Do you use your gamers for practice/range work

[tony@CIC]

The other day, the range looked like it had more sand then grass and afterwards my wedges looked like they went through a sand blaster. Coincidently I happen to read an article on using 'practice clubs' for range work. I happen to have an older EYE2 version of my Lob Wedge and a spare sand wedge. From now on I'm going to use these for range work. Oh and yes I am OCD about my clubs. 

What say you - gamers or not for the range. 

[cnosil]

The other day, the range looked like it had more sand then grass and afterwards my wedges looked like they went through a sand blaster. Coincidently I happen to read an article on using 'practice clubs' for range work. I happen to have an older EYE2 version of my Lob Wedge and a spare sand wedge. From now on I'm going to use these for range work. Oh and yes I am OCD about my clubs. 
What say you - gamers or not for the range. 

Pros and cons to each. If you aren’t using your gamers, you have to wonder how different they will feel. But like you said, don’t want to mess them up too bad if the range is more sand than grass.

I have always used my gamers at the range to practice with what I play.

[Wakit300]

Gamers all the time.  Why practice with something different than what you use on the course?  Clubs are tools, not jewelry.

[GolfSpy BOS]

I don’t keep a lot of my old clubs, so I have to answer gamers here. However, if I found the conditions to be bad that I felt I could get some nasty marks on my wedges I would shy away from hitting them and work on other things.

[PMookie]

5 minutes ago, Wakit300 said:

Gamers all the time.  Why practice with something different than what you use on the course?  Clubs are tools, not jewelry.

Ditto here.

[THEZIPR23]

Only thing I do this with is wedges. I hit a lot of wedges and play a lot of golf so if I can extend their life I will. They are the same specs so it works for me. 

[StrokerAce]

13 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

Only thing I do this with is wedges. I hit a lot of wedges and play a lot of golf so if I can extend their life I will. They are the same specs so it works for me. 

100

Wedges are wedges and unless you've got a green in your backyard to measure/observe spin, chipping and pitching with a secondary/non-gamer wedge seems reasonable if the loft/lie/weight are the same/similar.

[Pandaman]

Gamers for me.  

Though I do have some cheap clubs i use on occasion for swing practice into a net at home.

[Larryd3]

gamers for me.  I don't really have any backups presently.  

[aerospace_ray]

A few years ago I decided to use my "training" clubs in my golf net for my swing drills/ mechanics training. I switched back to hitting my gamers only at the driving range and worked on ball flight, distance control and working the ball. That approach has worked for me and greatly simplified my practice and has allowed me to maximize practice efficiency. 

As others have mentioned pro's/con's regarding either approach.

[RickyBobby_PR]

Gamers. Practice how you play

[dlow206]

Gamers. I had never even given thought to not use the gamers.

If i wear them out fast (which i don't think will happen), will just buy some new clubs.

[Micah T]

I use my old wedges at the range: same loft/lie/degree/shaft/grip as my gamers.


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[Shapotomous]

I only use practice clubs for net sessions here, a pw, 8 & 5 irons.  Usually I am working on swing positions during net sessions so I don't care too much about any club differences from my gamers. 

If I am practicing 40 - 65 yard shots to the putting green here I use my gamer wedges.  I use my gamers at the range sessions.

[LeftyRM7]

Gamers 99% of the time. I do have a few old wedges around the house I’ll chip with in the living room/ back yard. I feel like the knicks/scratches on my gamers are more like badges, never really cared to keep them brand new. Plus, the sooner they seem worn, the sooner I can justify buying new ones


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[cnosil]

3 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

If I am practicing 40 - 65 yard shots to the putting green here I use my gamer wedges.  I use my gamers at the range sessions.

The distance range you list is interesting to me;  that is the exact yardages my coach suggests avoiding.  The finesse wedges are generally good up to about 40 and the transition to distance wedges starts at about the 65 yard range.  Could be different for different people,  but those are really hard distances to master. 

