Golf training plans/schedules

Jim Stynes

This might be a stupid thread but does anyone ever use a training plan or schedule?

I played golf for about 6 months a few years ago and then hurt my back playing gaelic football and had to get an operation. I have retired from Gaelic football and started playing golf again last October. I’ve been totally bitten by the golf bug. I’ve come down from 23 to playing off 9 but have stalled now. I want to try take my golf to the next level and get down to 6 or 7.

At the minute I play at weekends and play the odd 9 holes during the week. Go to the range and chipping green the odd time during the week. The lack of structure is annoying me and not knowing how to practice properly. I go for a lesson every 6 weeks or so. Maybe it’s that I’ve been so used to training 3 times a week and then having games at the weekend but coming into the winter I think I need structure to my training.

My course has a range for irons, a floodlit chipping and putting green so the facilities are quite good.

Any suggestions?

Russman

There isn’t really a one size fits all for practice imho.
Conventional wisdom would say short game, short game, short game, followed by more short game. Strokes gained might suggest speed, speed, speed.

If you have access to them, some of the early Bob Rotella books have sample practice plans in them. Very heavy focus on short game.

The one thing to avoid is mindlessly beating balls as opposed to practicing. I think it’s good to be flexible, if you find yourself hitting balls and your swing just isn’t “on” maybe go to the short game area or putting green.

My tuppence worth anyway.

By the way, well done on going from 23 to 9, that’s impressive.

Jim Stynes

Russman wrote: »

There isn’t really a one size fits all for practice imho.
Conventional wisdom would say short game, short game, short game, followed by more short game. Strokes gained might suggest speed, speed, speed.

If you have access to them, some of the early Bob Rotella books have sample practice plans in them. Very heavy focus on short game.

The one thing to avoid is mindlessly beating balls as opposed to practicing. I think it’s good to be flexible, if you find yourself hitting balls and your swing just isn’t “on” maybe go to the short game area or putting green.

My tuppence worth anyway.

By the way, well done on going from 23 to 9, that’s impressive.

Thank you. I have put a lot of effort in this year. I am a teacher so I had a lot of time to practise over lockdown and it paid off. I have just levelled off now and I want to get more consistent. A big thing I notice is that I don't have the touch that the boys who have played all their life have. I also think my swing changes from one week to the next. I am still very much a beginner in lots of areas but I can play the game well at times.

DuckSlice

Russman said a great bit of advice there don’t aimlessly hit balls down the range. No point hitting 20 7 irons straight at the 150 or whatever target.

My routine at the range lately if I’m not working on a swing change and just practicing is as follows.

20ish balls with the 7 iron. I hit 5 high, 5 low, 5 fades and 5 draws. Give or take.

Then the same with the 4 iron, hybrid and 3 wood. Not hitting as many shots with these though.

On to driver then where I mainly practice strike, dry shampoo great for this, I practice hitting it out of the heel the middle and the toe. (I need to improve strike on my driver so this is what I was told to do when I had a lesson)

Wedges then, there is 4 targets, 25,50,65,75. I rotate randomly hitting shots at them with the same wedge. I’ll do this with the 50 and 56. I usually finish on this and just keep doing this until the balls run out.

No short game area at the range I go to.

This routine works for me but it might not work for everyone, but it will give you a few ideas maybe.

redzerdrog

The book the Practice Manual by Adam Young sounds exactly what you need

Jim Stynes

redzerdrog wrote: »

The book the Practice Manual by Adam Young sounds exactly what you need

I've ordered this. Hopefully it'll give me some ideas and structure to follow. Looking forward to getting a good winter of practise in!