Make your practice a scramble.

Quahog217

A great practice game to play. Play 9 holes in scramble format, you have 5 attempts at each shot if you need them (if your first drive is good then walk on).

See what score you can shoot.

Its also good to show what areas you need to work on.

I shot 7 under for nine holes. Ive only done it one, havent had a chance to do it again but its very good practice.

WH BONNEY

Don't think you will be very popular with the course superintendent or the course committee if your observed following this practice regime.

Quahog217

Its pretty much the same as a fourball playing is it not. I fix every divot and pitch mark and often fix more pitch marks!!!

big_drive

I've played a 2 ball scramble on my own when course was quiet. Fun game, gets you in the mindset of shooting a good score. Playing 5 balls is probably over doing it though

MP62

Quahog217 wrote: »

Its pretty much the same as a fourball playing is it not. I fix every divot and pitch mark and often fix more pitch marks!!!

Still, practising excessively on the course is frowned upon at best.

Quahog217

You dont hit 5 shots every time, if your first or second ball is in the middle of the green then walk on. You can putt 5 times no problem.

And to be honest if the course is quiet and im repairing every divot and pitch mark, where is the harm?

Tin_Cup

Luke Donald does something similar when he's practicing calls it F*ck I'm Good!

spacecoyote

Quahog217 wrote: »

You dont hit 5 shots every time, if your first or second ball is in the middle of the green then walk on. You can putt 5 times no problem.
And to be honest if the course is quiet and im repairing every divot and pitch mark, where is the harm?

I would have thought this is a pretty counter-productive way of practicing. Sure you may shoot 7 under but it may have taken you over a 100 shots to do so.

For me, practice should be attempting to recreate the pressure of an actual counting shot on the golf course. You want to know that when you have to make 1 shot you can make it & your practice should work on getting you into that frame of mind

Tin_Cup

Good article from the GUI Academy here on the Benefits of FIG Golf


http://guiacademy.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/the-benefits-of-fig-golf/

onlyfinewine

Quahog217 wrote: »

A great practice game to play. Play 9 holes in scramble format, you have 5 attempts at each shot if you need them (if your first drive is good then walk on).

See what score you can shoot.

Its also good to show what areas you need to work on.

I shot 7 under for nine holes. Ive only done it one, havent had a chance to do it again but its very good practice.

Agree that it is very good practice, but if everyone were to adopt the practice you can imagine the mayhem that would result.

The normal way of playing the two ball scramble is obviously with two balls and you take the better of the two. This flatters your score which may be no bad thing.

Another way of playing it is worst ball scramble where you have to take the worst of the two balls and play two from there.

If you can score reasonably low at that format you are playing really well. You won't make many birdies this way and a par is a good score.

It will test all your skills and identify where your problems lie.

WH BONNEY

Quahog217 wrote: »

Its pretty much the same as a fourball playing is it not. I fix every divot and pitch mark and often fix more pitch marks!!!

Using your method you are hitting shots for the same small area, while you are replacing divots etc it is being overly harsh on the course and will take more time to recover.

In a 4ball 4 shots are usually hit from very different areas on the particular hole and will result in a much less concentrated wear and tear effect on the course helping it to recover quicker.

GreeBo

golf is about how good your bad shots are not how good your good shots are.
ican't see this helping other than to see how low you could go on an awesome day.

Dublin Spur

playing 2 balls (competing against each other) is mush more useful IMO

PARlance

Maybe its a practice routine for low-pro players!?
I am trying to play a bit more sensible for my HC of late.
It's my Fcuk You're Average At Best method.
Could see this routine making people take on the low % shot

Seves Three Iron

The routine/drill that the OP is talking about was devised by Dave Alred, Donald's coach. He also works with Harrington and, by the looks of things, knows his stuff.

PARlance

Seves Three Iron wrote: »

The routine/drill that the OP is talking about was devised by Dave Alred, Donald's coach. He also works with Harrington and, by the looks of things, knows his stuff.

I don't think Luke or Paddy are boards members.
I'm sure this drill is good for Low to Pro golfers but I don't think it would benefit the majority of us on here.
I've no doubt he knows his stuff, the key is that he knows he's dealing with Pro's and developed this drill with them in mind.
If Dave Alrend was to take a sample of us, I'd very much doubt that he'd be promoting the same drill for us to use.

Nozebleed

When practicing i usually,tee off...When i get to the 150 marker id drop 2 balls and pitch inn,walk on to the 100 marker and drop 2 more and pitch in. Id also play the original tee shot. Never practice putting on course however usually spend 20 mins on the practice green after the round.

Seves Three Iron

ajcurry123 wrote: »

If Dave Alrend was to take a sample of us, I'd very much doubt that he'd be promoting the same drill for us to use.

Well, if you pick up June's Golf World magazine you'll see he was doing exactly that. Reckons it's a useful tool for amateurs generally.