[Kenny B]

I don't practice full shots with SW and LW because I never hit them full.  I do with my GW and PW when I use all my irons... so gamers.  Our range is fairly decent except during the summer when it gets the heaviest use; fairly thin grass but only sandy dirt underneath, no rocks.  I use the SW and LW in the short game area which is good turf, except it's torn up now because it has received a lot of use because we currently have mats on the range.

[RickyBobby_PR]

22 minutes ago, cnosil said:

The distance range you list is interesting to me;  that is the exact yardages my coach suggests avoiding.  The finesse wedges are generally good up to about 40 and the transition to distance wedges starts at about the 65 yard range.  Could be different for different people,  but those are really hard distances to master. 

That’s a distance range DJ avoids as well. He likes have 95 yards in vice something closer

[Shapotomous]

7 hours ago, cnosil said:

The distance range you list is interesting to me;  that is the exact yardages my coach suggests avoiding.  The finesse wedges are generally good up to about 40 and the transition to distance wedges starts at about the 65 yard range.  Could be different for different people,  but those are really hard distances to master. 

That distance range is landscape driven. 

45 yards gets me a flat lie just past the gravel driveway.  It is a comfortable distance for me for a 1/2 swing with an open face 57*.  

65 yards is as far back as I can get before getting into the tree line.  It is a 1/2 swing with the 52* or a normal 57*.

I probably have hit 10000 50 yard shots since the putting green was built since that is the distance right outside the pole barn doors and its easy to drop the mat there.

My preferred layup yardage is either 50 yards or 95 yards but if I'm between those I know which wedge and swing to use.

[aerospace_ray]

7 hours ago, Shapotomous said:

I only use practice clubs for net sessions here, a pw, 8 & 5 irons.  Usually I am working on swing positions during net sessions so I don't care too much about any club differences from my gamers. 

If I am practicing 40 - 65 yard shots to the putting green here I use my gamer wedges.  I use my gamers at the range sessions.

Is the 40-65 yards a particular distance you have on the course and that is why you practice those distances?

I have a certain course that I know pretty well, play position golf on that course alot and try to have my approach shots certain distances based on past success. On that courses range, I practice to particular distances a lot pre and post round. 

[cnosil]

1 hour ago, aerospace_ray said:

Is the 40-65 yards a particular distance you have on the course and that is why you practice those distances?

I have a certain course that I know pretty well, play position golf on that course alot and try to have my approach shots certain distances based on past success. On that courses range, I practice to particular distances a lot pre and post round. 

He explained in the post above yours that is it based on the layout of his yard

 

[aerospace_ray]

3 minutes ago, cnosil said:

He explained in the post above yours that is it based on the layout of his yard

 

saw that.  I should have read all the post closer . thx

[BIG STU]

With me as usual it can be a loaded question. I will not hit range rocks with my front line driver whether it be the metal one or persimmon one. Now one of the beater persimmon ones I will hit range rocks with. I do carry regular balls I have played or found for driver practice.  As far as wedges or irons I will hit almost any ball with them. If I practice seriously I do throw one of the beater persimmons in to practice with. If I can hit the persimmon in the screws then the Toyota on a stick metal one is a no brainer. 

[BIG STU]

10 hours ago, cnosil said:

He explained in the post above yours that is it based on the layout of his yard

 

And I would add that with those distances he is working on timing and feel too. One of the reasons I also hit balls with a wedge off my back deck about 20 yards or so

[Shapotomous]

2 hours ago, BIG STU said:

And I would add that with those distances he is working on timing and feel too. One of the reasons I also hit balls with a wedge off my back deck about 20 yards or so

You are right, just by hitting those wedge shots my regular iron and driver swings stay pretty close to predictable even if I don't get to a range in a while.  I got the hitting net just last year during the lockdown so I hope using it helps the full swings stay on track even more. 

