Short Game Practice Drills for Foursomes Golf

gerrymadden1

Anyone ever come across short game drills and exercises for foursomes (alternate shots) golf??

I'm not being lazy but I don't want to spend hours preparing something that's simply reinventing the wheel...

I'm specifically thinking of drills to make practice more interesting.

stockdam

Can you explain what you mean.......why would a practice drill be any different for foursomes compared to any other format. The short game is the short game.

gerrymadden1

stockdam wrote: »

Can you explain what you mean.......why would a practice drill be any different for foursomes compared to any other format. The short game is the short game.

Not quite... foursomes adds an additional element to short game play... e.g. the golfer who usually misses a 20' putt 2 feet on the long side playing singles will often leave his putt 3' short playing foursomes.

Properly structured practice drills can help to remove the "fear factor" and replace it with trust & confidence in your partner while at the same time honing the short game skills of both players.

The Ryder Cup teams use exercises & drills to develop foursome partnerships. Now, if I could get my hands on some of those.........

PhilipMarlowe

If you were talking about mixed foursomes I could maybe understand as you get to hit shots from places you didn't know existed on the course
'Regular' foursomes is the same as 'normal' singles golf if you approach that way. Once you have a comfortable pairing... I tell my partner that I won't be apologising for foul-ups and I don't want to hear him whinge either when he makes a mistake. I don't know if that kind of 'manning up' attitude can be learned from drills? Once a shot is played you must move on. Once you have a strategy for the shot, try and execute it. If it doesn't quite work, the partner has to deal with it and execute his next shot.
The concept of a drill to help with this is interesting but weird

owenmul

gerrymadden1 wrote: »

Not quite... foursomes adds an additional element to short game play... e.g. the golfer who usually misses a 20' putt 2 feet on the long side playing singles will often leave his putt 3' short playing foursomes.

Properly structured practice drills can help to remove the "fear factor" and replace it with trust & confidence in your partner while at the same time honing the short game skills of both players.

The Ryder Cup teams use exercises & drills to develop foursome partnerships. Now, if I could get my hands on some of those.........

I played mixed foursomes for my club for the first time last year and in my opinion the only way to get comfortable around your playing partner is to play loads and loads together, get to know each others weaknesses and strengths.

I'd imagine the only way to practice the short game for foursomes is just to play a few rounds together, or go the practice green and take turns chipping and getting the other person to hole out.

I never practiced that with my partner, but focused on my own game. If you practice effectively you should be covering every facet of the short game, and if you're comfortable and confident with your own short game it shouldnt matter where your playing partner puts the ball.

I know what you mean about the fear factor when your partner is playing, i was a nervous wreck sometimes:D, but at the end of the day the fear factor shouldn't effect the way you play your own game.

I think the best practice is to practice your own game covering everything, especially the shots you dont normally practice and if you want to take it another step practice with your partner as I've already said.

Hope that helps.:D by the way if ya posted this last week i could've asked Darren Clarke about the ryder tips, I saw him out last week in Belfast.:D

A New earth

You know the old joke of course about the fella spotted out practicing on his own one evening.

He'd hit this fabulous drive and then give the ball a kick , he'd then hit a great shot just short of the green and next kick it into the bunker.

Eventually somebody asked him what he was at and he replied that he was practicing for the mixed foursomes on Sunday.

JCDUB

OP I understand what you're saying to an extent.

Let me explain: I find that at the range I just zone out and keep hitting balls without actually going through my shot routine, not concentrating on each shot like I was playing it on the course.

This doesn't help me get the most out of my time at the range. In fact I find it counter-productive.

However I sometimes go with a friend, we use the one bay, taking say five shots each. We aim for a particular pin/sign/green/bucket, and basically have a little competition seeing how many we can put closest to what we're aiming for.

We do this for all clubs in the bag and before we know it both of our buckets are gone. I find that I've been concentrating all the way through and we have a laugh. I find this method far more productive than practicing alone at the range.

Having said that I've never played foursomes with him and prob never will, but that's not why we do it. It works for us and I'd recommend trying it if you have difficulty getting into practice on your own. It just adds a bit of a competitive edge to the whole thing.

My 0.02

ShriekingSheet

gerrymadden1 wrote: »

remove the "fear factor" and replace it with trust & confidence in your partner while at the

I'm really struggling to comprehend this. Based on my own experience, and from what I've gleaned from recently succesful foursomes players, I totally disagree with the above, and find it puzzling.

While two already confident and tough competitors can combine to be better than the sum of their parts, individuals with concerns around "fear factors" and the lack "trust and confidence" can't solve these issues by simply by teaming up. Before you even begin to think about being a good pair, you need to be good individuals.

owenmul wrote: »

the only way to get comfortable around your playing partner is to play loads and loads together

I agree with many of your points owenmul, but not this one. Too many times, I've seen guys very comfortable with each other, who know each other inside out, fail to perform. And conversely, you will often see two guys who's sole reason for getting together is to make a pairing, with no history of social golf, and they will be business-like in how they prepare and approach the match, and as such, have that edge. It can (sometimes) be difficult for buddies to have the same approach. Sure you have to play together, but not massive amounts imo, and I also think needing loads of foursomes play together is also a complete myth.

gerrymadden1 wrote: »

foursomes adds an additional element to short game play... e.g. the golfer who usually misses a 20' putt 2 feet on the long side playing singles will often leave his putt 3' short playing foursomes.

That's just untrue, and the golfers who are like that certainly aren't part of any decent teams I know of.

If there's one key aspect to playing good foursomes, it's playing each of your shots exactly the same as you would on your own, and your partner in turn doing the same. The idea of amateurs like us, attempting to make clinical adjustments to the way they play, for strategic reasons, or because they think they need to finess a foursomes match, and tactically outwit opponents is just bananas.

A chip shot is a chip shot, whether you, your partner, or your partner's mother's milkman will be taking the subsequent putt.

gerrymadden1

Thanks guys. I've read your replies & I have been given lots of food for thought...

I posed the original post in a manner to generate debate & opinion. I believe that I have succeeded in my goal & I thank you for sharing your valuable experiences...

stockdam

It was a reasonable question but I think that you play your best shot around the green and there's no special foursomes practice.

However the long game might be a bit different. If your partner cannot get out of bunkers (i.e. is absolutely hopeless) then I'd steer well clear of them. However if your partner is an ace bunker player then you may even prefer to be in the bunker than say a downhill chip to a fast green so you may err towards the bunker (not deliberately but I hope you know what I mean).

If your partner fades the ball and there's a big tree on the left hand side of the green then you should leave him/her on the right side of the fairway.

If your partner is useless at half shots then it may be better to lay up to provide a full shot into the green.

All of this is knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your partner.