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Practice Drills/Games

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  • 15-04-2013 10:25pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭


    Creating this thread for people to share the drills/games that they work on when out practicing. If it becomes popular we can add it to the sticky list.


    On the back of a comment my pro made yesterday about the first 20-30M being the most important for being online I tried something on the range tonight.

    Paced out 15M and stuck an old flag pole in the ground.
    Then went back and aimed at it with a 4i for about 30 balls.

    At the start I was pretty bad, missing by a couple of yards but by the end it was amazing how accurate I was getting, missing by a couple of inches either side and actually hitting it 3 times. (thinly veiled, "look at me!" :))

    I found that I was purely focusing on the target and very little on alignment or swing thoughts (bar the thing I was actually working on).
    I was getting quality strikes and even the misses weren't that bad.

    It was also a pleasure to go pick up the balls as they were all within maybe 20m of each other...which doesnt usually happen...not with a 4i anyway!

    Also it was pretty dark at that stage (9pm, yes I have a problem) so it was interesting how I was staying down on the shot and listening for the hit
    rather than peaking up like I have a habit of doing.

    I have some other short games ones that I will post if the thread takes off.


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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 812 ✭✭✭For Paws


    Interesting.

    The one I'd throw in is an old putting routine.

    Instead of putting to a hole on the practice green, insert a tee about 1/2'' into the green. Then putt at it.
    If you're inclined to pull or push, even fractionally, it'll show.
    Also, if you putting at the correct speed you should knock the tee out of the turf, not just gently collide with it.

    Then when you're tapping in (from 5 feet) on the 1st green, the hole will look enormous in comparison.

    It's also a good thing to visualize a tee 'floating' above the centre of the cup and aim at that, instead of just the hole.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 12,802 Mod ✭✭✭✭Keano


    I like to bring 4 or 5 balls and a few clubs with putter to putting green. Aim is to get all them up and down first with LW, then with 7i or 8i. Really shows how hard it is.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭alxmorgan


    The 9 shoter.
    So there are only 9 shots in golf. High, medium and low.
    Straight, draw and fade.
    The game is you basically try to play all of them and you soon get to see which you can and can't play. Of course you can work on the ones you can't play or just accept it and move.
    To be fair this is a pro drill so average Joes like me can play maybe 4 or 5 (if I'm lucky and not all of them intentionally :D ) but maybe for the better players on here it might be interesting.

    If practicing with a partner you take turns calling the shot to the other to see if they can produce.


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    alxmorgan wrote: »
    The 9 shoter.
    So there are only 9 shots in golf. High, medium and low.
    Straight, draw and fade.
    The game is you basically try to play all of them and you soon get to see which you can and can't play. Of course you can work on the ones you can't play or just accept it and move.
    To be fair this is a pro drill so average Joes like me can play maybe 4 or 5 (if I'm lucky and not all of them intentionally :D ) but maybe for the better players on here it might be interesting.

    If practicing with a partner you take turns calling the shot to the other to see if they can produce.

    I often try these shots (well, high/low and fade/draw) but never really the opposite combinations. I guess naturally the fade is higher and the draw is lower, but I can hit it straight high and straight low...the opposites sometimes come off..but often its a doublecross!

    One tip I would add when doing this is to have some "rules" around the shot.
    e.g. it has to start left of X and finish inline with Y.
    Otherwise I think you can just end up hitting bananas that arent actually any use to you on the course. On the course you need to move it around something and end up somewhere specific...

    Good one though!


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Played two 6 hole challenges with the Senior Cup team last night and this morning. Both good practice ideas I reckon.
    1st is where you try to score points:
    2 for a par
    3 birdie
    4 eagle
    -3 double bogey or worse
    you also play 1 shot from a greenside bunker and try to get up and down, +2 if you do.

    I managed 7 points (including 1 double that was par 4 straight into the wind) so was pretty happy, I also had a birdie which helped :)
    The winner had 16 :eek:


    2nd one was where you play 6 holes dropping a ball between 50m and 70m from the pin and keep track of your score, I managed 21 shots, with a poxy 5 because of a 4 putt. It really is amazing the shots we drop from these distances.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭alxmorgan


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Played two 6 hole challenges with the Senior Cup team last night and this morning. Both good practice ideas I reckon.
    1st is where you try to score points:
    2 for a par
    3 birdie
    4 eagle
    -3 double bogey or worse
    you also play 1 shot from a greenside bunker and try to get up and down, +2 if you do.

