Practise required

[Basher]

Throughout Spring my game had come on leaps and bounds. Driving straight, if not overlong. Fairway iron play had vastly improved. My only downfall being on the green. 3 putting had become the norm.

Not having the time to practise as often as I'd hoped my game still loked quite good during my weekend knock ups.

However, my last 3 outings have seen my game "self distruct" in all areas.
Wicked slicing from the tee. Hitting fat and thin shots on the fairway and still shocking putting!!!

How critical is practise to help improve the game?

I certainly feel it is required. Like most sports in which you wish to improve, practise is important.
Would it be safe to say I need to get out and practise "a lot more" in order to improve?

 

[USER1999]

If it is quality practice, yes, but you need some specific drills etc to work on, not just bashing balls round the range / putting green. Putting practice needs to put your game under stress (ie holing from ever increasing distance, and if you miss, you start again), and you need to work on your technique, which involves knowing what you do wrong, and making it more technically perfect.

Otherwise you are wasting your time, practicing rubbish.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I had a putting lesson and it revitalised my game completely. I was averaging around 36 putts per round and since the lesson its under 33 so I've saved three shots per round before I start. I was standing open with closed shoulders (I guess to try and level things out) and my eyeline wasn't over the ball and my grip was wrong. Apart from that my stroke was a little loopy but otherwise I was putting fine. I feel a lot more confident on the greens now and my clubface remains pointing at the target after impact instead of closing as I hit the ball.

As for the normal game, as other have said, providing you are practicing the right things and not ingraining bad habits and swing faults then practice will help. As many of you know I was a range whore all of last summer and ended up losing my game completely in the search of a decent swing. This year I've deliberately not practiced my long game as much (maybe one session per week) but have focussed much more on the short game. It is starting to pay dividends and I'm becoming pretty good with my wedge approaches and giving myself many more makeable birdie putts as well as saving par more often and making the odd sand save.

My advice would be to get a lesson, ideally a long game one and a putting lesson and then work on the drills you're shown. From a personal perspective I need to keep working at my game or I fall into bad habits very quickly which take some time to make themselves known and to cure. If I keep my swing ticking over I can see and feel the bad shots and can make the necessary tweaks. I guess it depends how much time you have free to practice, what your targets are and how dedicated you want to be about it

 

[Herbie]

Ive changed my putting recenly(a little) with 'veasy', its a good tool and very helpful and helps to fine tune tings, but it cannot replace reading the greens or confidence.

When (if) you practice on putting greens before a round, do you 3 putt a lot, a little or not at all?

If you dont have the same probs when practicing as you do on the course, you could possibly be taking a completely different frame of mind on the course as opposed to practice greens. I have seen a lot of golfers confidently sink long ones or leave them dead on the practice greens but on the course putt differently, and not just extra tension but physical differences too.

If you are a good putter on the practice greens, take it with you on the round. If you are just the same on the practice greens as you are on the course then you need some help or some serious extra practice.

 

[Robobum]

Probably not what the pros want to hear but, instead of a putting lesson I'd recommend buying/ borrowing one of the putting mirror boards first.

You lay it on the putting green and as you look down on it you see various lines to confirm where your shoulders are pointing and where your eyes are in relation to the ball.

A lot of putting problems (and every other shot really) stem from poor set up. These boards get you in the correct position, so if you can groove your stroke on one of these then it's a good start.

They are also very useful to go back and check you haven't crept back out of position every now and then.

 

[Parmo]

I have been the same, I just can not find time for the range. In winter I practiced more than played and my on course game fell apart and I've not had the time to sort issues out on the range, I do try and get to the range early before a round as I usually tee off about 11am but with it been the weekend and the numerous jobs that need doing its tough.