Practice swings.

tayto lover

How many is enough?
I played with a lad on Thursday who took 5 practice swings before every shot.
Bored me to tears and made for a long round.
I think there should be a new rule saying that only 2 are allowed max. I don't take a practice swing at all by the way.

CalamariFritti

I dont think anyone wants to take 5 practice swings as part of their normal routine. You'd do that when struggling I guess. But I agree must be painful to watch.

Clareman

1 of the last rounds I played with was with a guy who was about a month away from a hip replacement, he didn't take a single practise swing the whole round, he said that it was painful enough to swing 80+ times why add to it, it was a super quick round of gold. Speaking to him afterwards he said that he thought it really improved his game as you concentrate on getting your alignment right and then go, after a practise swing you need to reset your alignment anyway, he pointed out that you never see a snooker player hitting beside the white ball, then moving in behind the white.

Mantis Toboggan

A little pointless if you ask me people do them out of habit and because they see others do them but I cannot see what benefit they have. I'd only ever do them around the greens to get an image of the shot in my head.

You wouldn't see Joe canning having practice swings before taking a free having said that I bet if he started doing them every kid in the country would be doing the same.

GreeBo

Clareman wrote: »

1 of the last rounds I played with was with a guy who was about a month away from a hip replacement, he didn't take a single practise swing the whole round, he said that it was painful enough to swing 80+ times why add to it, it was a super quick round of gold. Speaking to him afterwards he said that he thought it really improved his game as you concentrate on getting your alignment right and then go, after a practise swing you need to reset your alignment anyway, he pointed out that you never see a snooker player hitting beside the white ball, then moving in behind the white.

Feathering in snooker is equivalent to a practice swing.
I don't take a practice seeing in any full shot or putt, I might take one on a pitch or chip but more often not.

A bad practice swing introduces doubts a good one is no guarantee of anything so I figure why bother.

CalamariFritti

I can't say they have no purpose to be fair. Me for example I always doubt my swing or lets say my ability to repeat that decent one. If I get a good practice swing in with a good turn and my hands and arms feel right and I see that club head coming through with a good swish on a nice arc - it gives me confidence that I can do that again with the ball in the way.

Not that it actually guarantees it but the more confident you are the better. Its such a head game. Your head is looking for reassurance from your body to allow commitment - that's what it is for me.

But I rarely take more than one. Only if the first one felt poor. And if the second one feels poor too I go 'fvck it, whatever' and hope the real one will be better.

When I play well I often take none. But you couldn't conclude that I would be better off without them. I don't take practice swings because I swing well. It's not that I'm swinging well because I don't take practice swings.

kennethrhcp

I usually give one (half hearted tbh) practice swing at most shots. only time i'd do more if if im hitting a 3/5wood or long iron & my 1st swing doesn't graze the top of the grass... just a mental think I have

Seve OB

If you don't want to take a practice swing... Then don't take one.

If it bugs you that your playing partner takes to many, don't watch him.

I don't agree it slows the game down.

It is people who don't keep up with the group ahead of them which slows the game down. They are not always one and the same.

So take as many swings as you like, just keep up with the group ahead of you

Joeyjoejoe43

Seve OB wrote: »

I don't agree it slows the game down.

It is people who don't keep up with the group ahead of them which slows the game down. They are not always one and the same.

So take as many swings as you like, just keep up with the group ahead of you

I suppose it depends on what time of the day you play. For axample I play Sundays at 7am amd if one of the lads took 5 practice swings beforw every shot, it would 100% slow down the game. If you play later on in the day on a busy course, then it would only slow things a little...

5 practice swings is an awful lot though. It's always one for me, unless the first didn't feel right or a bug lands on my ball or a fly buzzes in my face.. I may then step away and do another practice swing and then hit... it's all about routine for me.. and I try to stick to this routine..

GreeBo

Seve OB wrote: »

If you don't want to take a practice swing... Then don't take one.

If it bugs you that your playing partner takes to many, don't watch him.

