Practicing and boredom

[HomerJSimpson]

I think the quality of the range has a lot to do with functionality and quality of practice. A poor range (bad mats and bad balls) is never going to hold my attention. A good one with decent facilities like Toptracer, plenty of targets and well lit is always going to entice me out even in the middle of winter. However, nothing beats hitting off grass and keeping a real eye on when it's getting dark. I think maybe another week and an I can get at least an hour of good practice each day

 

[SocketRocket]

For me putting is the easiest thing to improve by practice so when my putting is off a bit i enjoy improving it.
Chipping from many different lies and distances is always something I need to practice.
Knocking lots of balls down the range does little for me these days.

 

[Jacko_G]

I managed to get out and shell another 70 balls this afternoon on the range. Specific drills after a lesson.

Very mild today and enjoyable standing beating balls. Hopefully get out tomorrow again for an hour or two.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Day off tomorrow. Planning lots of work starting with the visio mat and gates I got for Christmas and haven't tried on the proper green yet (https://visioputting.com/the-new-putting-gate-pack/ and https://visioputting.com/mi-putting-template-face-lines/) and really drilling in the 2-4 footers again which were so poor last week. Then plan a coffee and an hour chipping and finally an hour on the bunkers and pitching. In for brekkie and out just before 11.00 for a knock. Hoping it'll all then start to drop into place for the weekend

 

[Hobbit]

Pie in the sky ambitions are easy, e.g. play Augusta.

Bucket list? There's nothing the leaps out and grabs me. I'm playing decent golf on decent courses every week with great people. I guess its just carry on doing what I'm doing for as long as I stay fit enough to do it.

 

[Slab]

Day off tomorrow. Planning lots of work starting with the visio mat and gates I got for Christmas and haven't tried on the proper green yet (https://visioputting.com/the-new-putting-gate-pack/ and https://visioputting.com/mi-putting-template-face-lines/) and really drilling in the 2-4 footers again which were so poor last week. Then plan a coffee and an hour chipping and finally an hour on the bunkers and pitching. In for brekkie and out just before 11.00 for a knock. Hoping it'll all then start to drop into place for the weekend

Serious Q, what are you hoping this stuff will do for your putting that the ski-slope thing cant do or is the slope thing not really up to much as a training aid?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Serious Q, what are you hoping this stuff will do for your putting that the ski-slope thing cant do or is the slope thing not really up to much as a training aid?

By ski slope I assume you are referring to the Putt out and mat. That is more based around speed control and has been quite effective for that.

However the Visio stuff is far more about the stroke and in particular the ability to start a ball on line. If you click on the putting gate link, it gives you the margins at 20 and 40 inches per gate and shows just how important it is to get it starting where you want it to. Add in the Visio mat to work on the quality of the stroke and hopefully I can see some real improvements. I'm really looking at the 2-4 footers as I'm not making enough and then want to work on the 7-10 foot ones. A good stroke and starting on the target line and I'll see what happens. I'm keeping stats on everything so it'll be interesting to see how I go

 

[Slab]

By ski slope I assume you are referring to the Putt out and mat. That is more based around speed control and has been quite effective for that.

However the Visio stuff is far more about the stroke and in particular the ability to start a ball on line. If you click on the putting gate link, it gives you the margins at 20 and 40 inches per gate and shows just how important it is to get it starting where you want it to. Add in the Visio mat to work on the quality of the stroke and hopefully I can see some real improvements. I'm really looking at the 2-4 footers as I'm not making enough and then want to work on the 7-10 foot ones. A good stroke and starting on the target line and I'll see what happens. I'm keeping stats on everything so it'll be interesting to see how I go

Yeah putt-out that's the thingy

Good luck with the viso stuff. Although for me, if the stroke & starting the ball online (that you'll use viso for) isn't right when using a putt-out then the ball wont go up the slope at all

Looks like both will show you when its wrong but how does either it make it right, better than the other would? I don't think I'm asking that very well... What stroke or alignment changes will the design of one training aid force you to fix that the other wont?


Sorry to OP for the tangent but I also have a gate and other putting aids but other than simple repetition I struggle to see what the aids do to actually fix it

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Yeah putt-out that's the thingy

Good luck with the viso stuff. Although for me, if the stroke & starting the ball online (that you'll use viso for) isn't right when using a putt-out then the ball wont go up the slope at all

Looks like both will show you when its wrong but how does either it make it right, better than the other would? I don't think I'm asking that very well... What stroke or alignment changes will the design of one training aid force you to fix that the other wont?


Sorry to OP for the tangent but I also have a gate and other putting aids but other than simple repetition I struggle to see what the aids do to actually fix it

The putt out is more about speed control (trying to get it to stop in the little hole) so yes you need to be able to hit a straight putt but there is a margin of error. With the gates, its about reducing that down further and ensuring you start a putt on the chosen line (not getting into reading greens, Aimpoint, still need correct pace etc) and they fit nicely into the Visio mat so give instant feedback as I work on the stroke.

Interesting to see Putt Out have just released a new training aid with a mirror, two rails either side of the ball to promote better contact and it also now has a gate to improve direction.

