Hardest Part of the Game to Maintain w/o Practice

[dru_]

As I've mentioned, my time to play and practice golf this season is really limited due to other time commitments. Instead of getting one/two practice sessions per week, I am basically getting a little chipping work in for about 15 minutes during the week, and 2-3 rounds per month in on the weekends. 

 

The result, my game is in the loo. I'm getting of the tee pretty consistently, and anything outside of 120yards is more or less alright.  Inside of that though, things have gotten ugly.  I simply have no feel or touch with anything less than a full swing right now. Putting isn't really a problem, with inside of 10 feet being very high percentage, and I can usually get into gimme range from outside of 10 feet. In other words, not many 3 putts. 

 

The problem is those partial shots for me, and I just can't seem to find any sorts of off the course drills that really help me find that feel and touch.

 

Needless to say, I would posit that the aspect of the game that is the hardest to maintain without consistent practice is the partial swing up and down aspect of the short game.  I know a lot of people place an emphasis on putting though.

 

So what are your thoughts?  what part of the game is hardest to maintain when you can't practice as often as you like ?

 

[Undershooter]

Short game and partial/touch shots. Always the first to go and last to come back.

[Fireinthehole]

After a long layoff, managing different swing between driver and irons. Hands down.

by that I mean. hitting up vs down. If it's been awhile I will either hit my driver really well and be spastic with irons or vice versa.

 

I don't practice at a range, should throw that in. Most of my practice is on the course. I might hit 30 balls before I start, focusing on shot shapes to work on alignment and forearm rotation.

[Jmikecpa]

Short game and partial/touch shots. Always the first to go and last to come back.

 

Same here.  The full shot is my friend right now.

[jdiddyesquire]

I'd be curious if this a bit of a handicap influenced question.

 

As a high capper, I find the tee shot to be what I struggle with if I'm not practicing it regularly. This is probably because my muscle memory isn't fully developed and it's easy to lose the rhythm. By comparison, my short game is reasonably strong. I have a consistent swing with the short sticks. So, even if my touch is off due to rust, I'm still striking the ball well.

 

Dunno. For me, it's 100% the driver off the tee.

[Jmikecpa]

I'd be curious if this a bit of a handicap influenced question.

 

As a high capper, I find the tee shot to be what I struggle with if I'm not practicing it regularly. This is probably because my muscle memory isn't fully developed and it's easy to lose the rhythm. By comparison, my short game is reasonably strong. I have a consistent swing with the short sticks. So, even if my touch is off due to rust, I'm still striking the ball well.

 

Dunno. For me, it's 100% the driver off the tee.

I think that there is something to the handicap question, but more to do with the areas of strength in your game.  I drive the ball well and have a ton of confidence off the tee so that seems to not be an issue with me, but short game comes and goes when I don't play/practice a lot.  I have a friend that also plays off of scratch and the first to go for him is the long game and can get up and down from anywhere no matter how much he plays or does not play.

 

The handicap area comes in with game management as I see it.  I know that I will not be able to execute a 60 yard flip wedge if I am rusty so I leave myself 100 yards for a full shot.  Being a low handicap player I can manage that part of my game as well as be able to execute that strategy around the golf course.

[Kenny B]

Definitely chipping and short pitch shots.  When I was traveling a lot, I was gone for 2 weeks.  When I returned, I actually had no problem with the driver.  If fact, I would say I hit better tee shots for the first round after a trip; I really don't know why.  However, the chipping was horrible, but that has always been the worse part of my game.  I have to constantly work on it.  Putting is OK, but it takes awhile to start making putts; lots of 2-putts; rarely 3-putt.

[Kor.A.Door]

Anything that involves feel, that's what the struggle is with little practice.

[Undershooter]

Definitely chipping and short pitch shots.  When I was traveling a lot, I was gone for 2 weeks.  When I returned, I actually had no problem with the driver.  If fact, I would say I hit better tee shots for the first round after a trip; I really don't know why.  However, the chipping was horrible, but that has always been the worse part of my game.  I have to constantly work on it.  Putting is OK, but it takes awhile to start making putts; lots of 2-putts; rarely 3-putt.

Possibly you were fresh? Only thing I could think of. I know that the first day back on the mound after a short break generally meant I was throwing cheddah. May not have a clue on my breaking stuff or location but it was gonna be moving lol

[jdiddyesquire]

Possibly you were fresh? Only thing I could think of. I know that the first day back on the mound after a short break generally meant I was throwing cheddah. May not have a clue on my breaking stuff or location but it was gonna be moving lol

How did we get on baseball? lol

[apprenti23]

The whole game of golf is played inside of 130 yards... That's why there is such a great emphasis. Just reiterating what everyone else is saying. Knocking down the flagstick in this "scoring zone" is what separates the good players from the decent ones.

[BIG STU]

For me I have to agree with Undershooter. It can be extremely hard for a feel player like me

[mizuno_lover]

Yep, touch and feel shots are the ones that I struggle with after a lay off.  The only shot I have 100% down and can hit perfectly any time is the bladed wedge.  I'm probably most adept at it from about 50 yards in

[Kenny B]

Yep, touch and feel shots are the ones that I struggle with after a lay off.  The only shot I have 100% down and can hit perfectly any time is the bladed wedge.  I'm probably most adept at it from about 50 yards in

Yep! Those are great shots. I find that they really only work out if you hit the pin.

