What/How Did You Practice Today?

[cnosil]

Worked on face angle control to get a bit more height in my longer clubs. Seemed to help I am liking my G400 more today and my back flight is a bit straighter.

[russtopherb]

I was able to get out and hit a small bucket this morning. I rushed though and the humidity did me in and I got worse the more balls I hit. I took 5 mins to sit down, have some water, and relax and the shots cane back. I mostly hit irons, bouncing around between the odd numbers.

 

 

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[BenjaminButtonz]

Hit the chipping green today. Stuck pencils in the ground at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 yards out from the pin. Focused on my 60 degree from 20-40 yards, hitting 30 balls from all three spots. The. Switched to my 56 degree from 50 and out hitting another 30 balls from each spot. Trying to workout yardage's for 1/4, 1/2, and mellow full swings. Took notes of how far back I was bringing the club at each spot and where they were landing. Going after an aggressive full swing 60 has left me stressed on the course too many times his summer, so honing my mellow swing and clubbing up seemed like the best fix. I'm confident this was the right move, because my farthest ball from the pin was never more than 10 feet from the cup. Even back at 75 yards! Finished up the session with some 52 degree chip N runs from 20-40 with nothing but fairway between me and the green. I always reach for my 60 degree, when realistically the running, low flight 52 degree chip is usually the safer play. Never practiced them as much as my lob wedge shots, but would like to use ALL my wedges more on the course. Not just only when my 60 can't get the job done.

 

 

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[pulledabill]

Since the course was closed this afternoon for spking and sanding, i hit thr driving range for driver practice....well needed practice. Nothing gained and i wasted 7 bucks.

[sgold7]

I'm in an almost identical boat as You are my friend. I've been using my 3 wood off the tee a majority of this Summer. Also being bit heavily this year by the big after the masters, I've been working on my game as much as possible this year. If I connect proper, my 3 wood off the tee flies 250-260 and has a much tighter left to right dispersion than my driver. I've found after a few rounds of benching the driver, my confidence in the 3 wood has grown immensely. I've committed to not trying to “fix” my swing in the middle / during a round, and only playing the shot I'm most confident with. Also trying to engrave particular feelings into my swing, and analyzing every tee shot to ensure those feelings, thoughts, routines were out to play. More times my bad shots were caused from rushing my swing, not relaxing, and mid-swing thoughts. 

 

At first this was not the best feeling when I was the only one on the tee box with a 3 wood and everyone else smoking drivers, but at the same time I'll take my second shot from the fairway rather than always beings guy who takes 2-3 minutes to find his ball. This would build up that anxious feeling of “everyone's waiting on you now” causing me to rush shots, which would just destroy my round in the long run when your confidence is slowly eaten away by your thoughts. Likewise crushing the perfect 1/10 drive, and staring at the ball flight not even knowing how you just executed such a beautiful shot was a defeating feeling. Trying to replicate that “lucky” shot I learned is no way to improve my driver game, and was only making me overthink every time I teed up with it. 

 

Long story short. Until you have very little hesitation reaching for the big stick, follow your gut and stick with your better more consistent shot with a 2 iron or 3 wood. After enough practice on the range, your driver will have its chance to shine. Stay relaxed, keep that tension out of your muscles, let your swing feel like it's naturally flowing through the ball rather than forcing & contorting your body to play catch-up when your swing falls out of groove. I know this reply jumps around , but I hope it helps you in some way. I wish you the best of luck on your game! 

 

 

Appreciate the advice. It's what I did last weekend and played pretty well. I'm gonna keep hacking away with the big stick on the range but I cant put it in play without the confidence. Cheers!

[cksurfdude]

Hit the chipping green today. Stuck pencils in the ground at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 yards out from the pin. Focused on my 60 degree from 20-40 yards, hitting 30 balls from all three spots. The. Switched to my 56 degree from 50 and out hitting another 30 balls from each spot. Trying to workout yardage's for 1/4, 1/2, and mellow full swings. Took notes of how far back I was bringing the club at each spot and where they were landing. Going after an aggressive full swing 60 has left me stressed on the course too many times his summer, so honing my mellow swing and clubbing up seemed like the best fix. I'm confident this was the right move, because my farthest ball from the pin was never more than 10 feet from the cup. Even back at 75 yards! Finished up the session with some 52 degree chip N runs from 20-40 with nothing but fairway between me and the green. I always reach for my 60 degree, when realistically the running, low flight 52 degree chip is usually the safer play. Never practiced them as much as my lob wedge shots, but would like to use ALL my wedges more on the course. Not just only when my 60 can't get the job done.

 

 

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Great short game practice, and .. great on-course strategy!

 

Off-topic, but - I'd join a private club to get good short game practice areas, including a good chipping/pitching area. Have to move, though .. clubs are too expensive in my area......

