Practice

[HomerJSimpson]

Personally disagree with practicing a lot in bunkers. Very rare you'll see someone go in a bunker more than 5x a round. So why spend time getting good at something you do less than 5x a round? Time can be spent a lot more effectively.

Even more true the better golfer you become. I can go 5 rounds a time without going into a bunker

I love this forum and the way others see things. I think if someone, especially as a mid-high handicapper can get into a practice bunker and develop a good technique that gets the ball out first time, more often as not, it has to be beneficial, no matter how many per round they visit. It also gives them a good understanding of different sand textures (wet, dry, deep etc)

I know many dislike a range session but I feel it has a place especially over the winter to keep the swing ticking over, and if people are having lessons, a chance to bed the changes in between winter game. I do agree that a mat can disguise a poor strike and so if you can hit off grass it is more realistic.

For me, short game, especially pitching from 100 yards and in is very important and anything that can be done to improve that has to be beneficial, especially learning distances with different club, different swing lengths and different trajectories.

 

[MendieGK]

I love this forum and the way others see things. I think if someone, especially as a mid-high handicapper can get into a practice bunker and develop a good technique that gets the ball out first time, more often as not, it has to be beneficial, no matter how many per round they visit. It also gives them a good understanding of different sand textures (wet, dry, deep etc)

I know many dislike a range session but I feel it has a place especially over the winter to keep the swing ticking over, and if people are having lessons, a chance to bed the changes in between winter game. I do agree that a mat can disguise a poor strike and so if you can hit off grass it is more realistic.

For me, short game, especially pitching from 100 yards and in is very important and anything that can be done to improve that has to be beneficial, especially learning distances with different club, different swing lengths and different trajectories.

I don't disagree it shouldn't ever be practiced. But we all have limited practice time so priority should be the areas we do the most. Bunker play would be bottom of any practice schedule

 

[Robobum]

I don't disagree it shouldn't ever be practiced. But we all have limited practice time so priority should be the areas we do the most. Bunker play would be bottom of any practice schedule

Agree totally.

Unless your improvement is dependent on fine margins, don't bother wasting your time in the sand. Learn how to shovel it out any old how then practice your putting instead

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I don't disagree it shouldn't ever be practiced. But we all have limited practice time so priority should be the areas we do the most. Bunker play would be bottom of any practice schedule

I don't see it that way and feel that proficiency in a bunker is a key skill as many mid-high handicappers will visit sand most rounds. If they can escape first time it will make a difference to the score. With a big difference in wet and dry sand, I personally think learning how the club reacts in each is important. It is a juggling act with limited winter practice time.

To be honest I won't work too hard on my putting, especially holing out from 2-3 feet on winter greens that are bobbly. I prefer to focus on that nearer the spring just before the season especially as some winter golf will be on temps and bucket holes. I like to work on pitching and trying to get my distance control and contact as good as I can. Again, I won't work hard on chipping if the practice green is frozen, waterlogged etc and so I tend to try and be fluid with what I do with my practice time depending on what I feel I can get the most benefit from on that day

 

[PJ87]

I don't see it that way and feel that proficiency in a bunker is a key skill as many mid-high handicappers will visit sand most rounds. If they can escape first time it will make a difference to the score. With a big difference in wet and dry sand, I personally think learning how the club reacts in each is important. It is a juggling act with limited winter practice time.

To be honest I won't work too hard on my putting, especially holing out from 2-3 feet on winter greens that are bobbly. I prefer to focus on that nearer the spring just before the season especially as some winter golf will be on temps and bucket holes. I like to work on pitching and trying to get my distance control and contact as good as I can. Again, I won't work hard on chipping if the practice green is frozen, waterlogged etc and so I tend to try and be fluid with what I do with my practice time depending on what I feel I can get the most benefit from on that day

I always find its best to practice shots you arent comfortable with. I dont hit my 5 wood that often at the range because I know I can hit it.. I do however Hit my hybrid as Im not as confident with that.

Also practice 3/4 shots as they are things I need to work on

 

[Simbo]

see so much of this down the range where people will hit couple irons then smash 50 balls with a driver

whats the point

Point is maybe they are practising their driving?
Personally I only really use the range during winter when practising off grass at the course isn't a good option. I practice my driving a LOT at the range, so I do the above, for 2 reasons, I don't need to go and pick the balls up when I spray them all over the range and the practice range at the course is to small for drivers. Maybe this is why you see people continually smashing drivers at the range. I very seldom practice my driving during the season and spend the summer months practising putting and short game off grass. Again personal opinion I think practising putting on a carpet/Astro turf for anything other than trying to groove your swing, get your set up and posture correct is a waste of time, who cares how the carpet breaks and distance control will never be the same as grass. Same applies to short irons on range mats, mats hide a multitude of strike issues but it is worth practising a fair bit.
Everyone practises different and I'm sure some people will look at me and say why is he doing that, as I do to others. I'm continually amazed at how many people practice shots that come round once every few rounds, like flop shots/ bare lie wedges, hybrids from the side of the green/choking down on wedges with mega shaft lean on them when they can't put a dozen balls into 20 feet from 40 yards-bread and butter shots..