    I managed 7 points (including 1 double that was par 4 straight into the wind) so was pretty happy, I also had a birdie which helped :)
    The winner had 16 :eek:


    2nd one was where you play 6 holes dropping a ball between 50m and 70m from the pin and keep track of your score, I managed 21 shots, with a poxy 5 because of a 4 putt. It really is amazing the shots we drop from these distances.


    I read something similar somewhere recently.
    Play a hole and drop two balls around PW distance and in.
    Par of the hole is 5 so up and down with one and up and two downs (:D) with the other = Par.
    Play 18 like this and you are playing all your golf in the scoring zone and see what your score is like to Par by the end.

    Useful I reckon when practicing alone as there is no temptation to hit 5 drives off each tee to try and find that perfect swing :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    alxmorgan wrote: »
    I read something similar somewhere recently.
    Play a hole and drop two balls around PW distance and in.
    Par of the hole is 5 so up and down with one and up and two downs (:D) with the other = Par.
    Play 18 like this and you are playing all your golf in the scoring zone and see what your score is like to Par by the end.

    Useful I reckon when practicing alone as there is no temptation to hit 5 drives off each tee to try and find that perfect swing :D

    That could get very interesting...if you get to the stage where you are able to shoot to par it means that, more often than not, if you are out of position off the tee or hitting a long iron/wood approach to the green, you will be better off just laying up...hard for a lot of people to accept I'd bet.


    Also, 5 is a pretty tough target with 2 balls...our Pro gave us full handicaps (well 1/3rd as it was 6 holes) and we were never more than 70M away.
    He had a +3 fella doing it after us, I'll be very interested to see what he shot.

    In the one last night (in the gale) the guy with 16 was a scratch player and all the points are worked out without handicaps. Made it very tough but was great to play with the good guys, the up and downs were particularly impressive.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,824 ✭✭✭levitronix


    I do something similar when im practicing playing 9 nine holes
    Play 1 normal ball and drop 1 ball at the 150 yards marker and count both scores
    So if I par with my normal ball and bogey with the 150 yard ball, that's a bogey overall


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭alxmorgan


    GreeBo wrote: »
    That could get very interesting...if you get to the stage where you are able to shoot to par it means that, more often than not, if you are out of position off the tee or hitting a long iron/wood approach to the green, you will be better off just laying up...hard for a lot of people to accept I'd bet.


    Also, 5 is a pretty tough target with 2 balls...our Pro gave us full handicaps (well 1/3rd as it was 6 holes) and we were never more than 70M away.
    He had a +3 fella doing it after us, I'll be very interested to see what he shot.

    In the one last night (in the gale) the guy with 16 was a scratch player and all the points are worked out without handicaps. Made it very tough but was great to play with the good guys, the up and downs were particularly impressive.

    True but I'd imagine you can bring a handicap in if you want.
    Or maybe just use your score over par as a baseline and aim to beat it each time


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,094 ✭✭✭✭PARlance


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Played two 6 hole challenges with the Senior Cup team last night and this morning. Both good practice ideas I reckon.
    1st is where you try to score points:
    2 for a par
    3 birdie
    4 eagle
    -3 double bogey or worse
    you also play 1 shot from a greenside bunker and try to get up and down, +2 if you do.

    I managed 7 points (including 1 double that was par 4 straight into the wind) so was pretty happy, I also had a birdie which helped :)
    The winner had 16 :eek:

    It seems like a very unGreeboesque drill??? :D
    In that it seems to me to favour aggression over course management?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,331 ✭✭✭mike12


    Par 18.
    Have 9 chips from around a green. 3 easy 3 middling and 3 hard finish out all balls the par is 18 so keep a record and try and improve every time you try it. Good for chipping and putting.
    Mike


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    ajcurry123 wrote: »
    It seems like a very unGreeboesque drill??? :D
    In that it seems to me to favour aggression over course management?

    Not really...its far more important to not have a double or worse.
    To make up for a double you need to have 2 pars...the drill is actually designed to get you to limit the disasters and to improve your ability to get up and down.

    The reward for getting an eagle is only marginally better than the penalty for having a double, yet its far easier to have a double than an eagle...especially if you go for an eagle and put yourself in the sh!te.


