Practicing

I have always stood in the OP's camp. The game we play is golf, it has never been prefixed with "range" or "practice ground" so I've never seen the point in doing it.

However, after finding out i still have 10 days annual leave to use up before April 1st and being told to either use it or lose it. I have taken every Tuesday and Thursday off during March.

This time will be spent at the club practising for a couple of hours before playing 18 and this started today.

No more than about 20 balls with the long clubs (even then only up to 7iron), then the rest of the time spent with the lob wedge and sand iron. Middle range pitching 30 - 50 yards has always been poor part of my game so having time to practice this part will hopefully bear fruits over the next month.
 
I see it like this. I enjoy playing golf but I wish I was better at it. If i could I would play at least three full rounds a week. That would give me the chance to play a game that I love a lot and as a consequence I would probably get better as well. Happy days! But I have a job and a young family so I can't play a minimum of three full rounds a week. So I can play a game that I enjoy once a week (with maybe nine holes midweek if I'm lucky) but that won't help me get better. Rats!

So how can I fit in bite size chunks of golf that will be almost as good as playing and will help me get better? Mmmm well I could practice my putting at home or my chipping in the garden. Maybe I could spend an hour on our practice hole and if the worst comes to the worst there is always the driving range... :D
 
I used to practice a lot a few years back when I was ambitious to improve and before family arrived. For the last few years I've only practiced about once a week.

I'm less ambitious now and some of the desire has gone. But I do enjoy just hitting balls and I do find it therapeutic. If our practice facilities were better or the range was nicer I'd probably practice more, especially as our son is now a surly teenager who regards me with whatever it is that comes below contempt (when he notices I exist at all) .

When I practice I'm generally trying on each shot to hit the best shot I can and that is a challenge in it's own right. If I've had a lesson and I'm working on something the challenge is about making it happen every time.
 
I tend to go down twice a week in the lighter nights (maybe more) with my stoopid dog and a handful of clubs spend maybe 45mins hitting shots from the ladies tee on a par 3 and around the green, then walk back and play the hole with two balls then play a par 4 and 5 then home in time for tea and medals. It is mostly to walk the dog though as the shooting season is over.
 
I practice a few times a week, mostly because I like to and want to improve, but also I can clear my head and get peace from the wife and kids! :o
Click to expand...

Same for me, the range is only a mile from my house so I'll go and tw%t some balls, I'm not sure it's very productive though. I had a lesson recently & I've been trying to be more structured. This normally goes out the window and I go back to tw%tting !! :D
 
In the old, old days even before me, Leftie, Richart etc, practicing was considered a form of cheating and was frowned upon to the point that people would practice in secret.
Factoid :)
 
I practice for 2 things,

1. To work on technique
2. Due to school when I got to the range after school I don't really have the option at the moment to play some holes.

1 being the bigger factor. ;)
 
i enjoy going to the driving range but i like to try hitting different types of shots, like low or fades and things like that, and then i spend time on the range trying to get as close to a post that is about 75 yards away with a 3/4 swing 56, thats quite fun. :)
 
Am i the only person on this site that doesn't spend hours practicing every week ?
Click to expand...

No you certainly are not. :)

I play once a week and in a typical month that will be 1x medal and 1 x stableford. The other two are friendly rounds with mates, where I'll try different things and would much rather, "practice", while I'm playing.

I don't take lessons either, as I wouldn't have time to practice what I'd been taught anyway. :)

And yes, I thoroughly enjoy playing whatever the score, and although might get annoyed with a bad shot at the time, I also think there is a lot more to life than worrying too much about golf.

Didn't mean it to turn into a rant. :eek: :D :D

Golfmmad. :)
 
I suppose I practice because I can't do it yet. How do you get better at something if you don't do it?
I find because I don't have time to play 18 holes that often, I can go for an hour's short game, range or putting practice.
However I do think I have a great advantage having Bob never too far away and if I'm practicing a fault he is their to put me right, (guess I probably should be better at this game)
Maybe if I did as I was told it would help, :o

In my case practice gives me confidence, which in turn makes it easier,
 
I'd prefer to play but when I can't after work I like to go to the range. I love hitting golf balls and I'm a confidence player and have fragile confidence so if I have a bad day on the course on Saturday I need a good range session to build my confidence up again for the following week. If I have a good day on the course it's just great to be able to hit balls.

I don't think I'll ever get bored hitting balls, I like to visualise different shots I might play on the course, it's not a perfect science but anything that builds my confidence is good in my book.
 
Not read whole thread, Only playing once a fortnight now and not practicing since giving up the membership.

Striking the ball and driving better than ever but short game and putting gone to rat!

Making better moves now I feel, I know what I have to do and it doesn't seem over complicated.

CANT STAND THE RANGE! :D
 
I go to the range at least one evening a week during the winter as it's impossible to play the course in the dark so there's no other way I can get my golf fix.
Once the nights draw out then practice tails right off (apart from chipping in the garden and putting on the carpet) and it's down the course for me.
 
OP, how did you get to single figures? Are you one of golfs natural talents or did it take you years of steady improvement?

[/QUOTE]

No such thing as natural talents imo, every single top golfer amateur and pro will have spent loads of hours hitting balls on a range
suppose practicing comes down to how good you want to be, if you want to play to single figures you got to practice at least a little bit, you want to play to cat 1 you have to practice a good bit you want to be pro you'll have to practice a lot. i personally think a players handicap is reflected by how much they've practiced properly. but it has to be productive practice, you have to know what you're working on and why otherwise its pointless going to the range buying 100 balls- thrashing them one after another into a field, usually before the last one has landed-isnt practicing and probably more damaging to your game than beneficial.

i practice about the same amount as i play, mainly because i want to get better and i enjoy doing it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

F
23.4 how bad am I?
2
Replies
26
Views
1K
Imurg
Imurg
K
Realistic targets...
2 3
Replies
41
Views
1K
Backache
B
pokerjoke
Practicing
2
Replies
29
Views
4K
Orikoru
Orikoru
B
Membership Quandary
Replies
13
Views
1K
Golf is fun
G
A
Newb question
Replies
11
Views
3K
GG26
GG26
Top