From a personal perspective, on the 4-5 foot putts, I am reading them well enough but somehow missing the line and so hoping this will improve with the gates and mat tomorrow. I feel I need a start point to get the ball going over to focus as I have a tendency to get lazy with lining up and getting on line and have a habit (especially roll ups) of just hitting towards and intended line. Need to be far better in the stroke and far more focused on where the ball is going. As I said, first time on a real green tomorrow with them and a Christmas pressie anyway so nothing to really lose either way

 

[Slab]

The putt out is more about speed control (trying to get it to stop in the little hole) so yes you need to be able to hit a straight putt but there is a margin of error. With the gates, its about reducing that down further and ensuring you start a putt on the chosen line (not getting into reading greens, Aimpoint, still need correct pace etc) and they fit nicely into the Visio mat so give instant feedback as I work on the stroke.

Interesting to see Putt Out have just released a new training aid with a mirror, two rails either side of the ball to promote better contact and it also now has a gate to improve direction.

From a personal perspective, on the 4-5 foot putts, I am reading them well enough but somehow missing the line and so hoping this will improve with the gates and mat tomorrow. I feel I need a start point to get the ball going over to focus as I have a tendency to get lazy with lining up and getting on line and have a habit (especially roll ups) of just hitting towards and intended line. Need to be far better in the stroke and far more focused on where the ball is going. As I said, first time on a real green tomorrow with them and a Christmas pressie anyway so nothing to really lose either way

I still don't get it but don't want to derail Hobbits thread any more, might start a thread if I can better get my head round my question

 

[Parsaregood]

Flat piece of green, a chalk line, a ball with a line drawn on it and 2 tees are the best training aids for stroke work. If you can start the ball online and have the ball turning end over end you can't get much better, it then becomes a case of creating situations and trying to create pressure to hole putts without any visuals.

 

[Maninblack4612]

I go up and down the bag, 4-5 shots with each club. One method a teaching pro told me once was to imagine you are playing your course and play the shots accordingly. Visualise the hole. Helps a bit.

I largely agree with you, I can't do more than 30 minutes. Beyond that I'm bored silly and it becomes pointless.

I do this. Driver, hack with a sand wedge, 5 iron, two chips, then back to the Drivef

 

[Jacko_G]

Stood and shelled 200 eggs again this afternoon.

100 x 7 irons - purely working on what I got at my last lesson.

50 x 50 degree wedge from 100 yards.

50 x 54 degree wedge punches from 50 yards.

Quite enjoyable when you have something to work on. My wedge play is still feckin horrendous at present.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Early finish tomorrow so off to work on my swing. Horribly inconsistent today. Hit it ok warming up but struggling again to take it to the course. Wedge play also lacking today which annoyed me as I've worked on it. I know what I need to do, just can't brain and body to work together

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Back to the club after work to sort my putting out. Lost all semblance of speed control from 8 feet and out (running it miles past on most occasions) and missing so many in the 2-3 feet area. Started to feel confidence sap out of me on every green and just trying to get it anywhere near the hole without really setting it on a good line or with it running at the hole. Going to start with hole out drills tonight and then some Visio mat work tomorrow. Sticking with one putter though as I've been guilty of changing too often which has never brought longer term results. Definitely all down to me, so up to me to find the solution. With the long game in pieces too, that purple patch from after Christmas through January has definitely finished. Golf is so bloody frustrating

 

[Capella]

I really do not enjoy hitting balls on the range, so I only go there if I have a specific purpose. For example:
- I hit a small bucket (25 balls) as a warm up before comps to losen up my swing and see if I have a specific "miss of the day"
- yesterday I went to the range because I had found some old golf clubs in my parents' basement and wanted to see if I could use any of them for my second bag (I joined a second golf club and want to store a bag with clubs there, so that I don't have to drag them back and forth)
- sometimes I see a drill on YouTube that I want to try out
- or I went for a lesson and have something specific to work on (has not happened in a while, my full swing feels pretty okay to me at the moment)

If I want to practice, I am much more likely to use our short game area or the par 3 course. Or the putting green (that varies, though. There are days when I can spend hours on the putting green without ever getting bored and others when I aimlessly hit a dozen putts and then just walk off again, because I can't be bothered).

When I only have a driving range available (because everything else is closed due to weather or something like that), what I try to do is play imaginary holes on the range: Visualize the hole you want to play and hit the club you would tee off with. Then judge where your shot would have left you on the hole and next hit the shot you would hit from there. If your shot would have missed the green, play your approach shot next. You can play a whole course this way if you know the layout by heart (minus the putting) and I find it much more entertaining than just hitting driver after driver or 5 iron after 5 iron on the range.

 

[patricks148]

no golf this weekend as we were away to a Wine event, but went down to the 4 closed holes at Torvean (digging it up to build the 2nd canal bridge) before is was totally taken away. 50 balls with a wedge. nice to hit off grass for a change.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

If I had 50 minutes to practice I'd go out and play as many holes as I could in that time - I hate practicing and very rarely do any, I just like to go out and play.

I'll often use more than 1 ball, and do a bit of extra chipping and putting on each hole (if there is no one behind). But I've never been one for using a range or practice greens