I don't agree it slows the game down.

It is people who don't keep up with the group ahead of them which slows the game down. They are not always one and the same.

So take as many swings as you like, just keep up with the group ahead of you

How can it not slow the game down if instead of hitting the ball when its your turn, you take practice swings instead?

slingerz

GreeBo wrote: »

How can it not slow the game down if instead of hitting the ball when its your turn, you take practice swings instead?

your surely have an alloted time to play. if its practice swings or picking his nose what difference is there. otherwise your advocating playing the ball on the fly all the way around

GreeBo

slingerz wrote: »

your surely have an alloted time to play. if its practice swings or picking his nose what difference is there. otherwise your advocating playing the ball on the fly all the way around

You do, but you dont have to use all of it.
The more of it you use, the slower the game is.
That's the only point I was making.

pok90

slingerz wrote: »

your surely have an alloted time to play. if its practice swings or picking his nose what difference is there. otherwise your advocating playing the ball on the fly all the way around

There is no way everyone should be allotted enough time on every shot that they can fit 5 practice swings in. It's exactly this attitude that will kill the game.

celtic_oz

I like to take a few practice swings but I try to do it while waiting for others to take their shot (and I'm not disturbing them)

If everyone is waiting on me I just take one. I think everyone should be allowed to take one.

Keano

celtic_oz wrote: »

I like to take a few practice swings but I try to do it while waiting for others to take their shot (and I'm not disturbing them)

If everyone is waiting on me I just take one. I think everyone should be allowed to take one.

You should be allowed as many as you damn want as long as when it's your shot you are ready to hit.

pakman

If it's a players standard for every game then I might have a problem but if they are trying to bring swing changes to the course then I have no problem at all. 
Its hard enough to groove a swing change when you are on the range but when a shot matters and you want to get a feel before you hit it then I say work away.

GreeBo

pakman wrote: »

If it's a players standard for every game then I might have a problem but if they are trying to bring swing changes to the course then I have no problem at all. 
Its hard enough to groove a swing change when you are on the range but when a shot matters and you want to get a feel before you hit it then I say work away.

What earthy difference does it make why they are doing it?

I don't care "why" the guy in front is taking 5 practice swings, I just want him to stop. :mad:

Go groove your swing change somewhere else please, the course is for playing on.

tayto lover

GreeBo wrote: »

What earthy difference does it make why they are doing it?

I don't care "why" the guy in front is taking 5 practice swings, I just want him to stop. :mad:

Go groove your swing change somewhere else please, the course is for playing on.

I like to play fast, no practice swing. The player taking 5 is damaging my game whether he wants to improve his own or not. He's slowing everyone alongside and behind him and that's selfish imo.

prawnsambo

So we're agreed then? Five is too many.

BOB81

A little off topic but what about pre-shot routine in general? I played with a guy recently who stood over the ball for around 50 seconds before each full shot (both myself and the other guy in our 3 ball timed him on a couple of occasions!). He was slightly quicker over putts but every full shot took what seemed like an eternity for him to hit the ball.
I couldn't play golf that way but it worked for him - he shot 39 points on the day. He knew he was slow over the ball but that was his approach. And that day in particular the pace of play was really slow, so even in spite of his pre-shot approach, we were held up on nearly every hole (group in front oblivious to pace of play).

GreeBo

BOB81 wrote: »

A little off topic but what about pre-shot routine in general? I played with a guy recently who stood over the ball for around 50 seconds before each full shot (both myself and the other guy in our 3 ball timed him on a couple of occasions!). He was slightly quicker over putts but every full shot took what seemed like an eternity for him to hit the ball.
I couldn't play golf that way but it worked for him - he shot 39 points on the day. He knew he was slow over the ball but that was his approach. And that day in particular the pace of play was really slow, so even in spite of his pre-shot approach, we were held up on nearly every hole (group in front oblivious to pace of play).

I had a match on Sunday and one of the opposition was like that...it was bizarre to see someone standing dead still for 30+ seconds on each shot, not even a waggle.

