Practicing and boredom

Hobbit

Mordorator
Moderator
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Messages
18,613
Location
Espana
Visit site
Tuesday is my practice day. I drop HID off at the gym and then I've got 50 mins to play with. Today was a typical boring practice day. After about 15 balls on the range I ended up walking away. I'd taken a 4 iron and was hitting a few draws and then a few fades, then switching it back to draws. I'm not sure if I'm actually achieving anything. I pick a type of shot and hit it. And the marker I was aiming for was seeing a reasonable amount of close action.

I retired to the putting green, which I love. I can spend a couple of hours putting quite happily but the range does nowt for me.

What are your practice routines? How do you stay focused?
 

Lord Tyrion

Money List Winner
Moderator
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
26,693
Location
Northumberland
Visit site
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.
 

Bunkermagnet

Journeyman Pro
Joined
May 14, 2014
Messages
7,708
Location
Kent
Visit site
I have left many a ball behind at the range, having paid for a certain amount and got bored with it. I usually start with a 54* wedge, then 7 iron then driving iron. Sometimes I might try the driver and a couple of other irons, but usually end up short shots or little bump and runs just to break it all up and keep focused.
The biggest problem I do find with the range, is introducing faults or practising in faults into my swing.
I hate going to the range.
 

spongebob59

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
6,388
Location
Kent
Visit site
Play against a scorecard for a course so you vary your shots and c lubs.
Easy to do this at my local range which has a short game area right next to a grass range.
 
D

Deleted member 21258

Guest
I think the question you need to ask yourself, is why do you not get bored practising your putting but you do when hitting balls?

(I only practise when I am really focused on changing something, otherwise I can not be bothered to practise putting or hitting balls, I would much rather go and play even if only for a few holes)
 

Jamesbrown

Head Pro
Joined
Jun 22, 2015
Messages
1,841
Visit site
5 shots at each target or made up targets. Award points.
Do the game again but try to beat your score.
Do the routine, line up etc. 100 balls can last me two hours or more.

Make a range scorecard. It’s what I was taught.
 

Orikoru

Tour Winner
Joined
Nov 1, 2016
Messages
25,170
Location
Watford
Visit site
I don't really go driving range anymore. I hit it about 50% worse there than I do on the course so it's a waste of time and effort. Consequently that means I don't practise at all outside of my one round every Saturday, but so be it.
 

bluewolf

Money List Winner
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Messages
9,557
Location
St. Andish
Visit site
First half of the session is specific shots - 30, 50, 70, 100 yard wedges etc..
Second half of the session is mimicking holes on my course.. Par 5 - 550yds.. Driver, then play 2nd shot based on success of first.. Etc.. I can usually get through 9 holes pretty quickly..
 

trevor

Head Pro
Joined
Apr 20, 2011
Messages
552
Visit site
I love going to the range. Nearly always get 100 balls and often have to stop myself from getting some more. I’m the opposite from the OP, 5 minutes on the putting green and I’ve had enough.
 

chrisd

Major Champion
Joined
Sep 22, 2009
Messages
24,788
Location
Kent
Visit site
I hit 100 balls at the range yesterday and 150 today, just trying to bed in the more laid off position at the top,, as well as the bow of the left wrist. So mainly just worked through the bag trying for pure hits with a gentle draw.
 

Wolf

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 4, 2018
Messages
5,665
Location
Lincolnshire
Visit site
I love working on things at the range. Always get a 100 balls warm up with a few gap Wedges, then up through the bag to Driver, and at moment I am not working my way back down through the back trying to hit the different flights with each club.

Usually though I do what others have mentioned and have myself a range scorecard that I try to beat. Always practice with a purpose otherwise it is easy to get bored like the OP.

Short game is my favourite though working on chips, bunker shots and putting. Whenever I practice this though I never do it from perfect lies always try to find dodgy lies or awkward positions sometimes literally scatter balls all over and play as they lie and try to come up with different ways of playing the same shot, it's something we did as juniors and has always been fun to di
 

User 105

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
1,667
Visit site
tbh I only go to the range when I'm working on something or trying to fix something. So I have a specific goal in mind, that keeps it interesting for me. Trying to work something out.

Just hitting balls for the sake of it has some value, but can get boring unless you just enjoy hitting balls.
 

pendodave

Tour Rookie
Joined
May 3, 2011
Messages
3,154
Visit site
tbh I only go to the range when I'm working on something or trying to fix something. So I have a specific goal in mind, that keeps it interesting for me. Trying to work something out.

Just hitting balls for the sake of it has some value, but can get boring unless you just enjoy hitting balls.
This.
If you really needed to improve something, you'd probably be happy to work on it. Just sounds like you're happy with your game.
 

Jacko_G

Blackballed
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
7,028
Visit site
Tuesday is my practice day. I drop HID off at the gym and then I've got 50 mins to play with. Today was a typical boring practice day. After about 15 balls on the range I ended up walking away. I'd taken a 4 iron and was hitting a few draws and then a few fades, then switching it back to draws. I'm not sure if I'm actually achieving anything. I pick a type of shot and hit it. And the marker I was aiming for was seeing a reasonable amount of close action.

I retired to the putting green, which I love. I can spend a couple of hours putting quite happily but the range does nowt for me.

What are your practice routines? How do you stay focused?


I hit over 250 balls on Sunday morning.

Love hitting balls now, used to hate it. Staying focused and concentration can be hard but I split it up. If I start to lose focus I stop, have a drink or something.

Hopefully get to hit balls tomorrow afternoon also and maybe even a few holes if the weather plays ball
 

Parsaregood

Head Pro
Joined
Feb 2, 2017
Messages
1,712
Visit site
Go to the practice area with my practice bag with about 150 balls in it. If I'm working on something specific I'll hit about 20 wedge shots from 20 yards up to about 60 yards. Then I'll hit a few 9 irons feeling whatever it is I'm doing, I'll then get me 6 iron and hit about 80 balls working on a specific thing, then I'll get a couple of longer irons hit a few, hit a couple of 3 woods and 4 or 5 drives.
If I'm not really working on stuff swing wise I'll hit about 40-50 balls with short irons, mid, long and a few drives. Then chip and putt and probably play 5 holes.
I am a bit strange in that I don't really get bored, I can literally hit balls for 4-5 hours and be quite happy, also try and spend a couple of hours a week on the putting green at least in the height of summer.
 

duncan mackie

Money List Winner
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
11,135
Visit site
Local range is brilliant - really excellent bacon bap with a coffee for £5; and they chuck in a bucket of balls free!
I like practicing 😎
 

HomerJSimpson

Hall of Famer
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
70,407
Location
Bracknell - Berkshire
Visit site
Depends why I am there. If its to work on a swing change I'll work predominantly on technique with a lot of rehearsals and split the session between block practice and grounding out the changes and target based practice where I'll trust what I've done and aim at specific targets working through the bag. If I'm there just to keep the swing ticking over, it's all target driven (and far less balls) and I'll usually go to a range with Toptracer so I can use one of their games to add something tangible and with a score/outcome.

To be honest though, once the light extends to stay light until 6.00 all my work in going to be on the putting green and working on pitching, chipping and bunker play. I can usually get the ball going forward reasonably but the short game, while better, still needs to be better again
 
Top