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1 Large Bag of Balls per week at the range...How do you practice


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Take the bag to the bunker. Hit half to 3/4 of the bag out of the bunker, go pick up.

 

Go to green and hit chip shots from various lies to different pins with different clubs, go pick up.

 

Bring bag to range I'd probably hit about 50% of them as shots of 100 yards or less. The rest would be 50-75% effort smooth 7i's working on mechanics and then if that was going well, I'd probably finish off with 1 or 2 fairway wood's off the deck, then a few smooth drivers.

 

 

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To get better, you have to practice the right things. To do that, you need to identify the thing that you need to change first, and find feels or drills or something to accomplish that. And you almost certainly can't do that yourself, so you'll need some competent instruction. Once you get that, you do what your instructor tells you to. If that means 50 drivers, do it. If it means 80 wedges, do it.

From my own experience, when I was working on a specific change, I made most of my swings with a 6-iron. Slow practice motions, drills, exaggerated movements, that kind of stuff, with some full swings along the way. Your swing is largely the same with all clubs, if you can change your swing with a 6-iron, the change will be there with the others too. I still work on those changes, but to a smaller extent.

If you're not working on a specific change, you should work on the weakest part of your game. Its easy and fun to do the things you do well, but that's not going to make much difference in your score. If you have problems with your driver, hitting wedges isn't going to help much. Alternating a "good" club with a problem club might be productive, after all, you don't get to groove a dozen drivers in a row on the course.

 

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You won't get better practicing once per week. Just go out and have fun.

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I would take 2 of those balls and practice short game/bunker. Not the chipping 50 balls to the flag in the same spot, but hitting 2 balls, studying the roll, pick up, and hit again in a different spot with different flights for about 40 mins just for fun.

 

after, hit the range working on what ever my instructor instructed.

 

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I guess your post will initiate some self-reflection on 'how I practice'.

But my typical move at our club (all the balls you can hit) is:

a) 4 balls each : PW, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 irons

b) hybrids/fairways: about 5 balls each (sometimes comparing 2 clubs of each, winner goes out with me that day

c) driver: about 6-8, possibly more if trying to make fade/draw shots; also sometimes bring 2 drivers to range, winner goes out to play with me

d) short range wedges: 8-10.

e) putting - I don't practice putting, I'm that good (no really, I don't practice putting; it's the best part of my game and I routinely sink long putts; so much so that my wife gets irritated when I start sinking 15-25 footers and yells at me "and you don't even practice putting.....you don't deserve to make those!", lol... I just chuckle. I think it has something to do with I like putting greens with swales, hills, and side hill putts and stuff...trying to figure out angles to get the ball close to the hole...that's fun; our greens typically have 3 different levels, lowest to highest could be 2-4 feet of height).

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One bag a week. Start with 30 1/2 shots to warm up and work on rythnm with an 8 iron. Then move up a few clubs to a longer iron and hit 10 or so. Then to driver with 5 or so. Then back down, 5 wood, pw, and the remainder with Gap wedge or Sand wedge.

Working mostly on rythnm and solid contact. Nothing at 100%. Most at 80 % after the first 30 balls which were 1/2 swings. Then head to the chipping green with a tube of 20 balls and hit 100 pitches and chips. Then to the putting green to slow down and hit 20 or 30 putts.

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Id focus less about what clubs you are hitting and more on analyzing your swing, your miss, and what you are trying to accomplish in order to improve. Once a week practice without any focus/intent will likely just maintain your current game. If you want to get better you need to have a plan such that every ball you hit is productive as at that frequency there isnt enough time/reps to "find it in the dirt"

 

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> @Austincountyag said:

> the point of the thread is for golfers who have limited amount of time to get out and play/practice, so hypothetically if you only have time to hit one bag of balls at the range how would you do it?

 

That's the problem you can't avoid - how I would do it, or anyone else in this thread, has little application to how you would do it. Nobody has seen your swing, nobody knows what you are trying to accomplish or how, you don't know what anyone responding to is trying to accomplish with a bag of balls.

 

If I had time to practice right now I wouldn't even take a bag to the range, I'd be hitting 30-60 yard wedges in a different spot. If I went to the range, I'd hit 100 yard 7 irons, but probably not a large bag full. Either way, I know what I'm trying to do and getting better at learning why things may not be working (which they don't all that much, lol). Otherwise the range is just warming up some before playing.

