Do you practice constructively?

[Deleted Member 1156]

Off the back of the 90% handicap allowance thread, someone made a comment that not everyone is capable of getting down to a low handicap. Whilst this is true, I firmly believe that a lot of higher handicappers go to the range and smash balls without putting much thought into it.

Are you guilty of this? With a bit more thought and the odd lesson, do you think you could get lower? Or do you believe you have reached a plateau?

 

[Hacker Khan]

Yes. Possibly. Probably.

Also need to remember that some people go to the range for the sheer thrill of whacking a ball. Yes this is not the best way to lower your handicap, but for some people they just want to hit the balls and have some fun most of the time. No harm in that as the success of TopGolf demonstrates.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Off the back of the 90% handicap allowance thread, someone made a comment that not everyone is capable of getting down to a low handicap. Whilst this is true, I firmly believe that a lot of higher handicappers go to the range and smash balls without putting much thought into it.

Are you guilty of this? With a bit more thought and the odd lesson, do you think you could get lower? Or do you believe you have reached a plateau?

Have lessons, do my utmost to make practise constructive, genuinely believe I am playing better, but this year handicap virtually stayed the same, because of the lack of handicap dropping and wondering about me reaching a plateau, I intend to practise less, be less focussed on handicap and simply relax and enjoy the golf more and hoping to see my handicap come down. Reverse pyschology 😃

 

[BrizoH71]

At my local range most folk treat it as a creche.

It's hard to focus on practice when there are a dozen screaming weans running about and battering balls off the bay sides.

 

[drewster]

The only time i've ever found range time constructive is when i go with a mate and we make it competitive. Introducing accuracy challenges and stuff like that. Find it really hard on my own and there's no decent driving range for miles from my place too.

 

[delc]

Yes. Possibly. Probably.

Also need to remember that some people go to the range for the sheer thrill of whacking a ball. Yes this is not the best way to lower your handicap, but for some people they just want to hit the balls and have some fun most of the time. No harm in that as the success of TopGolf demonstrates.

When I visit TopGolf, I normally hit shots at the shorter targets with a short iron or wedge. Hitting a driver is a bit depressing because their balls don't go very far and can get trapped by the intermediate targets when they come down. I don't want to know that I have only hit a drive 150 yards!

 

[duncan mackie]

I have finally had to accept that I'm falling of the back of my plateau, and am unlikely to ever get back on it.

 

[apj0524]

Personally I try and make it more constructive than just whacking balls for the sake of it. I started golf late in life 2.5 years ago and I recognise I am never going to have the swing speed of a 20 ~ 30 guy so I am not long off the tee, and I have accepted that some of approach shots are longer than ideal, so most of my practice is spent hitting 100 yards and below, all different shot types and lies because I believe that the best way to reduce my handicap is to have a better than half decent short game. I usually spend about 2 ~ 3 hours per week on this element of my game and I am lucky as there are a couple of short game practice areas local that I can use off the grass during the winter.

I do use a driving range trying to ensure my swing is as good as it is but I have stopped try to get and extra 5 yards, my iron distances are what they are and if I try to swing too much I find I get out of position making the pitching more difficult than it needs to be.

One area I still struggle with is out of bunkers so I spend some of the time at the short game area trying to get out of bunkers with different clubs, not easy at the moment because the sand is wet an compact and I find this is a different shot to the summer when the sand is not wet and compact

 

[One Planer]

Off the back of the 90% handicap allowance thread, someone made a comment that not everyone is capable of getting down to a low handicap. Whilst this is true, I firmly believe that a lot of higher handicappers go to the range and smash balls without putting much thought into it.

Are you guilty of this? With a bit more thought and the odd lesson, do you think you could get lower? Or do you believe you have reached a plateau?

I 100% agree with the OP.

Personally. When I practice it's usually going though a drill or set of drills my pro has I've me based on what we're working on.

Some don't even focus on where the ball goes or even how it behaves, purely feeling a position.

After I've got through this phase ill make full swing bringing it all together.

Never just go for a thrash.

 

[User 105]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

I do have session where I'll be working on something specific and I'll have a plan in my head for the session. if I'm honest i don't always stick to it, but in the most part I do.

Sometimes I just like hitting balls just for the fun of it. I guess you could call it constructive because I'll hit to different targets and hit different shot shapes rather than just dropping a ball and whacking it.

 

[Hobbit]

Off the back of the 90% handicap allowance thread, someone made a comment that not everyone is capable of getting down to a low handicap. Whilst this is true, I firmly believe that a lot of higher handicappers go to the range and smash balls without putting much thought into it.

Are you guilty of this? With a bit more thought and the odd lesson, do you think you could get lower? Or do you believe you have reached a plateau?

An old Yorkshire coach many years ago commented on a high handicappers grooving faults into their swings by not having a lesson every so often. Bashing balls for hours without having the right foundations does more harm than good.

 

[Imurg]

I'm sorry...
I don't know what the third word of the title means.......:mmm:

 

[Alex1975]

I do both, sometimes I hit balls to unwind, sometimes I work on something in a constructive way.

 

[chrisd]

Sometimes I just hit balls to ensure the strike is good with little concern as to direction and sometimes I hit the balls at specific targets. Sometimes I take my time and other times I'm like a machine gunner. It just depends how I feel

 

[selwood90]

I practise constructively within my capabilities. Iv never had a lesson so not really got any drills per say, but generally il start with my wedges. Practising 70 80 and 110 (full swings with my 3 wedges) then cut down the distance again aiming at the various flags on the range or at the short game area. Takes up the majority of my balls. Then go through my irons aiming in various directions target wise. Normally just 9,7,5 and 4 iron. Then for the last few concentrate on my driving, achieving the right set up (or what I perceive to be right) and trying to prevent the slight fade I normally get off the tee. Sure if I had a lesson my pro could sort this within an hour, something I plan to do in the new year. But as constructive as I can be for the most part being self taught, yes.

 

[bobmac]

Smiffy is a knob.

It's all right, he'll never this post

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Smiffy is a knob.

It's all right, he'll never this post

:rofl:

The only time i practise is when I have a spare couple of hours and have 9 holes on the course on my own

If i do that ill play a couple of balls and try different shots from certain angles and distances and then a few putts

When I got a new putter I did putt for an hour after each game just to get used to it

Whenever the course is shut and I go to a range it's 100 balls and then just hit them down the range to keep the swing going

 

[Warbur]

I've stopped going to the range as I was just smashing balls for the sake of it. I'm lucky in that there is an indoor facility fairly close to home so I can go and use a GC2 for just £10 an hour. I tend to go for an hour or 2 and will play the courses to get my practice.

 

[Mattyboy]

Having felt that I was doing the right things on the range and then realising that I wasnt, I mainly use the net in my back garden. I film myself, then review, then repeat.

Just need to groove it before moving on to the next steps ........

 

[Deleted member 17920]

An old Yorkshire coach many years ago commented on a high handicappers grooving faults into their swings by not having a lesson every so often. Bashing balls for hours without having the right foundations does more harm than good.

This is exactly what I did at the start of the season, practised and practised then built in some really bad habits.
why didn't you post this in April Bri

had 2 lessons in the last few weeks and I feel like I am finally turning a corner!