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,094 ✭✭✭✭PARlance


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Not really...its far more important to not have a double or worse.
    To make up for a double you need to have 2 pars...the drill is actually designed to get you to limit the disasters and to improve your ability to get up and down.

    The reward for getting an eagle is only marginally better than the penalty for having a double, yet its far easier to have a double than an eagle...especially if you go for an eagle and put yourself in the sh!te.

    Fair enough, but the lad winning with 16?
    Surely he was pushing it more so than normal, with the lower percentage shots working for him on this occasion?

    edit: Just after spotting that there are 12 points on offer for sand saves on each hole


  • Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Iangolf


    ajcurry123 wrote: »
    Fair enough, but the lad winning with 16?
    Surely he was pushing it more so than normal, with the lower percentage shots working for him on this occasion?

    edit: Just after spotting that there are 12 points on offer for sand saves on each hole

    Maybe he made six pars and got up and down 5/6 from greenside bunkers. Good drills, i often play match play v par (3) from 150 or par(2) from around the green while playing a practice round..


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,849 ✭✭✭Russman


    alxmorgan wrote: »
    I read something similar somewhere recently.
    Play a hole and drop two balls around PW distance and in.
    Par of the hole is 5 so up and down with one and up and two downs (:D) with the other = Par.
    Play 18 like this and you are playing all your golf in the scoring zone and see what your score is like to Par by the end.

    Useful I reckon when practicing alone as there is no temptation to hit 5 drives off each tee to try and find that perfect swing :D

    That's actually a really good one because we're always tempted to hit 3, 4 or even 5 drives when one strays a few yards (or fairways;)) off line, when in reality semi rough or fairway often doesn't make all that much of a difference. Must give it a try.

    Another habit (not really a drill) I'm trying to get into of late is picking the shot I'm trying to hit - I often fall into the bad habit of just aiming down the middle with no real idea of what I'm trying to do. Plus its good fun in a strong crosswind trying to hold one up against the wind, let the next one ride the wind etc etc. The idea is to stop you playing "practice ground golf" on the course or to get you to play golf as opposed to "golf swing".

    On the greens, the old faithful, hole 20 two footers in a row is always good. If you miss you start again - the first 19 aren't hard, its that last one gets the nerves going.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,849 ✭✭✭Russman


    Great idea for a thread by the way !


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    ajcurry123 wrote: »
    Fair enough, but the lad winning with 16?
    Surely he was pushing it more so than normal, with the lower percentage shots working for him on this occasion?

    edit: Just after spotting that there are 12 points on offer for sand saves on each hole
    Iangolf wrote: »
    Maybe he made six pars and got up and down 5/6 from greenside bunkers. Good drills, i often play match play v par (3) from 150 or par(2) from around the green while playing a practice round..

    Well he is off scratch so its hardly an easy comparison to most of us...

    He had 2 birdies, 3 pars and a bogey.
    He also go up and down 2 times.

    Its all very doable hole by hole...its just putting 6 (and ultimately 18) of them together, without throwing in the doubles...thats the key to scoring in this (and in golf in general)
    Another way of looking at it, its worth going for an eagle if you are sure that you wont every score worse than a bogey if it goes wrong...until you (and your short game) are at that level then you shouldnt be going to eagles in strokes play.


    I would say that 150M is too far out, you will have more approach shots from <100m than you will from 150M I reckon.
    You dont need to be hitting the green the majority of the time form 150...you do from 70 though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,849 ✭✭✭Russman


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Its all very doable hole by hole...its just putting 6 (and ultimately 18) of them together, without throwing in the doubles...thats the key to scoring in this (and in golf in general)

    I would say that 150M is too far out, you will have more approach shots from <100m than you will from 150M I reckon.
    You dont need to be hitting the green the majority of the time form 150...you do from 70 though.

    How true that is, its amazing how much easier it is to, say, play the course in 3 hole segments, doesn't seem as daunting. And often no matter how bad you're playing, if you have the discipline to do that, you can usually have fairly decent segments. Very hard to discipline yourself to do it though when the red mist descends ! :)

    150m is maybe a little far, that could be a very long iron or rescue in certain hurricane conditions, where you're really looking for a good miss. A par of 6 for two balls would be a challenge.