 

[mwm118]

Point is maybe they are practising their driving?
Personally I only really use the range during winter when practising off grass at the course isn't a good option. I practice my driving a LOT at the range, so I do the above, for 2 reasons, I don't need to go and pick the balls up when I spray them all over the range and the practice range at the course is to small for drivers. Maybe this is why you see people continually smashing drivers at the range. I very seldom practice my driving during the season and spend the summer months practising putting and short game off grass. Again personal opinion I think practising putting on a carpet/Astro turf for anything other than trying to groove your swing, get your set up and posture correct is a waste of time, who cares how the carpet breaks and distance control will never be the same as grass. Same applies to short irons on range mats, mats hide a multitude of strike issues but it is worth practising a fair bit.
Everyone practises different and I'm sure some people will look at me and say why is he doing that, as I do to others. I'm continually amazed at how many people practice shots that come round once every few rounds, like flop shots/ bare lie wedges, hybrids from the side of the green/choking down on wedges with mega shaft lean on them when they can't put a dozen balls into 20 feet from 40 yards-bread and butter shots..

I think practicing shots that come up rarely is quite beneficial when you find yourself in those shots and suddenly your confidence is up. Whereas sometimes practising full shots and correcting based on wherever the ball ends up less helpful or even detrimental to your game if you don't have regular lessons to stop any errors creeping into your swing.

However, I do think the best practicers are those who monitor their scores, shots and other parts of their game and then adapt their practice accordingly

 

[SteveJay]

I'm with you on bunker practice Homer. Accept it might be for an infrequent shot but practice to be confident about getting out would make a huge difference to a high handicapper. A round can be ruined, as can confidence, if someone is stuck in a bunker and takes 3 or 4 shots to get out, as frustration grows reducing the chances of good recovery with each stroke.
A wayward tee shot for instance can usually be recovered by a simple shot chipping out from the trees etc. a bunker can, in some cases, be more destructive.
I actually had a 30 min bunker lesson recently, although I didn't see it as a huge weakness in my game, but helped no end by giving me a technique to use the same swing but adjust distance through stance and club face opening.

 

[Imurg]

Sorry I'm a bit late to this thread, I had to go away and research the word "practice"....😕

 

[pokerjoke]

Sorry I'm a bit late to this thread, I had to go away and research the word "practice"....😕

What did you come up with?

 

[MendieGK]

next 5 rounds you play, Homer & Steve Jay. keep count of how many shots you drop because of poor bunker play, and how many you drop because of a missed 10ft putt (bearing in mind even a great bunker shot will likely leave you a 10ft putt).

Ok, i accept if getting it out if a concern, then practice it, but other than that. its a waste of time.

It becomes even more true the better player you become. I've just seen this on my counties website -

Only 1% of all shots played by County Golfers are greenside bunker shots - so please don't spend time on that at the expense of the important stuff highlighted above.

 

[Hosel Fade]

Re bunkers so long as you have an understanding of how to get it out and how to pick a stroke depending on amount of sand/wetness you are ok. Even the average sand save percentage on tour is 50% and that is with perfectly uniform conditions and perfect greens along with great putting strokes. Practice mine almost never (admittedly that is down to terrible facilities at the vast majority of clubs including mine)

Be far better off working on hitting your putts out of the centre of the face which I rarely see people do.

 

[mwm118]

next 5 rounds you play, Homer & Steve Jay. keep count of how many shots you drop because of poor bunker play, and how many you drop because of a missed 10ft putt (bearing in mind even a great bunker shot will likely leave you a 10ft putt).

Ok, i accept if getting it out if a concern, then practice it, but other than that. its a waste of time.

It becomes even more true the better player you become. I've just seen this on my counties website -

Only 1% of all shots played by County Golfers are greenside bunker shots - so please don't spend time on that at the expense of the important stuff highlighted above.

Surely 1% is still quite a high figure, it's more than once every other round. If all you care about bunker shots is to get them out and not getting up and down, then you're likely to lose a shot every other round

 

[Simbo]

I think practicing shots that come up rarely is quite beneficial when you find yourself in those shots and suddenly your confidence is up. Whereas sometimes practising full shots and correcting based on wherever the ball ends up less helpful or even detrimental to your game if you don't have regular lessons to stop any errors creeping into your swing.

However, I do think the best practicers are those who monitor their scores, shots and other parts of their game and then adapt their practice accordingly

Whatever helps you get the ball in the hole mate, each to their own. 👍👍
I just see guys standing with open faced wedges trying to flop the ball from bare lies when they can't hit a green from 150 yards with an 8 iron or whatever more than 50% of the time. IMO Given the limited time most recreational golfers have, practising to put a couple more balls on the green from 150 or giving themselves a second shot at the green a couple more times a round will be far more beneficial than trying to learn a bare lie flop shot that you will play once in a blue moon.
As has been said already unless you're at a level where being able to get up and down from that bare lie situation is going to make a real difference, IMO this is CAT 1. The average golfer is better spending his practice time on basic shots.

 

[Imurg]

What did you come up with?

Doesn't sound like fun...🤔

 

[Hosel Fade]

Surely 1% is still quite a high figure, it's more than once every other round. If all you care about bunker shots is to get them out and not getting up and down, then you're likely to lose a shot every other round

Even if you were a really good amateur you would only get about 30% of that 1% of shots up and down, thats probably on the generous side as well