[bardle]

Since the course was closed this afternoon for spking and sanding, i hit thr driving range for driver practice....well needed practice. Nothing gained and i wasted 7 bucks.

 

Nothing gained? what happened? Exaggerating the fix always helps me the most then dialing it back down...I'm curious whats up here. Maybe some smarter than me folks can give you advice. 

[Shankster]

Spent a hour on the burnt up practice green. Putting from 66' and in. Getting to know the Anser a little better. A small portion was on wedge practice, before some other players showed up.

 

Trying to get the boss out Thursday for a round. I feel like I can beat him by a few strokes now.

[revkev]

Everything was going great and then the four young assistant pros from our complex showed up and started warming up to go play.

 

Two of them are mini tour regulars. Humiliating comes to mind.

 

There was another guy in my age group on the range too - at least my wedges at the 100 flag were tighter than his but it was easy to tell by his swing that he doesn't suck. He's new (summer member?) so he's probably not used to what was going on. He was just gawking and it wasn't at my wedges.

 

I was quite pleased until the kids showed up. Driver was between 87-92 - It's so wet right now that it feels like we will never see roll out again.

 

 

 

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[russtopherb]

I hit a small bucket at lunch and realized that I once again was getting lazy and not making a full shoulder turn. When I rush things my wrists don't set and I get short fades. So I took my time taking 2-3 practice swings feeling like my left shoulder was turning into my right toe before actually making a shot, and then not starting my hips until I felt my wrists set. And wouldn't you know, baby draw city from there. 

[Shankster]

Spent 2 hours at the range plus 1 at the short game area.

 

Working on my driver mostly. My set up was off a lot. I did a reset and should be good to go.it just feels too light. Need a heavier shaft or have the swing weight brought up.

 

“Played” a few courses through 3 buckets. Hit my targets.

[HighFade]

Spent 2 hours at the range plus 1 at the short game area.

 

Working on my driver mostly. My set up was off a lot. I did a reset and should be good to go.it just feels too light. Need a heavier shaft or have the swing weight brought up.

 

“Played” a few courses through 3 buckets. Hit my targets.

Lead tape. Worked great for me. $8.99

[Kenny B]

Trying to get the boss out Thursday for a round. I feel like I can beat him by a few strokes now.

I hear the golf gods coming...  

[Shankster]

I hear the golf gods coming...

I just have to say Go Blue a few times to throw him off. [emoji16]

[Kenny B]

I just have to say Go Blue a few times to throw him off. [emoji16]

Scarlet & Gray??

[Shankster]

Scarlet & Gray??

South Bend... [emoji256]

[revkev]

Great short game practice, and .. great on-course strategy!

 

Off-topic, but - I'd join a private club to get good short game practice areas, including a good chipping/pitching area. Have to move, though .. clubs are too expensive in my area......

My club has practice areas to die for - two short game areas, three practice tee areas, three green side bunkers, one fairway bunker, three putting greens, rough both green side and fairway type to hit full shots from, a grove of trees, two ponds - there's really nothing you can't work on at our range - no wonder we have so many good players.

 

Oh and it's Florida, no state income tax, year round golf, lower cost of living.

 

 

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[NMNM]

We don't even have a practice range at our club, but we do have several warm-up cages near the practice green.  You can hear the "thwack-thwack, thwack" into the nets while you're trying to practice chipping.

 

We all go to the Whirlaway practice range (named after a very popular horse from back in the day.  Before closing  down in recent years, Rockingham Park and Suffolk Downs were also a big part of our lives.)

 

Half the guys have complete sets configured from the odd club bins at the Whirlaway  You get to try them first.  I once bought four at once, don't ask me why, and the bill was roughly the same as lunch next door at Al's Diner.

(Lunch at the club, like gear at the pro shop, is a lot more.)

 

We also have Field Turf tees at the club to reduce maintenance. It  makes the place sound like a run-down muni, not that we have munis among our public courses, but maintenance is actually excellent,

 

The bunkers have actual soft sand in them unlike many of the nearby public courses.

 

Golf was an add on to the nice tennis and social facilities.  We're a Golf and Racquet Club, now, but the tennis came first--then the golf. The fat ass bookies, morticians, union executive board members, and sub shop owners (Hi, Moe) needed something to do while their younger and thinner wives were playing tennis.

 

What house lots are going for now, I don't understand how we have so many courses, private or public, at all.

It really boggles the mind.

[Kenny B]

My club has practice areas to die for - two short game areas, three practice tee areas, three green side bunkers, one fairway bunker, three putting greens, rough both green side and fairway type to hit full shots from, a grove of trees, two ponds - there's really nothing you can't work on at our range - no wonder we have so many good players.

 

Oh and it's Florida, no state income tax, year round golf, lower cost of living.