I suspect you're right though about Paddy and Luke.

PARlance

Seves Three Iron wrote: »

Well, if you pick up June's Golf World magazine you'll see he was doing exactly that. Reckons it's a useful tool for amateurs generally.

I suspect you're right though about Paddy and Luke.

Don't read Golf World, I get most of my bad advice from here

Still maintain it's a bad drill from the majority of us.

It's all about how you use it I suppose! My thinking would be that the example would be very common.
E.g You've a 2nd shot that normally would be a lay up when playing smart. I'd imagine most would go for the green with the FIG method.
It's designed to reward the low percentage shot and the majority of amateurs shouldn't be going for it.

WHIP IT!

If you read the article in the GUI link earlier in this thread, this method of practise definitely does seem to have its merit.

For example, have you ever noticed how you almost always play well in a Scramble? I play in probably a couple of them a year and always find them great fun and always find I hit the ball well... it's because the consequences of a bad shot are minimised so much - and, with the pressure off, you play better.

This method of practise, as the article says, gives you an insight into the standard of golf you have in you - if only we can "eliminate the Xs" as much as possible.

I think i'll be giving it a try with maybe a half bag of clubs for nine holes or so over winter - provided the course is quiet...

GreeBo

WHIP IT! wrote: »

If you read the article in the GUI link earlier in this thread, this method of practise definitely does seem to have its merit.

For example, have you ever noticed how you almost always play well in a Scramble? I play in probably a couple of them a year and always find them great fun and always find I hit the ball well... it's because the consequences of a bad shot are minimised so much - and, with the pressure off, you play better.

This method of practise, as the article says, gives you an insight into the standard of golf you have in you - if only we can "eliminate the Xs" as much as possible.

I think i'll be giving it a try with maybe a half bag of clubs for nine holes or so over winter - provided the course is quiet...

Isnt that just because you dont add up all of your shots?
If I only had to count my god shots in a round then I'd always play well. (sometimes I'd score a 1 tbh)


Personally I think a lot of the X's come from this sort of golf. Unless its a nothing to lose shot (matchplay, stableford) then I believe in minimising the potential downside with everyshot. Risk/Reward stuff.

Alrite Chief

WH BONNEY wrote: »

Don't think you will be very popular with the course superintendent or the course committee if your observed following this practice regime.

How many courses have superintendents :D:D:D

Gas stuff. Some people need to lighten up. If the fella is hitting multiple balls off the tee im sure there isn't someone waiting behind.

WH BONNEY

Alrite Chief wrote: »

How many courses have superintendents :D:D:D

Gas stuff. Some people need to lighten up. If the fella is hitting multiple balls off the tee im sure there isn't someone waiting behind.

Not sure how many but if your interested go to www.gcsai.org and they might tell you.

Nobody mentioned people waiting, you just don't get it

Alrite Chief

Looks an awesome website. I especially like their photo gallery http://www.gcsai.org/gallery.php

You are right though. I just don't get it. Explain the big problem. Maybe im missing something outrageous judging by the confused pissy face.

My club has a 3 ball maximum for players on their own. 3 would be too much for me personally but wouldn't have any problem with anyone out having a knock on their own doing their own thing.

Quahog217

GreeBo wrote: »

golf is about how good your bad shots are not how good your good shots are.
ican't see this helping other than to see how low you could go on an awesome day.

I think you will find golf is about hitting goods shots as much as not hitting good shots.

We all want to improve and get better, we wont do this by simply trying not to hit bad shots!!!

SnowDrifts

Alrite Chief wrote: »

Looks an awesome website. I especially like their photo gallery http://www.gcsai.org/gallery.php

You are right though. I just don't get it. Explain the big problem. Maybe im missing something outrageous judging by the confused pissy face.

My club has a 3 ball maximum for players on their own. 3 would be too much for me personally but wouldn't have any problem with anyone out having a knock on their own doing their own thing.

For clarity - I would love to know why this post got a warning??

onlyfinewine

SnowDrifts wrote: »

For clarity - I would love to know why this post got a warning??

I can't see any warning on this thread? Looks very civil to me.

Maybe it was another thread you are thinking about?

Alrite Chief

onlyfinewine wrote: »

I can't see any warning on this thread? Looks very civil to me.

Maybe it was another thread you are thinking about?

Yellow cards beside posts indicates an infraction.

GreeBo

Quahog217 wrote: »

I think you will find golf is about hitting goods shots as much as not hitting good shots.

We all want to improve and get better, we wont do this by simply trying not to hit bad shots!!!

No, golf is about how good your bad shots are.
No-one plays flawless golf. Dont confuse playing better golf by just making your good shots better, this isnt where you improve your score. (unless you are a scratch golfer, in which case you can probably ignore he above)

GreeBo

Per the charter, moderation decisions are not to be commented about on -hread, if you have an issue/question, take it to PM.
No more warnings.