GolfSpy MPR Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Why do you take a practice swing (or swings) before your shot? I had a realization in my last round. For some time, I had largely abandoned taking a practice swing before most full swing shots. Also, my last couple of rounds were plagued with a bad case of the fats. So yesterday, I went back to taking a full practice swing or two, until I was content that I knew where the ground was before I stepped into the shot. It made a significant difference in my ball striking. How about you: what function does the practice swing have in your game? GB13, DawgDaddy and Nolan220 3 Quote TS3 9.5°, Tensei Blue CBX T3 15°, Project X HZRDUS Black Epic Super Hybrid 18°, Aerotech Steel Fiber FC HYB S C722 21°, Ventus Blue 8S CBX Iron-Wood 25°, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.0 639 CB, Aldila NV 95 Graphite, 6–PW CBX 48° T22 54° and 60° EAS 4.0, Garsen G-Pro grip TP5x and Tour Response Full WITB with pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russtopherb Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 For me it's to reinforce a swing thought/feeling. When I go to hit the ball, the only thing I want to be thinking about is flight and target. So a swing or two is to think about starting backswing properly and having that feeling fresh in mind so I can concentrate on sending my ball to the target in the actual swing. GolfSpy MPR 1 Quote In my carry bag: ST-X 10.5* Kai'li Blue R Flex ST-Z 15* Kai/li Blue R Flex ST-Z 4h Linq Blue R Flex Launcher 5h Launcher CBX 6i-PW CBX 54* & 58* Huntington Beach #10 e12 Contact CURRENTLY TESTING - Mizuno Long Game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnosil Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 I don't take a practice swing for full shots or putts. I do take some practice swings for partial swings to help me calibrate swing length and get a feel for the swing. The feel isn't mechanical, I am not adjusting tempo, not seeing a shape, etc. so it really isn't for any of the above. Quote Driver: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven Fairway: TS3 15* w/Project X Hzardous Smoke Hybrids: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 915H 24* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype Irons: TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite Wedge: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite Putter: Sacks Parente MC 3 Stripe Backup Putters: Milled Collection RSX 2, mFGP2, Futura 5W, TM-180 Member: MGS Hitsquad since 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THEZIPR23 Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 I take a practice swing to try to get the feel for the shot by applying what I am mechanically working on. Typing that out just made my head explode. I used to be in the camp of establishing a routine. Every shot I hit the routine was exactly the same, probably down to the sec. But I listened to a sports psychologist (I think it was on chasing scratch but not positive might have been foreplay) and his advice was to React to the moment. Do what you need to do to hit the shot independently of anything else. So I have started doing this in the month or so. Not sure the results are any better yet, but it does seem to put my mind in a different place than just going through the routine. cnosil 1 Quote Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43") G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x) G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x) ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S) Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610) Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610) Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610) Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610) Spider GT Splitback 34" ProV1 #23 Twitter @THEZIPR23 "One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMookie Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 When I’m playing my best I’m taking a practice swing that mimics the shot I’m about to make, and I keep making that swing until I get the feel I want. Usually just one or two swings. If I’m thinking too much and trying to FIND a swing, well, it’s just not a good day at the course. edingc 1 Quote Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X Irons: Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100 Wedges: SMS 50D/54V/58DModus 130 stiff, +1” Putter: EAS 1.0 Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennisavery Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Like cnosil, I don't take practice swings on full shots, bit do on chips and putts.I have tried it both ways and can get two, three, four or five perfect practice swimgs in and then duff the shot. I do better without practice.For some reason chip shots and putts are different. I need the practice swings.Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk cnosil 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyRM7 Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 I always take 2 practice swings before each and every shot. It keeps me in a consistent routine and serves as a calibration for the shot. I’m looking for a certain feel based on the shot. Then I can clear my mind for the real shot. It also lets me know when I’m overthinking from a mental game perspective. If I make a few nice smooth practice swings that feel great and then make a completely different swing that results in a bad shot, I know instantly that it was a mental error. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beelzeberto Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 LIke lefty above, I'm looking for a certain feel but also making sure I'm exaggerating certain points of my swing so when I do swing it evens out. Also making sure the sole is barely hitting the ground so when I do swing I'm not digging or picking. Quote Sim / M2 / MG Z785 Brandon Matthews No2 - Not Made for the Tour "buy the ticket, take the ride..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerospace_ray Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 I go back and forth as to whether I take a practice swing. IF I do its most likely to simulate the swing I am about to execute due to some complexity. There are normal easier shots that all golfers have executed that require little thought and one can just go ahead and swing without taking a practice swing. Think a shot inside a 100 yards with plenty of green, no obstacles in direct line of flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chisag Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 ... Great question. Mostly I take a practice swing to stay loose and I usually only take one for a normal full swing. If I feel any tension, I take another but never more than 2. ... I would have added another option of "Feel for the shot". If I am hitting a knockdown shot, hitting the ball higher than normal or purposfully moving the ball right/left (which is rare) I will take several swings to get that feel. Now for pitches, chips and flop shots I may take quite a few practice swings to get a feel for how the grass with effect the club head. Playing in thick bent grass with the grain against me, it is not unusual for my first practice swing to get stuck in the grass, so several more forceful swings are needed before I feel comfortable hitting the shot. I do not "reset" for each practice swing, just take them in continuous motion to get a feel for the grass. When the grass is with me I may need several swings to see how much I need to dial back. Again, doing this quickly with a continuous motion because I am not practicing the shot, just getting a feel for the grass and how much it will effect the club head. aerospace_ray and cnosil 2 Quote Driver: Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R Fairway: Qi10 5 wood ... Kai'li Blue 60R Hybrids: 430 Hybrid 22*... Diamana LTD 65r DHy #4 ... Steelfiber 780Hy Irons: '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r Wedges: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r Putter: Sport-60 33" Ball: Maxfli/ Maxfli Tour/TP5x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParFore74x Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 One swing from behind the ball to establish tempo and get that tempo into my head while getting everything else out. Then I step into address and swing away. It seems to help keep my head clear and my body relaxed. Quote TSi3 10° w/ Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Black 65g TS2 15° 3W w/ Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 6.0 70g 818 H1 21° Hybrid w/ Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue 70g MP-18 MMC 2 iron w/ KBS Tour C-Taper S 120g JPX 921 HM 5-GW w/ Project X LZ 5.5 115g JB Forged 54° & 58° w/ Project X LZ 6.0 120g EV5.3 Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrawberryShortCake Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 I usually take a practice swing because changing club lengths between shots. With 8 and down I'm usually fine with the shorter clubs But if I use longer clubs I usually fat them without a practice swing. If the ball is above my feet or below my feet quite a bit I'll take a few until it feels right. cnosil 1 Quote Driver: Rogue Sub Zero 9* stiff Wood: Tight Lies TI 3 wood stiff Hybrid: XR 3 19 deg stiff Irons: JPX 900 Tour std loft/lie Wedges: 52,56,60 Putter: #7 Red Ball: Q-Star 12.9 Handicap Comox Valley, B.