For a muni, my course has reasonable practice areas.  We have a double sided range; lessons are conducted at the far end, but it's available if there are no lessons being given.  It has a better mix of lies for practice.  The main part of the range is wide and flat and they can move the teeing area about 20 yards and they do so regularly.

 

We have a pitching green with a deep practice bunker; fairway lies and rough lies are available.  The putting green isn't huge, but it's big enough and they allow chipping.  My one complaint about it is that it's mostly flat, so practicing R-L and L-R breakers is basically impossible.  I wish they would redo it; they have more room.

 

Oh and it's Washington, no state income tax, year around golf, and lower cost of living... well, in my area of the state anyway.  It's changing though as more of California moves up here.  

[revkev]

So had fun with voice caddy today. Warmed up and then started with PW and worked my way up the bag to check gapping but here's the game that I played - 3 balls with each club the goal was to make sure all three carried farther than the three with the last club.

 

Wedge was 114,109,113 - 9 iron 123, 122,124 and on it went until 6 iron, 159, 160 - crash - miss hit 147 and 7 iron had been 145,148,149.

 

I followed up great with 5 hybrid and 4 hybrid - all three with each range got about a 10 yard gap - almost no gap between 3 wood and 4 hybrid though.

 

That's an issue, especially with it as wet as it is out.

 

Fun way to practice BTW - I'm going to try it again sometime.

 

 

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[tony@CIC]

So had fun with voice caddy today. Warmed up and then started with PW and worked my way up the bag to check gapping but here's the game that I played - 3 balls with each club the goal was to make sure all three carried farther than the three with the last club.

 

Wedge was 114,109,113 - 9 iron 123, 122,124 and on it went until 6 iron, 159, 160 - crash - miss hit 147 and 7 iron had been 145,148,149.

 

I followed up great with 5 hybrid and 4 hybrid - all three with each range got about a 10 yard gap - almost no gap between 3 wood and 4 hybrid though.

 

That's an issue, especially with it as wet as it is out.

 

Fun way to practice BTW - I'm going to try it again sometime.

 

 

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What a great exercise Rev. So far I've only used mine for individual club practice. I'm going to try your three ball approach.

 

 

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[cksurfdude]

My club has practice areas to die for - two short game areas, three practice tee areas, three green side bunkers, one fairway bunker, three putting greens, rough both green side and fairway type to hit full shots from, a grove of trees, two ponds - there's really nothing you can't work on at our range - no wonder we have so many good players.

 

Oh and it's Florida, no state income tax, year round golf, lower cost of living.

 

 

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Wow. Just wow.

 

I've just committed the sin of envy ;-)

[cksurfdude]

Helped my wife move stuff into her classroom (and do a few handyman and computer tech things) and then had an hour while she futzed to go to the range near her school. This is actually a really nice facility - two-tiered with a large number of stalls and a large number of well-marked targets to shoot for .. zoom in on the pic and check out the old wrecker sitting there in the middle!

 

Also cheap for around here; several options on how many balls / how much to spend .. I went for the 130 balls for $13. Yeah, sounds like a lot for only an hour but I'd planned on hitting a lotta wedges, which I kinda like to hit - queue up - hit .. etc. to keep a rhythm going.

 

There are also lines going all the way across the field at 100 and 200; that wrecker was a bit past the 100 line so I guesstimated about 125ish from where I was. Went after that with 9i first, then worked on the small elevated island in front of it which looked about 75ish and then that round bright yellow-orange target at about 50ish.

 

And wouldn't you know it - hitting that closer 50ish target was the most difficult challenge!

(least number of actual "hits" on it)

 

So worked on that orange target with the 58, then the 54 and then the 50. Oh, the mats are premium, too - there's a side-strip of rough-like "grass" that has a little give in it plus holes for tees .. so you can put a ball sitting down in one of those and pretend it's a partly buried lie.

 

Was pretty happy with all this good stuff so pulled out the 5i and the 4H. These are like my "middle" clubs which I've kinda been struggling with a bit recently. Today was not a whole different.... Hit maybe 10 - 12 balls with each and only had 2 really solid shots with each (plus 2 ok-ish ones). Hmmmmmmmmm

 

[Kenny B]

Helped my wife move stuff into her classroom (and do a few handyman and computer tech things) and then had an hour while she futzed to go to the range near her school. This is actually a really nice facility - two-tiered with a large number of stalls and a large number of well-marked targets to shoot for .. zoom in on the pic and check out the old wrecker sitting there in the middle!

 

Also cheap for around here; several options on how many balls / how much to spend .. I went for the 130 balls for $13. Yeah, sounds like a lot for only an hour but I'd planned on hitting a lotta wedges, which I kinda like to hit - queue up - hit .. etc. to keep a rhythm going.