[jbil8802]

A few weeks ago I was playing a par 4 and blocked a drive way left. I had a 68 yard second shot from the rough. Knifed the heck out of it. Easily headed 50 yards over the back of the green which was a guaranteed double with water behind the green. Hit the flagstick seemingly bending it in half and ricocheted straight left to the fringe about 30 feet away. Luckiest par I've ever made.

[Fireinthehole]

All this talk of short game troubles, had me stressing. Had to go the 9 hole par 3 course here in town. Things are looking good.

Shot 4 over. Looks like I need to stop playing to improve my short game hahah.

[Undershooter]

How did we get on baseball? lol

I was just making the point that he was possibly more flexible and had more clubhead speed when he was coming off a break. Sorry but baseball was the only sport I could do that with but that's where most of my experience lies. I can compare most things to baseball so don't get me started.

 

Back to the point, short game is where it's at if you want to score. Unless you are Tiger and can't get off the box.

[xxio]

In general for full swings, pitches, even putts....tempo. Not enough play or long lay offs will result in deceleration, quick backswings, etc on all types of shots.

[Blade]

After moving, I don't have my golf room or backyard driving range to practice in anymore. And I've only played 28 holes in the last 8 or nine months I think with no trips to the range. My irons and short game used to be the best part of my game. Putting has always been weak. Driving used to be my biggest weakness. Now my driving has never been better. Straight down the middle. While my control is great, distance is much less. I think that's from losing the flexibility and conditioning I had when swinging all the time. Occasional miss is a pull draw when I come around with my shoulders too much. Irons aren't as solid as they used to be, but not terrible. Wedges have gone downhill for sure and putting is not there, worse than last year.

[wbealsd]

I'm with the majority as to short game.  Even if the rest of my game is rusty and problematic, when I really blow up on a hole, it's generally going to be from 60 yards and in.

 

Bunker shots, in particular can kill my score if I'm rusty.  I'm not all that good at bunker play, although I can usually get out of it, I can't really get it near the hole.  Yesterday I went from a front bunker, to a side bunker, to the edge of the green near the other bunker... My drive was great and my second shot "almost" cleared the front bunker.  3 over on the final hole of the day...

[Mr_Theoo]

For me it's just overall control of the ball. My striking will usually be decent but being able to control where the golf ball starts and the direction is hard to impossible with a long layoff

[revkev]

I love the topic!

 

Consistency - When I'm on people will tell you that my game is boring, fairway, green or around the green, up, in, par next hole repeat.  When I'm playing/practicing enough and my game gets locked in my handicap card gets very tight between 72-76.  But when I'm not, like now, I'm all over the place - my last 10 rounds range from 85-74.  There's nothing boring about my game right now, that's for sure.

 

So for me its consistency through the bag, I just don't know what's going to happen one swing to the next, one day to the next, one hole to the next. 

[Undershooter]

I love the topic!

 

Consistency - When I'm on people will tell you that my game is boring, fairway, green or around the green, up, in, par next hole repeat. When I'm playing/practicing enough and my game gets locked in my handicap card gets very tight between 72-76. But when I'm not, like now, I'm all over the place - my last 10 rounds range from 85-74. There's nothing boring about my game right now, that's for sure.

 

So for me its consistency through the bag, I just don't know what's going to happen one swing to the next, one day to the next, one hole to the next.

 

We have very different games rev. Even though my handicap is around 0 I can go out and shoot 68-82. Never know what it's gonna do.

[Blade]

For me it's just overall control of the ball. My striking will usually be decent but being able to control where the golf ball starts and the direction is hard to impossible with a long layoff

Decent ball striking means control. You don't have one without the other. A ball flying in the wrong direction is not a good strike.

[HighFade]

I am absolutely useless inside 75 yard if I have not practiced a whole lot in the very recent past (at least twice a week for the last month).

 

But give me 15 minutes at the range before a round and I can hit the full shots at least reasonably well, even after going for months without picking up a club.

[wbealsd]

I am absolutely useless inside 75 yard if I have not practiced a whole lot in the very recent past (at least twice a week for the last month).

 

But give me 15 minutes at the range before a round and I can hit the full shots at least reasonably well, even after going for months without picking up a club.

Getting warmed up on the range prior to playing makes a big difference in how I score.  Unfortunately, there's a lot of small town muni's around here that don't have a range, and even on of the "major" muni's I used to play has lost their range during reconstruction.  No matter how well I can loosen up before a round, the first few holes are tough, if I haven't had some range time.  

 

Too many "swing thoughts" on the course, without range time.

[sp0rtsfan86]

In order: irons/short game/driver/putting.

 

I usually can make some big putts no matter the layoff. Driver has been going strong out of two long breaks, so may have finally dialed it in to where it's the most consistent round to round club. My short game goes in and out but takes a few weeks to get back up to speed. However it takes me months to get back irons. That's the first thing that goes and I can't get back. No idea why, but I struggle with the rhythm, the setup, and the swing.

[kfilly20]

For sure wedges, especially when you cant take a full swing, so anything 40-80 yards goes really quick if you're not keeping up on it. Driver seems to be fairly easy to keep on point, same with woods and hybrids. Long irons fall off pretty quickly for me also.