To help matters both players were AimPoint-ers so each putting green took what felt like an hour as they performed their seances around the hole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxWWdUQzFNs

blue note

If someone is taking 5 practice swings before every shot it's a bad habit they could do with getting out of. They're not accomplishing anything with it - it's just habit.

I take 1-2 per shot. I just like to remind myself of the weight and length of the club before hitting, especially if I'm cutting down on a club. I'd take 1-2 extra if I need to - if the practice swing was poor or if I'm hitting out of a strange lie, such as thick rough.

charlieIRL

Played yesterday evening with a 3, 6 & 9 handicappers and none of them took practice swings apart from drivers. Was a pleasure to watch. Was a quick round as well, no searching for balls apart from one hole. (Of course it was my drive!!)

billy3sheets

5 practice swings is too many. I bet he only starts when it is his turn to play too.

If a practice swing takes say 10 seconds and there are 90 shots in his round, then that's 900 seconds or 15 minutes per practice swing he is potentially adding to the round. This is how rounds become long - an accumulation of short delays.

Fann Linn

Check:-

Grip.
Aim.
Stance.
Position.

And swing.

prawnsambo

billy3sheets wrote: »

5 practice swings is too many. I bet he only starts when it is his turn to play too.

If a practice swing takes say 10 seconds and there are 90 shots in his round, then that's 900 seconds or 15 minutes per practice swing he is potentially adding to the round. This is how rounds become long - an accumulation of short delays.

Are you counting putts too? Surely a putter practice stroke doesn't take 10 seconds. You coukld probably do three in that time.

tayto lover

That's for only one practice swing though. The lad in question took five.
Our four ball began at 1.40 pm and finished at 6.50 pm. Most of it was down to him.
It would put you off golf and I certainly will not play with him again. I avoid slow players like the plague.

blue note

tayto lover wrote: »

Our four ball began at 1.40 pm and finished at 6.50 pm.

I'd be praying to be hit by a golf ball just to put me out of my misery on a round that long.

I'd generally take two, then address the ball. Helps me to gauge if I'm too close/far from the ball in my stance, when on the tee or fairway. Also helps to see if there is anything interfering with your back swing when in the rough or to try to get a bit of muscle memory in the arms when hitting out of the bunker.

10 secs per swing is crazy talk, though. I'd say I hit my two practices and full shot in about that time. In the heel of the hunt, its quicker to do this and hit a good shot than to hit three crap shots and end up in the same spot.

Seve OB

here's an idea.

I take as many practice swings as i feel i need, sometimes it's one, sometimes its a few (generally for a chip around the green or a putt) to get a feel for how hard i'm gonna hit it.
but i generally i make sure i walk to my own ball while others walk to theirs and get myself ready to hit when they have played their shot. and when i've played, i shift it rather than dawdle and chat all the way up to my ball.

i don't care what anyone says, the slowest golfers are not the ones who take practice swings, they are the ones who wait for everyone, walk up the fairway all together, walk to each ball, chat when they should be hitting, leave their bags on the wrong side of greens and boxes.

there is another type of slow golfer and being from an old club i see a few of them. slow walkers and aul lads. but isn't it a great sport we play when you can tee it up on a saturday morning with an 80+ year old lad. i'm sure we all hope we'l be doing the same when we get to their age.

take as much time as you want over your shots, but its only a problem when you can't keep up with the group ahead. and if you are not slow over your shots and still can't keep up... call the lads behind through...... otherwise they'll be on boards moaning

FixdePitchmark

I'd ban them.

benny79

Seve OB wrote: »

here's an idea.

