Practice

[kid2]

Evening all,
Im just wondering how you people practice.....
Do you keep practicing the one thing until you have it near perfect however long it takes or do you divide your practice time up ito all areas.....
I know its the short game that reaps the rewards and this is ny nain focus as getting off the tee's isnt my main issue......Would i be better off just sticking with one club and honing the skill with this before moving onto the next.... i.e.....Bump and runs with 8,9 irons.......Chipping with wedges, Lob shots with wedges , Putting!


This seems to be the main area of my game that needs attention and which will reap the most rewards once its conqured.

 

[pokerjoke]

Your right mate the short game is the key and it will certainly help your scores,however recently i have realised not hitting fairways is equally crucial and can cost you dearly so even if you have to drop a little distance it could help.Also short siding youself can cost you shots around the greens.This all adds up to course management a sure fire shot saver.

 

[kid2]

Your right mate the short game is the key and it will certainly help your scores,however recently i have realised not hitting fairways is equally crucial and can cost you dearly so even if you have to drop a little distance it could help.Also short siding youself can cost you shots around the greens.This all adds up to course management a sure fire shot saver.

My course management is getting a bit better PJ. Everytime i go out as its my home club im learning something new....Only playing fulltime(every weekend) for the last 8 months so i cant complain too much....If im honest im a little impatient with wanting everything to fall into place straight away(something that rarely happens anyone) but im hitting long irons on par 4's now for position and im actually playing shots to where i think will give me the best possible chance of finding a green.....It doesnt always happen though but its not for the want of trying.....My chipping a putting has a lot to be desired for though i tend to be a little heavy handed..... but in time ill sort this too im sure....Positive thinking

 

[pokerjoke]

If your a little heavy handed maybe your taking the wrong club for the shot,try practicing chip and runs with your p wedge 789 irons chipping onto the green and seeing how far each one rolls out this will help with distance control.

 

[kid2]

If your a little heavy handed maybe your taking the wrong club for the shot,try practicing chip and runs with your p wedge 789 irons chipping onto the green and seeing how far each one rolls out this will help with distance control.

I actually used the 9 Iron today from about 20 yards off the green on 3 holes and holed them all for a par.....Probably more luck than skill but the bump nand run worked well....Pity the back 9 was a nightmare

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think you need a sharp short game and solid putting stroke to be able to score. However I think you need to vary the clubs you sue to practice (except the putting obviously) and to make sure you aren't practicing the wrong thing. When I struggled with my chipping I got a lesson which revealed some flaws in my set up and technique. Having sorted those, I practice distances and landing spots especially and learned how to fly the ball different trajectories and how different clubs react.

It's important to keep any practice session interesting and I use the Pelz short game scoring as a guide to how well I'm doing and to try and get better.

http://www.sandmartinsgolfshop.co.uk/pro/features.aspx?fdesc=ShortGame

 

[RGDave]

Your right mate the short game is the key and it will certainly help your scores,however recently i have realised not hitting fairways is equally crucial and can cost you dearly so even if you have to drop a little distance it could help.Also short siding youself can cost you shots around the greens.This all adds up to course management a sure fire shot saver.

All good comments.

I DO feel that different courses offer different challenges.
On some courses, the punishment for missing fairways and being in the first cut is not that bad, you still have a shot towards/to the green....on courses like this, you can play to 18 with no short game or 9 or less easily with a good short game.
What costs me is nearly always long game. Some of our fairways are 15 yards wide at driving distance and then have trees (chipping-out type) either 5 yards right or left or trees stopping a shot to the green on the edge of the fairway. It's all very well talking about getting down in 2, but if you're hitting your 3rd shot in from 100+ yards, it's not exactly easy.

Today, I hit a beauty down the 5th. I paced it from the centre cut and was 11 yards left. NO shot to the green, had to hit an iron 30 yards right of the green, pitched on and 2 putted....alternatively, I could have scuttled a 7 iron along the ground and left a 50 yarder.....

 

[SharkAttack]

Today, I hit a beauty down the 5th. I paced it from the centre cut and was 11 yards left. NO shot to the green, had to hit an iron 30 yards right of the green, pitched on and 2 putted....alternatively, I could have scuttled a 7 iron along the ground and left a 50 yarder.....

Surely this proves the point. Practice your short game and you will get up and down from 30/50 yds more frequently. I know where you are coming from but even if you are hitting your 3rd shot in from 150yds, you still need the confidence that even if you miss the green the worst you will make is a bogey (Not always the case but not fearing missing the green lets you play that third shot more confidently).

Shark

 

[GreyBeardedLefty]

Hi everyone,
Being new to the game i usually go down to the range and try and practice as though i am playing around of golf.
Not the usual 4 hrs may i say.
I pick a course that i've played and see how i go.
I always seem to do well on the range and hope to put into practice what i have learnt, although this does not happen often!

 

[19th]

Hi everyone,
Being new to the game i usually go down to the range and try and practice as though i am playing around of golf.
Not the usual 4 hrs may i say.
I pick a course that i've played and see how i go.
I always seem to do well on the range and hope to put into practice what i have learnt, although this does not happen often!

I use this same technique to offer a varied strike pattern unless I am 'majoring' on one area of my game.

Pre teeing off however it is two belts with the driver to explain to my desk bound muscles that they are to be used today and then work from the pitching wedge up to the driver and back down - 50 perfect hits and.....I leave them all on the driving range! Golf - what a game!! I am sure God helped promote this game to stop us getting big headed.