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtbryant01 Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 I like to take a practice swing to get a feel for where my feet are in relation to the ball (above, below, flat lie). I also take practice swings for tempo. I tend to get quick with my swings and have to focus on making controlled shots and trusting what I picked will work. My miss is swinging to hard to try a muscle a shot when I know if I take a controlled swing and let the club do the work, it'll be fine. ParFore74x 1 Quote Cobra Connect 5 participant G410 Plus, w/ X stiff 75 g Project X Evenflow Black shaft driver / Radspeed w/ Smoke RDX Blue 70S shaft Big Tour 3 wood/ 5 wood w/ Fujikura X F3 60S shaft 4 Hybrid w/ Project X Catalyst 80S shaft Copper MIM Tour Irons w/ KBS $ Taper Balck 120S shaft Snakebite 50, 54, and 58 wedges w/ KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 125S shaft Newport 2.5 putter MTB X golf balls RH, Alabama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan220 Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 On 6/13/2020 at 8:26 AM, GolfSpy MPR said: Why do you take a practice swing (or swings) before your shot? I had a realization in my last round. For some time, I had largely abandoned taking a practice swing before most full swing shots. Also, my last couple of rounds were plagued with a bad case of the fats. So yesterday, I went back to taking a full practice swing or two, until I was content that I knew where the ground was before I stepped into the shot. It made a significant difference in my ball striking. How about you: what function does the practice swing have in your game? If I don't take a full practice swing to know where the ground is I will in most cases hit it really fat GolfSpy MPR 1 Quote Speedzone Driver Tensei AV Blue or G400 SFT 10. KBS TD 50 Category 3 shaft King Speedzone Black Yellow Fairway 3 wood Tensei AV Blue 65 F9 SpeedBack Black Grey Fairway 5 Wood ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 7 shaft T300 4i-GW - Tensei AV Blue AM2 Regular Flex or JPX 900 Hot Metal 5 - GW Project X Lz 4.5 Regular Flex Graphite Glide 2.0 SS Wedges 54 & 58 TP Red White Ardmore Putter - BGT Stability Tour Black shaft Precision Pro NX7 range finder Ultralight Cart Bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlH Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 I usually don't take practice swings on full shots, unless I'm feeling tense. On shorter finesse shots, I tend to take a practice swing to get a feel for what I want to execute. cnosil 1 Quote Driver: Rogue ST Max (10.5* set at -1 and neutral) -- Mitsubishi Tensai Blue 55g R shaft Fairway: Rogue ST Max 3 wood (16.5*) and Heaven Wood (20*)-- Tensai Blue 55g R shaft Hybrids: Rogue ST Max 5H (23*)--Tensai Blue 55g R shaft Irons: Apex CF19 6-9, PW, AW -- KBS Tour Graphite TGI 70 shafts R +1/2 inch 3* upright Wedges: Edison 53* and 57* KBS PGI 80 Graphite +1/2 inch 2* upright Putter: L.A.B. DF 2.1 -- BGT Stability shaft Ball: Maxfli TourX...Golf Bag: Pioneer...Shoes: Hyperflex... Glove: Red Rooster Feather My Photography can be seen at Smugmug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 I take two practice swings on full shots for several reasons. Mostly to see if this old body can make a good swing. I have a tendency to drop my shoulder and hit fat, so first swing is to get that swing out of the way. Second swing is always good (doesn't mean that it will be good when I take the shot though). I'm taking the swings to help me visualize the shot, and now it's become my pre-shot routine, so... all of the above really. I take multiple practice swings around the green getting a feel for turf interaction. I take 3 practice swings with my putter looking at the hole; helps me feel the distance. Nolan220 and cnosil 2 Quote “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavygolffeels Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 With irons anyway, my miss tends to be quite thin with no divot. So I will take a practice swing until I feel like it was a good swing and took a proper divot. Hopefully just one, but its been 2 or 3 or 4 before. Take that feel to the ball and I am more confident I am going to make great contact. With partial shots and wedges, I more kind of swing back and forth with the club, making sure the low point is where I am expecting it to be in my stance. I take one practice swing with the driver focusing on tempo and balance. I tend not to take practice swings with a putter unless its a really long putt where I feel like I will have to manipulate it with the hands some. THEZIPR23 1 Quote GARSEN GRIP TESTER Driver: PING G400 MAX, Ventus Blue 6x Woods: COBRA F6 Baffler AD DI 8S Hybrid: CALLAWAY Apex Pro, Ventus Blue 8s Irons: SRIXON ZX5 mk2 5-6, ZX7 mk2 7-PW, Modus 120x