Play or Practice

[Cobra_Nut]

If you really want to get to single figures from a 28 handicap is it best to spend the time on the range & putting green, or would it be better to play/practice on the course when its quiet with 2 balls & hit 2 balls & playing the best or playing the worst lie, miss a putt take a second from that position etc

 

[Robobum]

Hard to go with one over the other. However if it were a straight choice the play all day long.

Part of being a single figure player is learning how to scab it round and still post a number. Looking well balanced, on plane etc won't help you then

 

[ash01]

Don't make a plan to use the course to pracitce on.

If by chance you are out and it is quiet then fair enough.

Putting green and practice fairway/range is the best option in the long run. You are able to stay as long as you like on these facilites and there is no pressure from other members/moaners.

Ash!!

 

[Imurg]

Hard to go with one over the other. However if it were a straight choice the play all day long.

Part of being a single figure player is learning how to scab it round and still post a number. Looking well balanced, on plane etc won't help you then

This is my take on it.
Learning what to do on the range is ok but everything's different on the course.

 

[JustOne]

Range and putting/chipping area.

You can get to single figures easily.



Playing the course you might never make it in 25yrs!
All the crap golfers talk a good game.... but you'll not see them on a practice ground.

 

[RichardC]

Happyish with my long game, but my downfall is certainly short game.
I like to go to the range every so often, but at this time of year I can get to the club more often and use the practice greens for short game and putting.
Time will tell if this routine works.

 

[Robobum]

Apologies for reference to a rival mag but there is a good piece in Golf World about being a player or practiser. Worth a read (don't buy it, obviously ).

 

[Ian_S]

I would have thought a good mix of both. Out on the course is hardly a good place to try new stuff, but you can't tell if what you've learnt on the range has worked until you get out of course.

I just had a good range session practising hitting against solid left side (as seen on forum favourite Mark Crossfield's Youtube). Lost my form a bit at the end of the session which I'm hoping is simply muscle fatigue from not being used to the new style of swing, because I started off nailing them straight and true.

So at a guess, the range for practise and getting your body used to hitting a full round. Out on the course for doing what you've learned. Take what you do on the course back to the range and repeat ad nauseam.

 

[DavidO]

I would have thought a good mix of both. Out on the course is hardly a good place to try new stuff, but you can't tell if what you've learnt on the range has worked until you get out of course.

I just had a good range session practising hitting against solid left side (as seen on forum favourite Mark Crossfield's Youtube). Lost my form a bit at the end of the session which I'm hoping is simply muscle fatigue from not being used to the new style of swing, because I started off nailing them straight and true.

So at a guess, the range for practise and getting your body used to hitting a full round. Out on the course for doing what you've learned. Take what you do on the course back to the range and repeat ad nauseam.

Yeah, that's my take on it...

Course can ne busy and you've not got time to hit 15/20 balls to get the feeling on a new shot type.

Range to try to ingrain the feeling, course to put it in practice!

 

[MadAdey]

You need to do both. A few years ago I decided to put in some serious practice and see what I can get down to. I went from 9 down to 5 in 3 months then bust my knee playing footie and hardly played for 2 years. I did both to do that though. I did my time on the range hitting ball after ball ingraining my swing into me, so it just became a natural action for me. But like has been said I did put time in on the course also as you can't reproduce playing a round on the range. I made time for just hitting shots from 10 to 50 yards at a practice green to practice getting up and down for when a hole is going wrong. I would also do a lot of putting practice. so to pretty much sum it up. I did 2 hours twice a week on putting and pitching. 100 balls 3 times a week on the range and between 2 - 4 rounds a week. Proof was in the outcome in how fast I moved from 9 to 5, would have been nice to see how low I could have got if footie did not get in the way.

One thing you need to see in the difference between scratch players and higher handicaps is how they still manage to scramble a par after cocking a hole up that higher handicappers will run up an 8 or worse in the same position, so you need to learn to scramble to shoot low cause you are not going to hit every fairway and green no matter what standard you play at.

 

[A1ex]

If making swing changes or having problem with a club then range it.

The majority should be course work. Nothing can replicate being out there on the course. Anyone can hit it well down the range with 100 balls. The more at home you feel out there on the course the better you'll score.

Also a good piece of advice is if you've hit a bad shot, unless you're a scratch/plus handicap don't try a miracle shot to salvage a par. Accept you made a mistake and take a bogey. Seen so many players think they're better than they are and attempt something stupid, only to end up with a double/triple.

 

[RGDave]

Can't do one without the other. I went from 24 to 8, and t.b.h. most of the hard work was done a) long game at the range and b) short game at the club.
Everyone slags off the range saying "anyone can hit balls down the range" and that's true, but grooving swing stuff out on the course is really hard.

In my line of work, I spend a lot of time persuading people to to get out of the "performance arena" and into the "practise zone". It's simple, you HAVE to do both.

short game rules, always, and you can't do that at the range (except maybe bunkers (if it has one) and 50+ pitches)

1 or 2 range sessions, 2 short game sessions, plenty of putting and play once or twice a week. Easy.

 

[SAPCOR1]

If you have a playing partner then see if they want to play 18 but also use the time to practice on course.

That's what my last two rounds were like, new driver & 3 wood to try but also look at various aspects of my game.
Still kept scores and played only one ball but not too bothered if I took a six as long as I learned from whatever I was trying

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It has to be a combination. You need the range to ingrain swing changes and to work on the game over the winter but you can't score without a short game. I'd also chuck in regular tuition too (unless you're related to Bubba) as it can be ahrd to fix things on your own when they start to go wrong and a pro may give you a tip or drill on the short game stuff too to really get it close. If you can work at all aspects, under regular PGA pro supervision and mix playing and practicing together then I can see how you can get down. Whether 28 to single figures is achievable depends on the individual

 

[JustOne]

I think it's important to (possibly) substitute the word RANGE for PRACTICE GROUND, hitting off mats is OK for learning to play/ingraining a swing/learning etc etc but it's better to hit off grass than mats wherever possible.

Regardless of your h/cap you should spend more time practicing than playing if you want to improve... but you can't neglect either.

 

[Smiffy]

All the crap golfers talk a good game.... but you'll not see them on a practice ground.

You rang?????

 

[upsidedown]

Probably spend more time playing than practising but can play up to 4 times a week in Summer and 5 in Winter down here. Also lucky that live on 10 acres so hit around 10 to 20 balls a day at home , usually just a 9 iron.

 

[CMAC]

another one in the BOTH camp.

2 hrs on the practice area then 2 or 3 holes with a few pressure drives, 2 or 3 shots to a green and chips and putts around it for different shots. I like Faldos old way of just throwing 5 balls around a green and playing the shot no matter the lie as thats what you'll get on the course.

small point but my best year ever was when I did this about 5 days a week, responsibilities mean I cant do that now but what I learned then stays with you

 

[One Planer]

I would agree with those who say a little bit of both.

Sure it's nice to get out onto the course and play, but working on the areas of your game that you struggle on, on the practice ground has got to be of some benefit.

 

[Hobbit]

If you want to post good scores, and really enjoy spectacular shots, you've got to put in the practice time. And it has to be long game and short game - if one or the other doesn't work you just won't score well.

I used to practice loads, and I mean loads! Nowadays I might do a session if something isn't working but that's all.