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Russman wrote: »
    How true that is, its amazing how much easier it is to, say, play the course in 3 hole segments, doesn't seem as daunting. And often no matter how bad you're playing, if you have the discipline to do that, you can usually have fairly decent segments. Very hard to discipline yourself to do it though when the red mist descends ! :)

    150m is maybe a little far, that could be a very long iron or rescue in certain hurricane conditions, where you're really looking for a good miss. A par of 6 for two balls would be a challenge.

    Yeah, I think 150m is missing the "short game" point of the drill.

    If you are getting down in 3 from 150m then you are probably playing scratch golf to begin with.


  • Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Iangolf


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Yeah, I think 150m is missing the "short game" point of the drill.

    Is this a short game thread only??
    GreeBo wrote: »
    If you are getting down in 3 from 150m then you are probably playing scratch golf to begin with.

    Personally I work in yards, So 150 would be an 8/9 iron, I'm looking for a par 3. This is a target, as I am always aiming to play scratch golf or better, no point in setting easily attained targets..


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  • Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Iangolf wrote: »
    Is this a short game thread only??
    Not at all, sorry I had assumed you were replying to the short game drill that I had posted and werent post a new one that wasnt about short game.

    Iangolf wrote: »
    Personally I work in yards, So 150 would be an 8/9 iron, I'm looking for a par 3. This is a target, as I am always aiming to play scratch golf or better, no point in setting easily attained targets..

    I would still say that there is more benefit from working from 100m and in over 150 yards. I know that I certainly have more shots from <100m than I have from 150 yards but if you are specifically working on Par 3 shots then I guess thats a different drill. Would you tee it up for this?


  • Registered Users Posts: 159 ✭✭Iangolf


    GreeBo wrote: »
    I would still say that there is more benefit from working from 100m and in over 150 yards. I know that I certainly have more shots from <100m than I have from 150 yards but if you are specifically working on Par 3 shots then I guess thats a different drill. Would you tee it up for this?

    No I am not just working on par 3 shots, I am looking to make a par 3 from this distance, as in my target is to get the ball in the hole in 3 shots, 2 would be very good, 4 not so good. (so no tee)
    My home course is quite short but i still have 7/8 shots from this range every week, and with this drill I know that I can shave a couple of shots off my score by being more accurate with 8/9 iron or missing in the right area.

    There is benefit from working on shots from 110 yards in also, but this a drill I work on and that is what this thread is about, or is it about finding fault in others drills?


  • Registered Users Posts: 708 ✭✭✭loadwire


    GreeBo wrote: »
    I know that I certainly have more shots from <100m than I have from 150 yards

    That made me think about which distance is more common for me on an average round.

    Corballis is my usual course, which I know is far from a typical setup, and I'd say my drives are a fair bit shorter than most - generally 200-220 yards. Going through it hole-by-hole I'd expect my approach shots to be something like:

    1 150
    2 110
    3 50 (3rd shot!)
    4 110
    5 110+
    6 120 (downhill)
    7 110
    8 160+
    9 190
    10 190
    11 100
    12 100
    13 140 (uphill)
    14 150+
    15 170+
    16 150+
    17 140 (uphill)
    18 130 (uphill)

    It's hard to give average distances on a links with wind and/or run of the ball and a few errant drives can ad a few yards - eg. on the 5th I often bail out right which can make the second shot closer to 150.

    But basically from up to 12th (apart from 1, 8 and 9) it's mainly wedges and 9-irons and apart from that it's 8-iron or lower.

    I know Corballis is a very short course, on longer courses I'm often taking out the trusty 5-wood for my second to a par four.

    I've only started using golfshot, must check if that can tell me my most used clubs.


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    ^

    but remember that's your approaches when you hit a perfect tree shot and then still have to hit a perfect approach.
    for me anyway the two of them rarely happen together. I'll either be on trouble of the tee or just not hot a great shot to the green.
    so the 70 and in distance is the range that I *actually* have during a round, on an average day.

    it's also the one that is most important to get up and down from, as it means that you typically are already struggling for part.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,437 ✭✭✭spacecoyote


    GreeBo wrote: »
    ^

    but remember that's your approaches when you hit a perfect tree shot and then still have to hit a perfect approach.
    for me anyway the two of them rarely happen together. I'll either be on trouble of the tee or just not hot a great shot to the green.
    so the 70 and in distance is the range that I *actually* have during a round, on an average day.

    it's also the one that is most important to get up and down from, as it means that you typically are already struggling for part.

