Practice Drills/Games

TheDoc · 20-05-2013 12:15pm

A drill I used last year to change my swing ( and it was dramatic) was taking two of the big driving range rubber tees. Place one behind the ball and one infront. And then move them to promote the swing plane you want to be on.

So I went into the range with a fade, and wanted to change to a draw. I'd set the tees behind and in front of the ball like so

_ BALL *

If that makes sense. So as to promote my clubhead to go from bottom right to top left, and get that feel. I started with two small peg baskets actually, and then got down to the tees making the gaps smaller and smaller. Since last summer I'm hitting a draw on my irons, woods and drivers. My ball striking it much better and I've gotten more distance and more control.

And of course if needs be, I can revert and hit a fade

Another mental drill I have, mentioned by someone here, is to break the round up into 3 hole comps. So after 3 holes I mark a score in my head, and then move on as if its a new comp. Its a weird little mental thing, but it stopped me thinking too far ahead into the round, and worrying about what came before.

GreeBo · 20-05-2013 1:22pm

alxmorgan wrote: »

Just spotted this on the dan plan comments to a blog entry:

Interesting idea. Play to miss greens but miss them in the best place. Really gets you thinking. And I bet a lot of people when they start to think about where best to miss various greens around their own course will be surprised at how it changes their opinion on what shot to hit playing a normal round

To be fair I look like I play this game most of the time if you see my GIR

Great drill.
(though I reckon id start hitting greens if I was trying to avoid them on purpose!)

A similar one is to look at the best place to be putting from on the green (the low point) and make sure that any miss ends up there.

Fergus_Nash · 24-05-2013 9:43pm

Would it be possible to put this in the list of important threads? I'd like to be able to have a look at this thread without having to look through three or four pages to find it.

Danny dyers double · 24-05-2013 10:00pm

Was on the putting green tonight and dropped 6 balls in the one place and shot for 6 different holes so obviously different distances , and tried to 2 putt them all , I found this a great little idea because each 2nd putt had a little bit pressure which you get on course .

Rikand · 24-05-2013 10:13pm

mike12 wrote: »

Par 18.
Have 9 chips from around a green. 3 easy 3 middling and 3 hard finish out all balls the par is 18 so keep a record and try and improve every time you try it. Good for chipping and putting.
Mike

Just tried this tonight. +2 for 9 holes and the two putts i missed i have no idea how they stayed out

Great practice and even more fun now that my putter is working again

benny79 · 13-10-2021 9:56am

I was wondering has anyone any drills for taking divots with your Irons? Ive been struggling a bit of late with my irons after been playing really well with them a few months ago and noticed I am not taking divots. Interesting enough, I looked up a few you tube vids. They were saying not to hit down on the ball which I found weird as thats what I have been doing! But to basically keep right elbow tucked in and lose grip. Reading all the comments underneath the videos seems to work. Looking forward to trying it of on grass. As mats in range are no use obviously.

Anyone have and similar issues or advice/drills maybe?

coillcam · 13-10-2021 11:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118012626#Comment_118012626

My pro mentioned that everyone has different issues and requires a different approach. For me, I stick to a 7i and my pro gave me these few cues for practising my irons:

Make a T shape with an alignment stick to get the ball position set (just 1/2 ball ahead of centre).
Hands slightly ahead of the ball.
A little extra load/bend on the lead knee (this is the big one for me, to strike the ground just past the ball)
Traditional strong grip.

Generally, I'm not a particularly steep golfer and only really divot noticeably on 8i/9i+. When I try to get steep I tend to dig and chunk.