 

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As others have said, one bucket a week is more maintenance than practice. Coincidentally, I hit about one large bucket a week. Let's say it's 100 balls. For me, that comes to about 40 six irons, 40 wedges, 10 long irons and 10 drivers. I take my time and run through my routine a lot, switching from target to target. All focus is on contact and ballflight.

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> @Austincountyag said:

> to answer my own question in regards to general practice and not focusing on any certain aspects for a large bag I...

>

> hit wedges (20 balls)

> 7i/8i (20 balls)

> wedges (20 balls)

> 7i(20 balls)

> mix up fw/hybrid/wedges/iron for remainder of bag

 

So you wouldn't even hit one shot with the most important club in the bag.

 

And I'm not talking about the putter.

 

Here's **THING 1** I'd do :

 

First of all, I'd work on feels in my living room with a club, or trainer.

 

If I had 100 balls, when I got to the range, I'd hit 10/15 shots thinking about my swing. Make sure I'm hitting those feels from the living room. Then the rest of the bag, I'd be switching clubs and "pretending" to play golf while being focussed on how well I'm hitting my target.

 

After those 10/15, I'd rip a driver. Then, I'd grab a 8 iron and pretend I was approaching a green. Then I'd rip another driver making sure I didn't miss left. Then, I'd draw a 4 iron into the green. Then, I'd tee up a 6 iron and hit a straight ball, then I'd rip another driver for a short par 4, then I'd hit a 65 yard wedge, etc etc etc.

 

Maybe towards the end of the bag, i'd re-focus on any things I was systematically doing wrong. . .might be slicing the driver, work on that. Might be fatting irons, I'd work on that. Anyway,

 

Here's **THING 2** I'd do :

Just work on driver, and iron contact. The easiest contact drill to do with irons is lay a tee on the ground pointing at the ball, and just make sure your divot starts after that tee.

 

I'd hit a driver, then I'd do the contact drill. Then, I'd hit a driver, then I'd do the contact drill with a different cub. Then I'd hit driver, etc etc etc.

 

If you're keeping your driver in play, and making great contact on irons, only so much can go wrong.

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I subscribe to the practice like you play mantra. 1 club and one ball then switch to another. I often have the course I'm scheduled to play next in my head and I imagine I'm playing each hole. My putting practice is much the same - 1 ball and try to get a 2 putt or less, that's about it. Just throw it somewhere else and putt again.

I don't use alignment aids or anything that can't follow me onto the course

Yes I have sessions where I hit my wedges only for about 75 balls worth...that's why I'm so darn good with them haha! ;)

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Split the bag up into 6 days.

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> @Austincountyag said:

> the point of the thread is for golfers who have limited amount of time to get out and play/practice, so hypothetically if you only have time to hit one bag of balls at the range how would you do it?

 

Play 9 holes.

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Ball striking. Do whatever drill, hit whatever club to improve your ball striking. It translates to every club in the bag and into every shot. Putting the club on the back of the ball in the same place on the face every time. Do whatever you have to do to do that.

 

Even if it creates a slice or hook as long as you are consistently doing that, you can play for it. Eliminate a two way miss.

 

For your theoretical bag, I personally (for my game) would do about 10-15 drivers (that club gets me in trouble with a two-way miss, it also loosens my back up the best for the rest of the bucket). I grab a 7 or 8 and hit 3-4 to make sure I can put the club on the back of the ball. I go back up to my longest iron and hit 10-20 of those. You know pdq if you are putting it on the sweet spot with a long iron. Throttle down as needed to make good contact then go harder at it as you can. Next I hit 20-30 100 yards with a 9-PW-50-54-60 mostly draws cause that's what I hit but I try to move it l-r some. I typically leave 10-15 balls to hit to the closest target which on our range is 30-50 yards depending upon where the ropes are.

 

Go putt if I have time. I would never use range balls to hit chips or putts. I use the ball I play and usually only 3-4 balls at a time.

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> @TheCityGame said:

> > @Austincountyag said:

> > to answer my own question in regards to general practice and not focusing on any certain aspects for a large bag I...

> >

> > hit wedges (20 balls)

> > 7i/8i (20 balls)

> > wedges (20 balls)

> > 7i(20 balls)

> > mix up fw/hybrid/wedges/iron for remainder of bag

>

> So you wouldn't even hit one shot with the most important club in the bag.