    Bang on, how many of us are actually hitting an enormous amount of greens from 200 yrds out.

    Getting close within the scoring zone, ie inside 100yds is something I think everyone should be working on.

    If I hit 100 balls at the range, unless I'm working on a swing change, its probably at least 70% trying to hit different types of shots at targets from 40-100 yrds


  • Registered Users Posts: 708 ✭✭✭loadwire


    GreeBo wrote: »
    ^

    but remember that's your approaches when you hit a perfect tree shot and then still have to hit a perfect approach.
    for me anyway the two of them rarely happen together. I'll either be on trouble of the tee or just not hot a great shot to the green.
    so the 70 and in distance is the range that I *actually* have during a round, on an average day.

    it's also the one that is most important to get up and down from, as it means that you typically are already struggling for part.

    Fair point. I did say my yardages were subject to "errant drives" and as you say, if the approach doesn't hit the green you're left with a short shot then anyway.

    Saying that, I still think the fact that you're in trouble off the tee or haven't hit a great second should be a sign that the longer game needs work too though, rather than just ignoring it.

    I do agree that for higher handicappers especially, work on the short game will probably reap quicker dividends than the longer irons/woods.


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    loadwire wrote: »
    Fair point. I did say my yardages were subject to "errant drives" and as you say, if the approach doesn't hit the green you're left with a short shot then anyway.

    Saying that, I still think the fact that you're in trouble off the tee or haven't hit a great second should be a sign that the longer game needs work too though, rather than just ignoring it.

    I do agree that for higher handicappers especially, work on the short game will probably reap quicker dividends than the longer irons/woods.

    Agreed you cant ignore your long game, but pretty much everyone is going to miss fairways and be laying up on some holes no matter how well you are playing.
    A good short game can make up for a bad long game, the opposite is not true.

    Also I think almost the opposite is true, the lower you get the better your shortgame has to be as your long game doesnt really get that much better once you drop below say 12/13 or so (IMO)


  • Registered Users Posts: 708 ✭✭✭loadwire


    GreeBo wrote: »
    pretty much everyone is going to miss fairways and be laying up on some holes no matter how well you are playing.

    True, but missing fewer fairways will still improve your score.
    GreeBo wrote: »
    A good short game can make up for a bad long game, the opposite is not true.

    It's a bit dependent on course - on a tight tree-lined course if you can't drive straight you're going to be pretty screwed unless you're Seve.

    Sooner or later you have to address the weakest points in your game, whatever they are. IMO the biggest difference between 16-18 handicappers and 10-12 handicappers tends to be from 150 yards in. That's a massive generalisation I admit.


  • Registered Users Posts: 27,034 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    loadwire wrote: »
    True, but missing fewer fairways will still improve your score.



    It's a bit dependent on course - on a tight tree-lined course if you can't drive straight you're going to be pretty screwed unless you're Seve.

    Sooner or later you have to address the weakest points in your game, whatever they are. IMO the biggest difference between 16-18 handicappers and 10-12 handicappers tends to be from 150 yards in. That's a massive generalisation I admit.

    Even with a tight course though, you cant make up for a poor short game if you have a great driving game, 18 FIR rarely results in 18 GIR (or anything like it).



    Tried a new putting drill last night:

    Par 27:
    You take a putt from 3 feet, one from 8 feet and then 1 from 35 feet.
    And then repeat 6 times, using a different hole/line each time.

    Par for the drill is 27 (cool name huh?)

    so you are expected to hit all the 3 footers in 1, half the 8 footers in 1 and all the footers in 2.

    I had a 29 first time out, so will be interesting to track it over the year.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭alxmorgan


    GreeBo wrote: »
    Even with a tight course though, you cant make up for a poor short game if you have a great driving game, 18 FIR rarely results in 18 GIR (or anything like it).



    Tried a new putting drill last night:

    Par 27:
    You take a putt from 3 feet, one from 8 feet and then 1 from 35 feet.
    And then repeat 6 times, using a different hole/line each time.

    Par for the drill is 27 (cool name huh?)

    so you are expected to hit all the 3 footers in 1, half the 8 footers in 1 and all the footers in 2.

    I had a 29 first time out, so will be interesting to track it over the year.

    Practice green or course ?


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