Occasionally I push a tee right into the ground (middle of stance or ball position) and make 3/4 swings at it, trying just graze the front edge or ideally contact the ground past it. Imagining that the tee is the exact ball position. I find this helps a lot mentally as I'm not worried about a ball and where it ended up, purely focusing on the swing and ground interaction.

plumber77 · 13-10-2021 4:34pm

If you're anywhere near a beach it's a great place to practice on hard compact sand. Any bit of ground first and the ball will go nowhere

IAmTitleist · 15-10-2021 12:07pm

So for the last 15 years i've played every shot from 100 yards and in with a pitching wedge. And i mean every shot, whether it be 100, 50, or a greenside chips. The only occasion i wouldnt use it for chipping is if i absolutely had to go over a bunker etc but a lot of the time i would play around the bunkers.

High lofted wedges have always put the fear into me, i've got to an 8 handicap but really feel like 50 yards and in and around the greens is stopping me from being a 5/6 handicapper. So this winter i've decided that i'm going to make the change in an attempt to turn 3 shots into 2 more often than not and play roughly the following:

From 100 yards and in - 50 degree wedge

50 yards and in - 50/54 degree wedge

Chipping around greens - 50 degree wedge again unless i have to go really aerial then itll be 54/58.

Anyone got any tips who has done a similar transition?

prawnsambo · 15-10-2021 12:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118023197#Comment_118023197

50 yards and in I almost always use a 60° wedge. When I don't, it's either a sand wedge (55°) or pitching wedge (45°). I find the lob wedge quite versatile depending on how I swing. I can chip and run it, go high and stop or just mid height short chips that will run a few yards. I use the other wedges when I want a bit more run on a long green. But my aim around the green is always to try and chip in. Obviously that doesn't happen a lot, but it's that focus that usually gets me up and down in two.

Motivator · 15-10-2021 1:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118023369#Comment_118023369

My go to clubs for approaches are:

100 yards - 50 degree or soft wedge

80 - 90 yards - 70% sand wedge

50 yards - 60 degree

30 yards - 60 degree or sand wedge depending on the shot

chipping - I’ll use a 9 iron for a bump and run or 60 degree depending on how my eye sees the shot

My 50 degree is the club I use the least. I try and avoid using it as much as I can to be honest. 100 yards with a sand wedge is doable but I have to make a full swing and I just feel I lose a bit of control with a full swing.

redzerdrog · 16-10-2021 7:51am

I mostly used my 52 wedge from inside 100 yards unless I had to go slightly higher I'd use my 56.

However I have been doing a drill on the range where i hit 3 balls to a target at 30 yards, then 3 to 60yards and then 3 to 90. I run this for 15 mins and change between my PW (47), 52 & 56. Have figured the following.

90 yards = flighted 56

60 yards = 1/2 swing 52

30 yards = 1/4 swing 56

Open face and using the bounce.

Gona try work in 45 yards and 75 yards into the practice now too I think

OEP · 16-10-2021 9:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118023197#Comment_118023197

No club specific tips but you just have to practice and know your distances. Know what a half swing with 50 does, with 58 or whatever else you have etc. And you have to commit to the shot, most people mess up when they're indecisive and that leads to a duff or skull. Inside 50 start thinking about using the bounce too. You're off 8 so you have the ability, it's mostly about being confident and committing to the shot

finglashoop · 16-10-2021 9:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118023197#Comment_118023197

i used to do same

changed irons. couldnt do it with new pitching wedge

50- 100 yards

54- 75 yards

58 - 60 or less

huge difference. went from 18 to 11

IAmTitleist · 18-10-2021 11:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118027152#Comment_118027152

Sounds like a good drill which i'll give a go at our club range.

However i'm wary of practicing all winter on a mat and then when back on grass next Spring the club just digging into the turf. And in turn exposing too much of the bounce on a mat will see me hitting thin ones all session. Almost impossible to hit a fat one on a mat.

redzerdrog · 18-10-2021 3:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118035438#Comment_118035438

I play predominantly Links Golf anyway so think the mats replicate the hard tight lies anyway.

I also put a towel roughly the width of 3 golf balls behind the ball so any that would usually be fats you get the instant feedback of the club catching the towel

Practice Drills/Games

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