 

There are also lines going all the way across the field at 100 and 200; that wrecker was a bit past the 100 line so I guesstimated about 125ish from where I was. Went after that with 9i first, then worked on the small elevated island in front of it which looked about 75ish and then that round bright yellow-orange target at about 50ish.

 

And wouldn't you know it - hitting that closer 50ish target was the most difficult challenge!

(least number of actual "hits" on it)

 

So worked on that orange target with the 58, then the 54 and then the 50. Oh, the mats are premium, too - there's a side-strip of rough-like "grass" that has a little give in it plus holes for tees .. so you can put a ball sitting down in one of those and pretend it's a partly buried lie.

 

Was pretty happy with all this good stuff so pulled out the 5i and the 4H. These are like my "middle" clubs which I've kinda been struggling with a bit recently. Today was not a whole different.... Hit maybe 10 - 12 balls with each and only had 2 really solid shots with each (plus 2 ok-ish ones). Hmmmmmmmmm

 

IMG_20180821_135850919_HDR.jpeg

This range reminds me of one I went to in Knoxville TN.  They had an old junk pickup in the range, and I liked to hit at it trying for the bed of the truck.  That was a long time ago.

 

Sounds like you need to spend more than 20 balls or so on those "middle" clubs.  I get in the habit of hitting clubs on the range that I know I generally hit well; it feels good.  I should spend most of my time hitting those clubs that give me trouble on the course.  Maybe tomorrow.

 

As for my practice today...  I have an issue that I tend to sweep clubs off the grass, even wedges.  I am not a digger.  As a result, I don't trap the ball and therefore don't get a consistent strike on the ball.  I spent most of a bucket of balls today hitting balls that were sitting on a broken tee.  I was hitting a 9i, and I was forcing myself to take a divot after the ball.  My tendency is to pick the ball, leaving the tee in the ground and no divot.  By the end of the bucket, I was striking the ball with a descending blow and the ball was flying a lot further.  Now if I can just do that on the course.

[deejaid]

Don't know if this is how'd you play or how'd you practice as last night I went out and played a 4-hole loop that ends right at my backyard.

 

Took the Macgregor Persimmons and on the first hole with no warmup I got under it and hit a towering shot the only went about 190. Had 230 into the wind and the 4-wood ended up just short of the green. Ended up bogeying. I then took a double on the par 3 after 3-putting.

 

Next hole I striped my drive dead center about 230 yards, still about 25-30 yards short of my modern driver. Hit a beautiful 7-Iron within 5 feet and still missed the damn putt but made par.

 

Last hole I really got a hold of my drive, again right down the middle but this time right around 250. Parred that one as well.

 

 

So my putting still stinks but the persimmons are working well.

 

 

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[Shankster]

Went to the range for a tune up before the camping trip starts... no range UP there.

 

Must have been some wind at 80+ feet in the air I couldn't feel anything on the ground... I move the ball position up off my big toe, wow!

 

Not sure if it was wind I couldn't feel or what, but I was carrying it about 290 through the back of the range with a nice little 5 yard fade on a really high flight, even more than normal... the ball got small quick. I even heard a few “holy sh..i..ts” coming from a few yards over.

 

Hitting up on it a bit more than usual... does that really add 30+ yards of carry?

[GB13]

Went to the range for a tune up before the camping trip starts... no range UP there.

 

Must have been some wind at 80+ feet in the air I couldn't feel anything on the ground... I move the ball position up off my big toe, wow!

 

Not sure if it was wind I couldn't feel or what, but I was carrying it about 290 through the back of the range with a nice little 5 yard fade on a really high flight, even more than normal... the ball got small quick. I even heard a few “holy sh..i..ts” coming from a few yards over.

 

Hitting up on it a bit more than usual... does that really add 30+ yards of carry?

From personal experience, yes, it does. If I hit on the down swing I lose 25-30 yards. It adds a lot more spin and is usually caught a little higher on the face. I have large variations in my driving due to this.

[HardcoreLooper]

Short game, short game, short game. Practicing while waiting for my daughter's HS match to end. I had every intention of going out to play the back nine while I waited... and then I got a call from a client having an issue. An hour later, I figured I'd just practice instead.

 

I need the practice.

[PMookie]

Went to a range here in Austin to hit a bucket, and chip/putt.

 

 

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[cksurfdude]

...

Sounds like you need to spend more than 20 balls or so on those "middle" clubs. I get in the habit of hitting clubs on the range that I know I generally hit well; it feels good. I should spend most of my time hitting those clubs that give me trouble on the course. Maybe tomorrow.

...

 

Thanks, and you are .. of course .. completely correct but wanted to limit the frustration and also get more wedge-target practice in that day.

 

Trying a little different approach with those middle clubs - hitting a few balls with each into my practice net every few days. Also scheduled another lesson for next week and going to ask him to look at this (amongst many other things!).