How do you practice?

[Orikoru]

Occasionally I go and do 50 balls down the range, but I'm not sure you really gain much from that. It feels different to playing on the course, and the balls are generally crap so you can't even really trust the flight of them. Last couple of times I went down the range I was hitting it terribly, whereas my last few rounds on the course have been pretty good so it doesn't even correlate. So yeah, most weeks I just play my round on the weekend and that's it. No real 'practise' as such, except that I only really play one competition a month and my other rounds are just friendlies with mates - so could be considered practise since they're not competitive.

 

[Reemul]

Hardly played last 6 weeks except down the range, played twice this weekend and was shocking, actually lost by 1 shot to my 11 year old son, hehe. Yet was hitting it so well at the range. Got a refresh lesson on Saturday to check what is up.

I like going to the range once a week with a m8 for the enjoyment of being out, with kids and busy lives it's nice to have a drink and hit a few balls to forget the stresses of life.

 

[r0wly86]

I don't often use the range, especially in winter, but that's mainly due to my club's range being outdoors.

I will normally practice by playing by myself, retaking shots if need be etc.

But when I do use the range I take on board what Arnie said, paraphrasing "if I were to do it all again I would only practice driving and everything within 100 yards".

If you can hit 6iron you can hit a 4 iron. If you can hit your driver well, the same swing should be fine for the rest of your long game. But getting close to the hole with your approach and chipping and putting is where the low scoring happens.

The range can be useful tool though. But only if you have a good feel for your swing and can tell what is going wrong, if not, just hitting 100s of balls with no understanding of what your swing is doing can be detrimental as it can ingrain bad habits

 

[PJ87]

Had a wedge lesson today.. showed me how to judge how to hit to 40 yards, 30 yards, 20 yards and 10 yards....

now I have been armed with that knowledge I will work on it as a skill to improve my game for sure

got 7-9 weeks until the next lesson.. gives me a chance to really work down the ranges short game area

I like going down the short game area.. 30 balls and just hit wedge after wedge.. then pick them all up and go again.. until I have had enough or it gets busy.. then just take the same balls on the range and practice my irons and driver

 

[Yant]

The only use i have for a range is if i'm making a swing change and need to hit 500 balls to bed the change in. Apart from that, for me, a driving range just doesn't add any value. The feel is totally different from the course and i'd rather spend my time on the course or on the putting green.

I hate hitting off of those big rubber tees.
I don't like the feel off of the mats - it gives you a false representation of how you are actually striking the ball.

 

[Orikoru]

The only use i have for a range is if i'm making a swing change and need to hit 500 balls to bed the change in. Apart from that, for me, a driving range just doesn't add any value. The feel is totally different from the course and i'd rather spend my time on the course or on the putting green.

I hate hitting off of those big rubber tees.
I don't like the feel off of the mats - it gives you a false representation of how you are actually striking the ball.

Yeah I agree with all of that. I'll go if I know I'm not able to play at the weekend (rather than go over a week without hitting a ball) but that's it really.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The only use i have for a range is if i'm making a swing change and need to hit 500 balls to bed the change in. Apart from that, for me, a driving range just doesn't add any value. The feel is totally different from the course and i'd rather spend my time on the course or on the putting green.

I hate hitting off of those big rubber tees.
I don't like the feel off of the mats - it gives you a false representation of how you are actually striking the ball.

Agree that the range has a place for making changes (post lesson as an example). I enjoy working on my game and at the moment I'm getting back after a bad back and so need to start on the swing changes I want to meet and then focus on the short game almost exclusively before the Spring

 

[ScienceBoy]

Currently by sitting at home watching CBeebies...

 

[AMcC]

Been going to practice area.

Setting out markers at 20yds, then 10 yards apart until 80 and practicing pitching and chipping to different distances.
Then at the end hitting varied full swing shots. The bad bit is going out to collect the balls lol

 

[drewster]

I'm guilty of not practicing at all ever. I tend to use non-qualifiying roll ups as a chance to experiment a little but that's as far as it goes for me.

 

[kerber0s1983]

Not done a great deal for 4 months (only played 2 rounds in that time) as we moved house and it needed renovating

Just got back into the swing in the last 2 weeks with a couple of lessons.

Been to the range twice a week since then hitting 60 balls in 6 shot groups and scoring them to add a bit of competition and pressure to it.

Spent a while each time on the chipping green working hard on the short game.

Been also doing a lot of work without a ball, making practice swings and trying to sort the sequencing out

Will ramp up the practice soon as ive nearly finished a golf simulator room in the garden, got a skytrak unit for xmas and I'm home 2 hours before the Mrs each day so can practice until my hearts content.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not done a great deal for 4 months (only played 2 rounds in that time) as we moved house and it needed renovating

Just got back into the swing in the last 2 weeks with a couple of lessons.

Been to the range twice a week since then hitting 60 balls in 6 shot groups and scoring them to add a bit of competition and pressure to it.

Spent a while each time on the chipping green working hard on the short game.

Been also doing a lot of work without a ball, making practice swings and trying to sort the sequencing out

Will ramp up the practice soon as ive nearly finished a golf simulator room in the garden, got a skytrak unit for xmas and I'm home 2 hours before the Mrs each day so can practice until my hearts content.

Sounds like it's going to be a good year. No excuses and not many with their own simulator room

 

[kerber0s1983]

Sounds like it's going to be a good year. No excuses and not many with their own simulator room

No definitely no excuses this year!

I know I'm pretty lucky. Was a big part of us moving was somewhere with the land to build a "golf cave". Mrs got Fed up me being away at the range spending cash a few nights a week, so least this way I'm 10 seconds down the garden!

 

[VVega]

got a skytrak unit for xmas

Did you get it with The Golf Club? What's your impressions so far?

 

[kerber0s1983]

Did you get it with The Golf Club? What's your impressions so far?

Yeah I did get the golf club with it but to be honest I haven't really used either as been busy building the room, should be finished in 4 weeks ready to use in anger

I've got all the pc, projector, impact net etc all ready to install when the building is up

Only used the skytrak once at the range

 

[VVega]

Looking forward to the review once set up. The best thing about the golf club is that they have so many courses created by members - makes a difference from the usual suspects and can get ones that you might have actually played

 

[PJ87]

That would be the dream to own my own golf sim.

Perfect way to practice without going out the house lol

 

[kerber0s1983]

Looking forward to the review once set up. The best thing about the golf club is that they have so many courses created by members - makes a difference from the usual suspects and can get ones that you might have actually played

Will post a review when it's all built and i've been using a while to iron out the kinks!