I take as many practice swings as i feel i need, sometimes it's one, sometimes its a few (generally for a chip around the green or a putt) to get a feel for how hard i'm gonna hit it.
but i generally i make sure i walk to my own ball while others walk to theirs and get myself ready to hit when they have played their shot. and when i've played, i shift it rather than dawdle and chat all the way up to my ball.

i don't care what anyone says, the slowest golfers are not the ones who take practice swings, they are the ones who wait for everyone, walk up the fairway all together, walk to each ball, chat when they should be hitting, leave their balls on the wrong side of greens and boxes.

there is another type of slow golfer and being from an old club i see a few of them. slow walkers and aul lads. but isn't it a great sport we play when you can tee it up on a saturday morning with an 80+ year old lad. i'm sure we all hope we'l be doing the same when we get to their age.

take as much time as you want over your shots, but its only a problem when you can't keep up with the group ahead. and if you are not slow over your shots and still can't keep up... call the lads behind through...... otherwise they'll be on boards moaning

+1.

I normally take 1, just to feel the shot.. but if waiting to hit as in lads ahead, will take a few to keep loose..

blue note

What I don't understand is people here saying that you should have your practice swings finished when it's your turn to hit your shot. I'd never take a practice swing while someone else is hitting their shot. And no-one does when I'm hitting mine in my experience. So after a play hits his shot the norm is that the next person will take about 2 practice swings and hit their shot. This seems okay to me.

Seve OB

blue note wrote: »

What I don't understand is people here saying that you should have your practice swings finished when it's your turn to hit your shot. I'd never take a practice swing while someone else is hitting their shot. And no-one does when I'm hitting mine in my experience. So after a play hits his shot the norm is that the next person will take about 2 practice swings and hit their shot. This seems okay to me.

we are not talking on the box or anything. more when you are down 2 opposite sides of the fairway

frink

For Long game, I take one quick one behind the ball, get my line and set up and hit.

For chipping and short pitching, I tend to take 2-3 just to get the feel but they are short and quick.

redzerdrog

The slowest golfer I play with takes no practice swings.

I take at least one and mostly two however I am looking for where I am striking the grass in the practice swing, if this is miles behind or ahead of where I am aiming I will take more until I get it rights

kiers47

2 practice swings on first tee box. Good to go.
Maybe might on the odd chip but usually just hit it.

I mean each to their own. Once i am not feeling that we are being slowed up by a bunch of practice swings from playing partners i tend not to even notice how many they are taking. Any more than 2 would seem excessive though.

I really fail to see the significance of them if im honest but whatever they dont really bother me.

lawred2

Seve OB wrote: »

If you don't want to take a practice swing... Then don't take one.

If it bugs you that your playing partner takes to many, don't watch him.

I don't agree it slows the game down.

It is people who don't keep up with the group ahead of them which slows the game down. They are not always one and the same.

So take as many swings as you like, just keep up with the group ahead of you

if a lad takes 5 - of course it slows the game down. How could it not?

PARlance

It's the FREEZE that kills you!!!!!

Freezing over a ball can frustrate but when someone has to freeze over 3 or 4 "practice" swings in addition to freezing over their shot, then the will to live soon disappears.

I was playing a very informal round last year with one of these guys. On the 14th, he went through the usual routine of 2-3 painful swings before addressing his ball.... but this time, he broke out of it, to stand up a start a conversation.

"JUST HIT THE FN BALL" was a shout from one of the lads... enough was enough.

****

Practice is for the range or an empty course imo, by all means swing to loosen up or to help visualise a shot if you want... but you're practicing nothing if there's no ball being hit. And this is often proven by the 40 yard slice that proceeds.

Seve OB

lawred2 wrote: »

if a lad takes 5 - of course it slows the game down. How could it not?

did you not read what i said? he could take 10, but once he keeps up with the lads in front and moves around the course at a reasonable pace he is slowing nobody down.

GreeBo

Seve OB wrote: »

did you not read what i said? he could take 10, but once he keeps up with the lads in front and moves around the course at a reasonable pace he is slowing nobody down.

And if one of the lads in front is also taking 10 practice swings, what then?

Its no good being behind the group in front if you are all out there for 5 hours.

Seve OB

Seve OB wrote: »

did you not read what i said? he could take 10, but once he keeps up with the lads in front and moves around the course at a reasonable pace he is slowing nobody down.

