range sessions...???

[Fugatec]

best ideas for focused iron range sessions?

Short game range sessions? My course has a great range and chipping area. I've read the Pelz short game books, but.... Looking for fresh ideas.

I just get bored, and develop bad habits,  hitting balls the same way. trying to work on all aspects of my game. 

You guys are awesome and I really appreciate your input

thanks

 

[alfriday101]

Practice is of value only if you are fully engaged mentally.  If you are not, you are recreating, not improving.

 

So, how do you stay engaged?  
 

For me, the following works:

 

1. Limit technique work to a few minutes at a time.  
 

2.  Work on improving skills instead.

 

3. Keep the mind challenged on each shot—vary the target, change clubs, use the “wrong” club.  Make the brain solve a new problem with each shot.  
 

4.  Play games where you keep score and try to beat your best.  
 

5.  Sometimes, just engage in child like play.  Experiment.  Play “if, then.”  IfI do X, Y happens.  No judgement whether it’s good or bad, just observing cause and effect.
 

6.  Make practice as game like as possible.  

Here is an example of how a short game  session could progress.    Plan it out ahead of time.  Have goals for the practice session.

 

Standard 5 minute stretching and warm up.  
 

5 minutes practice on balance and set up and alignment.  (Technical practice).  
 

10 minutes practice putting distance control.  ( I put an alignment rod 17 inches behind a tee, which represents the hole.  Goal is to hit the tee or have the ball end up between the tee and the rod.  Do for 10, 20 and 30 feet.  Try for three from each distance with in ten minutes.  Change distance on each putt.). Record how many puts it takes to finish.
 

Play Par 18, keep score.  Pick out 9 short game shots, 3 easy 3 medium and 3 hard.  Some chips, some pitches, fairway and rough and sand.  Play one ball and see how many strokes it takes to hole out from each spot.  Record your score and compare to last theme  you played.  Takes about 15 minutes.  
 

Pitching game from 30 to 70 yards.  Toss ball in range specified.  Estimate distance.  Then laser and compare to estimate.  Play nine different distances.  One ball at a time.  How many shots to hole out.  A variation is to chose a club different from the one you would  normally chose.  Takes about 15 minutes.

 

Cool down and evaluate session.  Work on any technical aspect for just a few minutes.  Do a drill that addresses weak area.  
 

 

 

 

 

[MiraAniston]

On 6/20/2020 at 8:43 PM, alfriday101 said:

Practice is of value only if you are fully engaged mentally.  If you are not, you are recreating, not improving.

 

So, how do you stay engaged?  
 

For me, the following works:

 

1. Limit technique work to a few minutes at a time.  
 

2.  Work on improving skills instead.

 

3. Keep the mind challenged on each shot—vary the target, change clubs, use the “wrong” club.  Make the brain solve a new problem with each shot.  
 

4.  Play games where you keep score and try to beat your best.  
 

5.  Sometimes, just engage in child like play.  Experiment.  Play “if, then.”  IfI do X, Y happens.  No judgement whether it’s good or bad, just observing cause and effect.
 

6.  Make practice as game like as possible.  

Here is an example of how a short game  session could progress.    Plan it out ahead of time.  Have goals for the practice session.

 

Standard 5 minute stretching and warm up.  
 

5 minutes practice on balance and set up and alignment.  (Technical practice).  
 

10 minutes practice putting distance control.  ( I put an alignment rod 17 inches behind a tee, which represents the hole.  Goal is to hit the tee or have the ball end up between the tee and the rod.  Do for 10, 20 and 30 feet.  Try for three from each distance with in ten minutes.  Change distance on each putt.). Record how many puts it takes to finish.
 

Play Par 18, keep score.  Pick out 9 short game shots, 3 easy 3 medium and 3 hard.  Some chips, some pitches, fairway and rough and sand.  Play one ball and see how many strokes it takes to hole out from each spot.  Record your score and compare to last theme  you played.  Takes about 15 minutes.  
 

Pitching game from 30 to 70 yards.  Toss ball in range specified.  Estimate distance.  Then laser and compare to estimate.  Play nine different distances.  One ball at a time.  How many shots to hole out.  A variation is to chose a club different from the one you would  normally chose.  Takes about 15 minutes.

 

Cool down and evaluate session.  Work on any technical aspect for just a few minutes.  Do a drill that addresses weak area.  
 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the helpful answer and advice. I am well versed in theory, but I lack practice. Therefore, thank you very much, I will work according to your advice and recommendations.

