Practice Divot!

[Cherry13]

I try to recreate a feeling, or check a club position. Quick adjustment if neccesary and usually only a half swing or slow swing.

At the moment I'm working on release so my 'practise swing' is a rotation with the clubs in a baseball style shot. Quickly check that I have everything in the correct position then play. I try to manage it a little bit when on course, so if I feel like my tempo is out I'll practise a slower swing.

I occasionaly take a divot, but always replace that and normal shot

 

[SocketRocket]

Why are these divots so important anyway?

 

[Foxholer]

So how many goes will you take with your practice swings to get it right? No wonder golf is slow if you are taking so many practice shots

Here's another fallacy about stuff causing slow play. 1 extra swing is not going to make any difference to the length of a round if it makes no difference to the real swing and is going to have a positive effect on round time if it means a better shot.

I take 1, maybe 2 practice swings - and it's necessary for my rhythm. Never an intentional divot. It's the guys that consistently take 3 or 4 on every shot that could be considered wasteful. A little more time over each shot means a lot of time saved, as there are fewer shots!

 

[la_lucha]

So how many goes will you take with your practice swings to get it right? No wonder golf is slow if you are taking so many practice shots

I take as many as it takes to get it right (usually two), BUT I generally do it whilst a playing partner is faffing over their ball. Usually once my playing partners ball hits the deck mine takes flight. I try to be a quicker player as I hate having pressure from the following groups. So the guys that wait level on the fairway whilst someone else takes their shot, then approaches their ball and then gets a club and then has 1 practice swing and then stands over the ball before finally playing their shot will take far longer than me even if I have 5 practice swings.

There are so many people that jump to conclusions and send unfounded accusations around this forum it really is spoiling the place.

 

[Andy808]

I don't as I only really take a practice swing on shots that aren't full shots like chips around the green or 3/4 shot's into the green. Neither of these shots need a divot taken on the practice swing as it's more for the speed of the swing over anything else.

 

[talksalot81]

Here's another fallacy about stuff causing slow play. 1 extra swing is not going to make any difference to the length of a round if it makes no difference to the real swing and is going to have a positive effect on round time if it means a better shot.

Agree totally. Moreover, if this is the general belief, then it probably explains why slow play is a problem - golfers don't realise what is actually causing the slow play!

I can take half a dozen swings to get the feeling right but I will still walk a course in 3 hours if I don't have anyone in front of me. Our normal group doesn't play in the competitions and we can often hit half a dozen practice chips or putts after we are finished on a hole and we still are held up by the 4 hour crowd. If you want to speed up golf, focus on less dandering to your ball and focus on less time walking around the hole to see every angle.

Me personally, I am afraid I take a divot. I am a big digger and any swing which doesn't touch the turf is a bad swing. The only way I would not take a divot would be if I ceased making a proper practice swing.

 

[Slab]

I take as many as it takes to get it right (usually two), BUT I generally do it whilst a playing partner is faffing over their ball....

One mans faffing is another mans practice swing

 

[la_lucha]

One mans faffing is another mans practice swing

True but if you can Faff when your playing partner is having his practice swing then it all helps to speed things up.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Unnecessary and unacceptable if done deliberately - the practice ground is the place for taking divots. And I agree that a player taking one or more complete replicated practice swings (including visioning, setup etc etc etc) is in my view also unnecessary and contributes to slow play.