Making your Practise Session worthwhile

GreenHorn

Lads,

I gather that most of you who post here are keen golfers (obviously) and assume there are some teaching pros and/or low handicap/scratch golfers amongst us...

My question (if you could call it that) is this:

I (mid-handicapper) hit the range usually about twice a week on average, I always try to hit a good few wedges and not just blast away with the Big Stick but I was wondering if anybody could recommened a strict kind of regime for someone who hits the range two/three times a week for an hour max.

ie - Hit 20 7Irons followed by 20 short pitches etc etc

Just trying to get more from my practise sessions and often find that I go to the range without a plan as such and probably don't get all that I can from them...

Is it a good idea to keep track of your results - ie: how many of your iron shots went where you wanted em to etc etc...

Anybody care to share their own range regime?

Cheers Men...

PS - Apologies if this is a thread that has been used before! I'm only new!

Poker & Pints

So you may need to tailor this to your needs:

My training includes:

30 minutes of hitting shots as if I was on the course. In other words I take a score card and play the course on the range. I will hit Driver(or other club) off a tee like I would on the course as per the hole and then hit iron depending on my drive(e.g. driver, 6 iron, even a chip).

Next: I work my clubs in packages: I hit 345, 678, 9PSWGW, each 10 min

I work driver and 3 wood 15 min each.

Next: Chipping, Pitch, Lob - 1 hour min

Next: Putting: 30 min - Spend 10 minutes on distance only, not at a hole..next 10 min hitting 5 ft putts. final 10 minutes circling the cup from 10 ft.

I write feedback on my short game and distance control. I video once per week.

GreenHorn

That's great stuff, exactly the kinda thing I was talking about... Very interesting, Cheers...

I've always liked the idea of playing the course 'on the range' alright but never actually do it. I think I read somewhere that it was something Seve did regularly on the range. Keeps it interesting as much as anything and keeps your practice varied...

What sort of things will you look out for when going back over your feedback, if ya don't mind me asking?!

I, like a alot of people presumably, find that sometimes the range plays tricks on you. For example, lets say you go out and hit forty drives. For arguments sake, lets say you hit 25 great drives, 10 okay drives and five awful drives... The problem with the eternally-optimistic golfer can be that when he steps up on the tee he only remembers the good drives and therefore has an unrealistic vision of himself when he gets to the course.

Of course, its good to be positive and remember the good shots ahead of the bad ones but I find that when you disregard the bad shots from the range as if they never happened then you find it hard to accept the bad/okay shots out on the course... "But I hit it great on the range!" etc etc

No1 Rule of Golf - Bad shots CAN and WILL happen, accept it...

J.R.HARTLEY

pay extra attention to the hint on putting practice, especially in the summer, the amount of fair weather golfers that are surprised when the ball goes flying past the hole on quick summer greens never ceases to amaze me.

Poker & Pints

For me, my feedback, is what changes when I hit a bad v. good shot. Nothing overly complicated: I look for power loss, acceleration/deceleration, hands, distance control and direction.

To your range comment....i go back to the visualization...instead of just hitting balls on a range(this big wide open space), limit your space and hit for only that space as if it were a fairway or a green.

The other neat thing for range practice is when you hit a good one, you should close your eyes and try remembering the feel, the motion/action of your swing, etc.....this is where the video helps too.

Have fun

GreeBo

Taking your time over each shot on the range (as you would on the course, set up, alignment etc) is vital.
A chimp can hit the ball well after 30 mins of rapid fire swinging.
You will learn to time your swing well, to grove it, but you cant do this on the course.

swingking

My best advice for practice is to lay clubs on the ground for your alignment. When you are aligned properly your swing and ball flight will be more consistent; I can't stress this enough for golfers.

mox54

There is another way to practice your golf swing and get instant feedback - you could use a golf simulator to not only hit shots but get instant feedback data on your swing, e.g. clubhead speed at impact, swing path in degrees, club face open/closed and by how much and so forth.

I've seen them in use recently and it was very accurate and very useful for golfers at all levels - one guy hit 368 yrds from the tee and said he could do better!!! but you get instant feedback and can see changes to you make giving better results.

www.golfswingpro.ie have more details:)

foxyboxer

[QUOTE=Poker & Pints

30 minutes of hitting shots as if I was on the course. In other words I take a score card and play the course on the range. I will hit Driver(or other club) off a tee like I would on the course as per the hole and then hit iron depending on my drive(e.g. driver, 6 iron, even a chip).

[/QUOTE]

I practice the same way. I usually take a leisurely 2 hours if on my own.
I play a particular course in my mind. picking out specific targets, using a tee if it's a par three etc. the key is to be as realistic as possible. e.g. if there's a hole that's tree lined down the left and you pull the tee shot into the 'imaginary' trees..take your medicine and chip out then hit your approach. i use the same scorecard principle. i also take the area next to the putting green, whereby i can walk ten yards and either putt of chip after my 'approach' shot to the green. i love this way of practicing and try to get my brothers to do the same. unfortunately i don't drive at the moment so if we go to the range in the car, and we only have 45 minutes...i hate the feeling of being rushed and my rhythm goes haywire. much better to practice on your own time i find.

Adiaga 2

This is a really good thread. Interesting reading your routines and suggestions. This year I have hit more practise balls than ever but don't feel like my game has really improved with the exception of my driving. I really lost it with my irons for a time there which was very frustating on the course because that's always been the strongest part of game. I put it down to too much practise at the driving range. Has anyone else experienced this? I do love practising but have made a conscious decision not to go the range as often. As an alternative I play par 3 golf when I can. It costs about the same as a large basket of balls and only takes about 90 minutes usually. Definitely good for the short to mid iron play, short game and putting.

GreenHorn

Two or three Christmases (is that the plural of Christmas? Anyway...) while still in college I decided I'd really try and improve my game and during my two weeks off I went to the range every day almost and hit at least one large basket of balls but more often two.

I was delighted with how I was hitting the ball after the two weeks. I was playing off my first society handicap at the time (25) but felt like I could hit it alot better than that would suggest.

But, when I took it to the course I had pretty much failed to take more than one or two shots off my round. Yes, I would play the odd spectacular shot that I couldn't play before that xmas - a long drive, a well-struck long iron, shots that I simply hadn't had in my bag previously - but the fact was I wasn't making it round the course in fewer strokes... I couldn't understand it, for the first time (on the range) I was able to hit fairway woods off the deck and seemed to be driving the ball longer and straighter than ever. I could hit a 3 iron off the deck on the range and I thought I was going to step on the course and shave 10/12 shots off...

Not a bit of it unfortunately. I don't know what to conclude from all that really, other than the range can be misleading I suppose and there's obviously an awful lot more to the game than beating balls on the range...

Poker & Pints

Just because I have "relations" with a woman every night of the week doesn't necessarily mean I am the stud I think I am.

You really do need to hit the balls with a purpose. Per the poster 2 above, I don't think there is really "too much". However, I believe it is Quality not Quantity. If you hit 100 bad balls and I hit 50 good balls who do you think will make the improvements.

You must consciously understand what made a good hit and carry that sensation/feeling/memory to the course.

I often know that I will hit a good ball in the first seconds of my take away.

It truly makes a difference when you really understand/comprehend that piece.