Wedges: EDEL 50 C grind, 54 V grind, CLEVELAND 60 RTX6 Low Putter: YES Abbie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THEZIPR23 Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 6 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said: With irons anyway, my miss tends to be quite thin with no divot. So I will take a practice swing until I feel like it was a good swing and took a proper divot. Hopefully just one, but its been 2 or 3 or 4 before. Take that feel to the ball and I am more confident I am going to make great contact. With partial shots and wedges, I more kind of swing back and forth with the club, making sure the low point is where I am expecting it to be in my stance. I take one practice swing with the driver focusing on tempo and balance. I tend not to take practice swings with a putter unless its a really long putt where I feel like I will have to manipulate it with the hands some. Saw a question posed to instructors on twitter last week asking what would be the one thing they would like the golfer to have. There were a couple of options but the vast majority said low point control/knowledge. Quote Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43") G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x) G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x) ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S) Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610) Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610) Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610) Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610) Spider GT Splitback 34" ProV1 #23 Twitter @THEZIPR23 "One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlH Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 This is an interesting question. Can't tell you how many times I've watched golfers make practice swings that don't even come half-way close to their actual swing. Makes one wonder what they're practicing. Quote Driver: Rogue ST Max (10.5* set at -1 and neutral) -- Mitsubishi Tensai Blue 55g R shaft Fairway: Rogue ST Max 3 wood (16.5*) and Heaven Wood (20*)-- Tensai Blue 55g R shaft Hybrids: Rogue ST Max 5H (23*)--Tensai Blue 55g R shaft Irons: Apex CF19 6-9, PW, AW -- KBS Tour Graphite TGI 70 shafts R +1/2 inch 3* upright Wedges: Edison 53* and 57* KBS PGI 80 Graphite +1/2 inch 2* upright Putter: L.A.B. DF 2.1 -- BGT Stability shaft Ball: Maxfli TourX...Golf Bag: Pioneer...Shoes: Hyperflex... Glove: Red Rooster Feather My Photography can be seen at Smugmug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavygolffeels Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 31 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said: Saw a question posed to instructors on twitter last week asking what would be the one thing they would like the golfer to have. There were a couple of options but the vast majority said low point control/knowledge. That is good to hear as it is a focus of mine. Just need to keep working on taking it from something that I know I need to master, to actually mastering it. Dropped handicap from 18 to 7 over the last 12 months, so its going in the right direction. THEZIPR23 1 Quote GARSEN GRIP TESTER Driver: PING G400 MAX, Ventus Blue 6x Woods: COBRA F6 Baffler AD DI 8S Hybrid: CALLAWAY Apex Pro, Ventus Blue 8s Irons: SRIXON ZX5 mk2 5-6, ZX7 mk2 7-PW, Modus 120x Wedges: EDEL 50 C grind, 54 V grind, CLEVELAND 60 RTX6 Low Putter: YES Abbie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chisag Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 18 minutes ago, CarlH said: This is an interesting question. Can't tell you how many times I've watched golfers make practice swings that don't even come half-way close to their actual swing. Makes one wonder what they're practicing. ... One of my pet peeves is someone taking a healthy practice swing but cutting it short and helicoptering it over their head and not completing their swing. They are engraining muscle memory and teaching their body not to turn thru impact and to not finish their swing so in essesnce they are swinging at the ball and not thru the ball. I rarely mention it, unless it is a younger person that is struggling. I learned after teaching for 5 years I sometimes wanted to give some tips to those that are struggling, not to someone that hit a bad shot. But I quickly learned everyone does not want any help, which is understandable coming from a stranger when they are already pi$$ed off with themselves. ... That said, there are a few things that are easily fixed and I will mention it to someone struggling, with the preface "If you are interested, I can show you something that might be a big help. Feel free to ignore it." The other is people moving while putting. IE: following their putter head with their entire body, or their shoulders or head. I let them know if they keep everything in place and wait a full O-N-E S-E-C-O-N-D before rotating their head without ever moving their body/shoulders/head position, they will be much more accurate for both line and speed. Again, I rarely point this out, but with someone really struggling I might, depending on their personality. daviddvm, GaDawg, CarlH and 1 other 4 Quote Driver: Qi10 10.5* ... Ventus Red Velocore 5R Fairway: Qi10 5 wood ... Kai'li Blue 60R Hybrids: 430 Hybrid 22*... Diamana LTD 65r DHy #4 ... Steelfiber 780Hy Irons: '23 T200 5-Pw ... Steelfiber i95r Wedges: Vokey 50*/54*/58* ... Steelfiber i95r Putter: Sport-60 33" Ball: Maxfli/ Maxfli Tour/TP5x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy BOS Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 I rarely take practice swings on the tee or for full shots. I might take some swings back and forth to stay loose or if I am fighting something I’ll take one or two for a positive feel. In the rough or greenside take some practice swipes to get a feel for the grab of the grass but otherwise I play better when I don’t take a lot of practice swings. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk GolfSpy_SHARK 1 Quote Epic Max LS 10.5 - Motore X F3 6X | Speedzone 5-wood - Ventus Blue 8S | TSi3 20* Hybrid - KBS Proto 85S SMS Pro 4-PW - Steelfiber i110S | MG3 Raw Black 50.09, 54.11, 58.11 - DG TI S200 ER2B | Pro V1x | NX9 Slope | Jones Trouper R | CaddyLite EZ v8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_SHARK Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 Same boat as @B.Boston rarely take practice swings unless it’s and awkward lie (above or below the feet) or thick rough/hard pan just to get a feel for it. Other than that line up and swing it. GolfSpy BOS 1 Quote Check out my reviews: G710 Irons Official Review I MC Shaft & V Series Putter Official Review 2022 Forged Tec's Official Review I Nitron Push Cart Official Review WITB: Weapons of grass destruction (link to WITB) Traverse is filled with all this shiny metal and tracked by RadSpeed 8* - MotoreX F1 6X SIM 3W - Project X HZRDUS Green U505 Driving Iron 17* - Project X HZRDUS Black SpeedZone 4H - Project X HZRDUS Black 2022 King Forged Tec's 4-PW - KBS $ Tape 130 48 (SM8), 52 & 60 (SM7) - Nippon Modus 125 S ER2VI PROV1X #19 Are you a veteran? Check out the Veterans Golf Association (VGA) Thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaDawg Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 4 hours ago, chisag said: ... One of my pet peeves is someone taking a healthy practice swing but cutting it short and helicoptering it over their head and not completing their swing. They are engraining muscle memory and teaching their body not to turn thru impact and to not finish their swing so in essesnce they are swinging at the ball and not thru the ball. I rarely mention it, unless it is a younger person that is struggling. I learned after teaching for 5 years I sometimes wanted to give some tips to those that are struggling, not to someone that hit a bad shot. But I quickly learned everyone does not want any help, which is understandable coming from a stranger when they are already pi$$ed off with themselves. ... That said, there are a few things that are easily fixed and I will mention it to someone struggling, with the preface "If you are interested, I can show you something that might be a big help. Feel free to ignore it." The other is people moving while putting. IE: following their putter head with their entire body, or their shoulders or head. I let them know if they keep everything in place and wait a full O-N-E S-E-C-O-N-D before rotating their head without ever moving their body/shoulders/head position, they will be much more accurate for both line and speed. Again, I rarely point this out, but with someone really struggling I might, depending on their personality. I would never have a problem with a golfer of your caliber giving me advice. Seriously, I love to play with better golfers and always ask questions and seek guidance from them. To me it's like getting a free playing lesson. Quote Driver: TSI3 - 10*, Hzrdus Smoke 6.0 Stiff Driver: Stealth Plus - 10.5*, Oban Kiyoshi Purple O4Flex-65 Grams Purred 3 Wood: SIM - 15*, Graphite Design Tour AD DJ5 Stiff Hybrid: TS3 - 19*, Hzrdus Smoke 6.0 Stiff Irons: 5 - PW T150, with Nippon Zelos 7 Reg, 4 iron - U505 with Project X HZRDUS Black Stiff Wedges: Vokey SM 8 - 50*, 60* Standard Wedge Shafts Wedge: Milled Grind 3 MG3 56* S200 shaft Putter: Studio Select Newport 1.5 Putter: Phantom X 5.5 Ball: Pro V1x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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