[cksurfdude]

I generally like to randomize my practice - that is, rarely hit even three of the same shot with the same club in a row. Change clubs, change targets, change trajectories. Most of my practice is short game practice; hitting different wedges different distances and hi/lo.

Also play "competitive", or "challenge", practice where you hit a wood (or hybrid or whatever) into an imaginary fairway you create between two markers out on the range - if you miss, you have to "punch out" and then you can hit your "approach" to a target. If you miss that then you hit a wedge the estimated distance you missed the target; etc.

[RickyBobby_PR]

The tips I have seen recommended from playing pros and teaching pros is to have a plan for the day and use your routine as much as possible.

The recommendations for breaking down each session is in 3 parts. 1) block practice to work on something in particular like takeaway or transition and work on the drills related to that one thing. 2) hitting balls to targets with the feelings you just worked on in the drills. This is about hitting golf shots with the change 3) playing golf holes in your mind. Pick a course you are familiar with and imagine the hole layout on the range and hot your tee shot, your approach based on how your tee shot went and where it would have ended up on the course, etc

These 3 should be broken down equally in time. Example you only have 30 mins. Then it would be 10 mins on each section. Set a timer on your phone and once it’s over move on to the next block

[jd1993]

I was wondering this as well. I had a lesson today and it really was helpful. Since I’m lefty, keeping the right arm straight otherwise I get into a Jim Furuk (spelling) loop thing and gets ugly. The lesson I warmed up for 5 or 10 minutes and then the lesson. 30 mins on that new takeaway etc and then we worked on pitches/chips. I remember years ago when I played in high school they advocated playing the first few holes at least imaginary to play a variety of shots, shake off the nerves, and simulate the playing round too. I’ll be honest after the hour range session my arms were a bit sore but then I played 18. Curious how long people practice for when they’re playing 18.


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[cnosil]

Curious how long people practice for when they’re playing 18.

Generally you don’t practice before playing; you warmup.
What you described about hitting some different shots and “playing” the first couple of holes is not practice.

Practice would be doing the drills and working on the movements the pro gave you as part of your lesson. The length of a practice session will depend on what I am doing, how much time I have, and how I am feeling.

[RickyBobby_PR]

11 minutes ago, cnosil said:

 

Generally you don’t practice before playing; you warmup.
What you described about hitting some different shots and “playing” the first couple of holes is not practice.

Practice would be doing the drills and working on the movements the pro gave you as part of your lesson. The length of a practice session will depend on what I am doing, how much time I have, and how I am feeling.

 

This. Pre round is warmup and to see what type of swing I’m bringing to the course. That can last 1 hour before the round to 20-30 mins. If I get there early I’ll spend more time working on warming up with chips and pitches to get a feel for the connection and then work my way into full swings and then go putt for 10 mins or so. If it’s a shorter period then it’s 5-7 swings with wedges, short iron, mid iron, woods and driver and a short putting session.

My practice sessions are 45-90 mins depending on how much time I have and where im practicing. 

[DaveP043]

7 hours ago, jd1993 said:

I was wondering this as well. I had a lesson today and it really was helpful. Since I’m lefty, keeping the right arm straight otherwise I get into a Jim Furuk (spelling) loop thing and gets ugly. The lesson I warmed up for 5 or 10 minutes and then the lesson. 30 mins on that new takeaway etc and then we worked on pitches/chips. I remember years ago when I played in high school they advocated playing the first few holes at least imaginary to play a variety of shots, shake off the nerves, and simulate the playing round too. I’ll be honest after the hour range session my arms were a bit sore but then I played 18. Curious how long people practice for when they’re playing 18.
 

If the pro didn't give you feels and/or drills, didn't tell you how to practice the change you made, it wasn't a great lesson.  Your half-hour on the revised take-away is just the very beginning of making the change permanent, you need to practice that specifically.  Short swings, slow-motion movements, and focused drills are commonly used to help ingrain the change.  When I made a change in my swing, I used all of those for a significant part of my practice session, and hit relatively few full shots.  When I'm making a mechanical change, most of my practice is what is termed "block practice", a single club, moving between drills, slo-mo movements, and full swings.

Warm up before playing, as @RickyBobby_PR and @cnosil have said, should be significantly different.  I'll still do a small number of drills and slow-mo swings to remind myself of my changed mechanics, but most of warm up is full swings of increasing intensity.  Randomizing clubs is part of it, simulated hole play, etc.  I putt for a bit, mostly 30 and 40 footers for speed control, and 5-footers to reinforce hitting my line.  I don't chip much for normal play, but at a strange course I'll want to see how a ball reacts when it hits the green, so I do a bit more chipping.