I'd like to go back further if I could but at 65 yds I am hitting through a chute at the edge of the woods and from there it goes downhill abruptly toward the creek on the neighbors property.

[juspoole]

1 hour ago, Shapotomous said:

I got the hitting net just last year during the lockdown so I hope using it helps the full swings stay on track even more. 

Last golf season was the first one coming off a winter where I had a net and actually kept the swing and swing speed in decent shape.  It made a huge difference for me and I hope it does for you as well.  

I had confidence that my ball striking was already fairly good.  Sure I couldn't see ball flight that often, but after a few range sessions I got that sorted out.  Feel shots and putting definitely still took around 4 weeks to get back, but no way around that I don't think.

[juspoole]

Forgot to answer the actual question of the post - for me I've always used gamers, but have wondered about two sets of wedges with similar specs.  Usually I just change out them a little more frequently.  Typically every 2 years is standard for me.  Equates to probably 60 rounds of golf and a fair amount of practice.  As of last winter, I have been hitting to a net more at home and chipping in the backyard.  Even with the added play - the wedges should still have good enough grooves for similar longevity I would think.  

A co worker of mine keeps an old but still good set of clubs for work travel (Used MP 30 set he found, 10 year old driver, and old putter).  That way if a mishap occurs, he's not as upset about it.  Typically we are doing a charity outing or playing a local club so it's not anything spectacular.  When we play the nicer tracks - he'll usually bring his "normal" gamers.

[Kenny B]

1 hour ago, juspoole said:

Forgot to answer the actual question of the post - for me I've always used gamers, but have wondered about two sets of wedges with similar specs.  Usually I just change out them a little more frequently.  Typically every 2 years is standard for me.  Equates to probably 60 rounds of golf and a fair amount of practice.  As of last winter, I have been hitting to a net more at home and chipping in the backyard.  Even with the added play - the wedges should still have good enough grooves for similar longevity I would think.  

A co worker of mine keeps an old but still good set of clubs for work travel (Used MP 30 set he found, 10 year old driver, and old putter).  That way if a mishap occurs, he's not as upset about it.  Typically we are doing a charity outing or playing a local club so it's not anything spectacular.  When we play the nicer tracks - he'll usually bring his "normal" gamers.

My wedges typically last 3-4 years with maybe 150 rounds of golf per year, and a fair amount of practice.  I have found that spreading out the strikes all over the club face... they last longer.  

[juspoole]

1 hour ago, Kenny B said:

My wedges typically last 3-4 years with maybe 150 rounds of golf per year, and a fair amount of practice.  I have found that spreading out the strikes all over the club face... they last longer.

Wow - 150 rounds per year!!!  I'm very jealous.  That's probably 4 - 5 years of golf for me.  I'm also a very steep player with the wedges so I feel like that gets the faces a bit more tarnished.  Usually I can sell them for around $60 as well so I get the new one at a more tolerant price.

[BIG STU]

53 minutes ago, juspoole said:

Wow - 150 rounds per year!!!  I'm very jealous.  That's probably 4 - 5 years of golf for me.  I'm also a very steep player with the wedges so I feel like that gets the faces a bit more tarnished.  Usually I can sell them for around $60 as well so I get the new one at a more tolerant price.

Sometimes it depends on a couple of factors- One is what the actual material and Rockwell hardness of the metal is to begin with. Another is the soil and believe it or not air content in your area. The old hard Cleveland 588s wear good for me. Mizuno and Miura I love but the softness wears quick here. Where I live in Coastal SC we have sandy soil and salt in the air and can be tough on forged clubs. On the other hand there is a contingent of retirees that play at least 5 days a week ( weather permitting) and most of them are playing Eye2s that after 30 years still do not show wear.  I know exactly what you are talking about on getting steep with the wedges because I do that myself. Yep mine tend to wear at first on the bottom groove and the leading edge gets so sharp you can darn near shave with them