Practice driving me crazy

[JV24601]

Hi everyone

This is my first post on here and I'd love some feedback.

I'm an 11 handicap after coming down pretty quickly in the last couple of years.
I'm taking my golf very seriously and am getting there with my new swing.

After a few days off I went back to the range today and purchased 100 balls.
Warm up was done and I then started with PW, working up through 8, 6, 4, hybrids, and without doubt I hit the best 40 balls I've ever hit.
The shape was perfect, it was effortless and they were good length considering the very cold air.

On the 50th odd ball I hit a block to the right, followed by another, and another, and so on.
The next 40 I can only describe as awful. The swing started feeling uncomfortable and I didn't hit another good one.
Fortunately I'd recorded all of them, but I can't see a difference between the good ones from the bad ones. They look identical!
Why oh why does this happen?

I've been here several times before but lately due to hard work, lessons, practice, I feel I've come on a lot.

I know this is golf, and it's tough, but the extremes here are just ridiculous.
Does anybody have any explanation as to why this type of thing happens?

A very, very frustrated golfer!

 

[guest100718]

I have bad practice sessions and good ones, but they often get worsed towards the end if I hit a lot of balls. This year I am hitting max 50 in a session and aming for quality over quantity. My bad shots are always the same reason which is getting to quick in transition.

 

[turkish]

I had been getting similar thing happening... Like paddy said I think stripping back the amount is a good idea.

Also I'm doing 2 different the now- the range and an indoor GC2. At the end of my range sessions I can barely feel my hands and toes and feel a bit stiff so it's possibly the winter weather that's not helping

 

[nta73]

i think its hitting too many balls one after the other, i got this problem, used to get 100 balls and fire away at them would be less than impressed with at least half of the shots and end up coming away feeling like i am gona give up going to the range. 50 balls max and slow it all down and concentrate more now.

 

[garyinderry]

could it possibly be a slight change in grip from start of session. Same swing, different grip would cause a different result.

 

[stevek1969]

Im the opposite and noticing a huge difference ,after 3 lessons 2 of which were on Trackman which has given me a few pointers about my swing, i change between wedge ,7 iron, driver as its like concrete hear just now and -2 this afternoon the ball carry and strike are much better. Took it to the course on saturday and what difference i took what i thought would get me there and my ball striking with the irons was the best its been in at least 5 years. I wasn't worried that the greens were solid it was the fact the carry distance was spot on and the shot was the one id been practising. Keep at it fella and don't get down hearted, i know its easy to do I've been there many times and its not the greatest.

 

[FairwayDodger]

I'm working on a grip and swing change and literally hitting 100s of balls at the range each week. For much of the time it's been demoralising but things are starting to come together. However, after a couple of weeks exclusively at the range it was playing on the course that helped things click. Just a slightly different mindset, not belting everything as hard as possible....

Today I hit 100 balls at lunchtime and 100 after work and I can't wait to go and hit some more. Have a lesson on Wednesday but will definitely hit the range again before then.

Can't get enough practice at the moment!

 

[JV24601]

Thanks all for the replies.

It makes sense the amount of balls I've hit but sometimes it's worked the other way and I've only started hitting good one towards the end of the basket.
I guess it could be speed of swing (accelerating) or grip changes as mentioned.

Thanks guys. I guess I'll know tomorrow when I go back to the range and see how they are.
If it's good to start I think I'll stop when I'm ahead (hopefully).

Totally determined to be reasonably consistent and cut out the utter garbage!

 

[JV24601]

I'm working on a grip and swing change and literally hitting 100s of balls at the range each week. For much of the time it's been demoralising but things are starting to come together. However, after a couple of weeks exclusively at the range it was playing on the course that helped things click. Just a slightly different mindset, not belting everything as hard as possible....

Today I hit 100 balls at lunchtime and 100 after work and I can't wait to go and hit some more. Have a lesson on Wednesday but will definitely hit the range again before then.

Can't get enough practice at the moment!

Sounds a bit like me Fairway Dodger!

Can I just ask, when you say it's been demoralising, has it been good and bad in the same session like a switch on and off??

 

[louise_a]

I find practicing at the range boring, you hit 50 or more balls in quick succession and that's it, I prefer to get out on the course and practice there.

The only exceptions being, if I am practising a swing change or the course has been closed for a lengthy period.

 

[Region3]

The obvious thing to say is to put up videos of a good one and a bad one.

From a little draw to a block is only a matter of having the face point slightly more to the right at impact, so if the strikes were still good there's probably not a whole lot different.

The number of balls is a personal thing. Most of the time 50 is too many full swings for me so I'll change from full swings to pitches then back again.

Maybe next time if you're happy how you're hitting the ball have a dozen or two hitting different distance pitches from 30 up to 80yds or so?
You can always go back to full swings for the last 10 or 20.

 

[JV24601]

The obvious thing to say is to put up videos of a good one and a bad one.

From a little draw to a block is only a matter of having the face point slightly more to the right at impact, so if the strikes were still good there's probably not a whole lot different.

The number of balls is a personal thing. Most of the time 50 is too many full swings for me so I'll change from full swings to pitches then back again.

Maybe next time if you're happy how you're hitting the ball have a dozen or two hitting different distance pitches from 30 up to 80yds or so?
You can always go back to full swings for the last 10 or 20.

Great post thanks and sounds like good advice.
So in this forum you can upload videos then.. that's useful to know.

Also didn't know about the block/draw thing. It could've been hand movement in the swing I suppose, opening the club head slightly on the downswing.

Thanks again for the reply, looks like I've found a good golf forum.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Sounds a bit like me Fairway Dodger!

Can I just ask, when you say it's been demoralising, has it been good and bad in the same session like a switch on and off??

Not like a switch. I've had lots of sessions where I've been consistently getting the improved strike I'm after but mostly hitting the ball way left, with a few good ones. Demoralising because I could see enough to be encouraged but knowing that the bad ones were so bad that scores on a course would be disastrous.

Working through it I'm now hitting it mostly in the general direction I want to go, better striking and distance so I'm feeling much better about everything. It's not there yet but going in the right direction and I'm confident it'll be good by the time the serious golf starts up again.

I'd back up the comment about pitching, I mix a good number of short pitches into my session. I find it easier to find the "feel" of the new swing like that and can then take it through the longer clubs.

 

[John_Findlay]

I agree with Region3.

It could simply be a minute face angle adjustment that's doing it. I'm prone to the odd block myself and know it's only a degree or two away from a nice draw. Maybe you just got tired and developed lazy hands. Can happen. Once the bad shots started to creep in it can all get a bit fuzzy up at the range. Panic!

 

[MendieGK]

my coach always said to me, there is no way you can hit 100 balls and give every single one your full focus. hit 40-50 and go through a proper routine everytime.

you may not hit every shot great still but at least you can be more confident that its not your set up.

 

[patricks148]

i find the best way to avoid bad shots on the range is ...

not bother going in the first place

 

[Region3]

So in this forum you can upload videos then.. that's useful to know.

You can't upload video direct to the site, but you can embed video from elsewhere - most use Youtube.

When you create the post, 2nd icon from the right that looks like a couple of frames of film reel is the one you want. Just enter the url of the clip and the code to embed it is written in for you.

Obviously you could also copy and paste the url straight in the post to create a link to it.

 

[JV24601]

Thanks Fairway Dodger and everyone else.

Plenty of food for thought and good advice, I'll get 100 tonight but do a few small chips, pitches, and just 40-50 full shots.

Thanks again all!