for that, cheap twilight rounds.

I only range small buckets these days, with specific goals and simple thoughts, I don't think there's much to learn at a range outside of that, it's too easy to hit balls off a mat over and over, course conditions are the only way to really learn.
 
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