>

> And I'm not talking about the putter.

>

> Here's **THING 1** I'd do :

>

> First of all, I'd work on feels in my living room with a club, or trainer.

>

> If I had 100 balls, when I got to the range, I'd hit 10/15 shots thinking about my swing. Make sure I'm hitting those feels from the living room. Then the rest of the bag, I'd be switching clubs and "pretending" to play golf while being focussed on how well I'm hitting my target.

>

> After those 10/15, I'd rip a driver. Then, I'd grab a 8 iron and pretend I was approaching a green. Then I'd rip another driver making sure I didn't miss left. Then, I'd draw a 4 iron into the green. Then, I'd tee up a 6 iron and hit a straight ball, then I'd rip another driver for a short par 4, then I'd hit a 65 yard wedge, etc etc etc.

>

> Maybe towards the end of the bag, i'd re-focus on any things I was systematically doing wrong. . .might be slicing the driver, work on that. Might be fatting irons, I'd work on that. Anyway,

>

> Here's **THING 2** I'd do :

> Just work on driver, and iron contact. The easiest contact drill to do with irons is lay a tee on the ground pointing at the ball, and just make sure your divot starts after that tee.

>

> I'd hit a driver, then I'd do the contact drill. Then, I'd hit a driver, then I'd do the contact drill with a different cub. Then I'd hit driver, etc etc etc.

>

> If you're keeping your driver in play, and making great contact on irons, only so much can go wrong.

This routine makes sense to me, and it's close to what I'm currently doing: hit a few wedges to warm up, 5, 6, or 7 iron aimed at different targets, then driver, iron, driver, iron. Every shot is to a target, or I imagine a forced carry or hazards to avoid. Short game work is next: pitching, chipping, shots over bunkers to a short side pin, bunkers, chopping out of rough, etc. Back to the range to finish up.

 

I'm trying to improve my game, and I'm working at quality over quantity. I feel like I used to just bang out shots mindlessly, which didn't help my game at all.

 

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A lot depends on how good your full swing is through the bag.

 

Assuming about 100 balls in a large bucket I'd do something like this:

 

25 ball warmup

5x50yd wedge

5x100yd wedge

5x150 yd club

5x200 yd club

5xDriver

 

 

From there assess what shots were giving you problems and work on those. I'd probably cap it at 25-50 balls so you don't tire yourself out especially if it's driver.

 

For last 25-50 balls in the bucket, I'd do 15-40 of those from 50yds on in. Last 10 balls work hitting low, high, punches, left right etc. Basically pick one. Like for this last 10 balls, I'm just going to hit fades.

 

Finally, take empty bucket back and go to putting or chipping green. Putt and chip as long as you can.

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Have a purpose. Have something you want to improve. Take that bucket of balls. Take 5 practice swings between each ball. First couple in slow motion. Then slowly speed up. I can often spent as long as an hour and a half hitting a bucket of balls. Hitting a ball and then immediately raking another over and hitting it will not be a very good use of your time.

 

Others opinions will differ... but I'm not really a fan of practicing short game with range balls unless you have access to a range with higher quality range balls. For me the driving ranges I have access to have reduced flight balls that do not react like the balls you will use when you play. I always keep a shag bag with old balls that I use to practice short game. Having said that... Unless the full swing is really in need of help I spent way more time on short game (including putting) than I do on my full swing.

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Like others have said it depends on what you need to work on. In order to know that you need to take lessons. After each lesson I primarily work on what ever my instructor has me fixing.

 

Lately my instructor has me working on hand position at impact. He has me hitting basically 3/4 shots and told me he would like me to take that swing on the course. So I practice those 3/4 swings with my impact hand position. I start with my GW and work my way up 9,7,5, 4H, 3W, driver. On my driver I hit 14 balls and see how many of those 14 would hit the "fairway". Then I leave several balls to work on my 40-75yd pitches.

 

I think the majority of people, including me, should work on their short game more than their irons and woods. I think you should, unless you are really working on swing fault, just hit a small bucket at the range then go to the chipping and putting greens and work on those. Have your instructor give you a few drills to work on if you don't already have one.

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This isn’t a direct answer to your question, but I’m in the similar camp as a golfer with limited practice time. The most impactful thing I’ve found is getting a couple drills from my instructor that I can work on at home without actually having to hit balls. I’ve found 5-10 minutes a day a couple times a week can actually make a huge difference.

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