GreeBo wrote: »

And if one of the lads in front is also taking 10 practice swings, what then?

Its no good being behind the group in front if you are all out there for 5 hours.

i agree, 5 hours is to long. but read what i posted please.

GreeBo

Seve OB wrote: »

i agree, 5 hours is to long. but read what i posted please.

You cannot take 10 (or 5) practice swings AND move around the course at a reasonable pace.

Seve OB

by the way, i'm not suggesting anybody should be taking minutes over their practice swing.

it only takes seconds. i would probably have 4 practice swings on a tee box these days as i'm blocking it out a lot and swinging 4 times in quick succession stops that block out for me 7 times out of 10. it probably takes me about 5 seconds to do that. much better than having to look for golf balls and hacking back onto the fairway those 7 times.

Seve OB

GreeBo wrote: »

You cannot take 10 (or 5) practice swings AND move around the course at a reasonable pace.

you are trolling now

GreeBo

Seve OB wrote: »

by the way, i'm not suggesting anybody should be taking minutes over their practice swing.

it only takes seconds. i would probably have 4 practice swings on a tee box these days as i'm blocking it out a lot and swinging 4 times in quick succession stops that block out for me 7 times out of 10. it probably takes me about 5 seconds to do that. much better than having to look for golf balls and hacking back onto the fairway those 7 times.

I wouldn't necessarily call swishing the club a practice swing.
The main issue is with people who take "replica" swings before hitting the ball, including the freeze, glances up the fairway, triggers, waggles etc, all before they address the ball.

Seve OB wrote: »

you are trolling now

No, but you are back seat modding and I've reported it as such.

Keano

Seve OB wrote: »

you are trolling now

Leaving the modding to us. Thanks, if you have an issue please PM me to discuss.

tayto lover

kiers47 wrote: »

2 practice swings on first tee box. Good to go.
Maybe might on the odd chip but usually just hit it.

I mean each to their own. Once i am not feeling that we are being slowed up by a bunch of practice swings from playing partners i tend not to even notice how many they are taking. Any more than 2 would seem excessive though.

I really fail to see the significance of them if im honest but whatever they dont really bother me.

They bother me when we lose a hole or sometimes three on the group ahead of us like what happened on the day in question. To do that and still continue in complete oblivion is simply selfish.

kiers47

tayto lover wrote: »

They bother me when we lose a hole or sometimes three on the group ahead of us like what happened on the day in question. To do that and still continue in complete oblivion is simply selfish.

I mean im not disagreeing with you tbh. If people can keep it together and be quick about then yes go for it. But if your losing holes and playing slow in general its unacceptable and a pain in the ass.

Deise Vu

Try this for size: I play regularly with my Brother-in-Law and a retired friend of his. The BIL addresses the ball carefully, lining up his angle and his stance, takes a deep breath..... then steps back one step and does two utterly stupid, ridiculous 'swings' where he drops his hands slightly, jerks the club back and then pushes it out the other side. It is absolutely nothing like a swing.

The friend does at least one full routine if not two.. address, slow take away, swing.. follow through high, raise the head to gaze into the distance...big pause... sometimes he even takes a divot doing this... then he shuffles into the ball like a fella with a load in his trousers and starts again.

The only way I can deal with this is to look away and pretend I am not there but the friend has some kind of eyesight problem and literally hasn't a clue where his ball goes unless you tell him. So the choice is watch while you die inside or tell him you missed his ball in the sun and then wait while he walks around the course randomly looking for his ball. The BIL also always asks me to keep an eye on his swing because the friend is obviously no help for spotting.

I am literally on the verge of giving the game up entirely. Fellas I know in the club are laughing at me and asking am I just caddying for the lads because they never seem to see me hitting a ball. And of course, the worse I am playing the more this shít plays on my mind and the downward spiral goes on.

GreeBo

^ Do you not end up letting loads of groups through every time you play?