Practice?

GreeBo

So do you practice?
If so what do you practice?
Do you play holes, driving range, short game, putting green?

Try and fill out the same info as below.

Handicap: 8
Driving: ~0%, usually just playing holes.
Long Irons (3-5): ~0%, usually just playing holes.
Mid Irons(6-PW): 30%
Short game:35%
Putting:35%

All above is during spring/summer/autumn and on course/practice area.
In winter I mainly use the range and the short game suffers a bit.

madds

Handicap: 9
Short game:40%
Putting:40%
Rest:20%

Only use the range during the Winter months as I much prefer to play a few holes in the evening with a couple of balls and spend a few minutes on each green pitching and putting. My objective is usually to keep my rhythm right and stay on the pace of the greens.

I loathe the driving range as I find I get very little out of it.

jimmystars

Handicap: 9
Driving: 10%
Long Irons (3-5): 10%.
Mid Irons(6-Lw):80%
Short game:0% (might throw down the odd ball if playin a practice round)
Putting:0%

Only practice at the range during the winter. I do enjoy hitting balls and working on my swing and usually find my game in decent condition after a vist to the range. The range i go to has no short game practice area so i neglect the short game completely unless its a friendly round with one of the lads. Must say during the summer months i have gone to the range only once and the game is suffering as a result. I refuse to practice putting as just when i think i can putt i find i cant.
I wish i practiced in the practice area more but whenever i have time to practice i find i can go golfing instead which i do.

GreeBo

madds wrote: »

Only use the range during the Winter months as I much prefer to play a few holes in the evening with a couple of balls and spend a few minutes on each green pitching and putting.

Im exactly the same tbh. I usually end up spending maybe 20 mins on or around each green, pitching, chipping, bunkers and putting. Really seeing the results of this practice this year.

The shorter evenings are killing me though

chemicalfred

I'm a 6 handicapper and I do most of my practice at the driving range. During the summer I try to get to the pratice ground at the club and do some pitching and chipping but not enough.
I've started hitting LW SW PW shots in the driving range in the evening just to get a feel for distance and to try and improve my ball striking on these shots from 100yds in. What do ye think about the merits of doing this when (due to short evenings) a trip to the practice ground to chip and pitch is out of the question. Do ye think its a waste of time trying to practice finesse shots off a mat in a range when you don't have agreen to play to?

PhilipMarlowe

I hate playing off mats anyway so I almost never enjoy/use the driving range. I find it ok if I'm warming up before a round but I think you can get away with 'poor' striking with the short wedges off a mat. Even if you catch a little behind the ball the club can't really 'dig' and you'll still get a decent result whereas out on normal grass you'd have a much more pronounced result from catching one heavy.
I managed to call in to Mount Juilet yesterday evening and they have a fantastic chipping/pitching green surrounded by undulating rough, a big bunker and 20 yards of fairway leading into to it from one side which allows 40-50 yard shots to be practiced.... heaven. My club is supposed to be building something this autumn and when it does, I should be tied to it like an old goat.
In my opinion, you can't beat seeing how the ball reacts on landing on a real green... the subtle differences that you can make in your swing... playing it more upright off the toe... steeper with more spin... the difference the lie makes etc. etc.
Of course, needs must, and if you can't get to the outdoor facility then the range it is... but I'd try to mix in as much as possible of the real deal so you know your exact progress.

chemicalfred

I'm with you there Licksy, I much prefer hitting pitches and chips around a green from 100 yds in to slogging drives on a range. My idea of perfection would be a driving range with a floodlit short game area, bunkers, separate putting area. The GUI academy has something like that you can pay for to use but I don't think its floodlit (the putting green is). I wish I had the time, I'd probably spend days over there...

GreeBo

chemicalfred wrote: »

Do ye think its a waste of time trying to practice finesse shots off a mat in a range when you don't have agreen to play to?

When stuck I spend a bit of time chipping and pitching/floping in my very modest back garden.
Its not telling me anything about how the ball will react on a green but it does give me great feedback on how far each "swing" will carry the ball. I can usually
adjust for the greenspeed pretty easily on course.

conman

i used to spend the vast majority of my game on and around the putting green.

putting: 35%
chipping: 35%
Driving range: 10%
Irons: 20%

now though, im looking for a course to join.
no course, no practice green.

G1032

Handicap: 5
Driving: 0% - only when playing
Long Irons (3-5):0%
Mid Irons(6-SW):0%
Short game: very little practice. (might throw down the odd ball if playin a practice round)
Putting:0%

Don't get to practice at all. We have no facilities at our club so the only hope to get any practice in is on a quiet evening in a far corner of the course and take a few chips to a green.
We do have a putting green so I guess I should practice putting more. I would take a few putts before a round but I don't suppose I can call that practice.
I would get 2 or 3 lessons each summer and they seem to keep me ticking over.
I'd really love to have the facilities to practice short game - chips, bunker shots, pitches from 80yds and in, but we just don't have them.