Working through your sticks

[Vater]

Asking this in Equipment as I'm asking from a clubs perspective.

What's your practice routine in terms of club sequence?

I go wedges>short irons>long irons>hybrid>fairway>driver. And I'll leave some balls un-hit if I drill three drives in a row toward when I want to leave. Nothing worse than leaving on an off-center hit.

Do you go up or down your bag? Or do you start/end with your 6 or 7 iron for example?

[LUXOR54]

I start with an 8 iron, then 6, then 4, then hybrid, woods, driver, then 9-P-52-58

[Vater]

I see what you're doing there - kind of ramping up and then finishing off with scoring clubs. That's a good progression I'm going to give a try. And I won't have to measure whether or not I should leave on a good drive.

[LPCP]

Typically 54, 8, 6, 4, hybrid, 3W, Driver then back to wedges (50, 54, 58)

[bubbagump]

Read an article about a year back about how pros practice, and have tried to mirror that since and have seen much better results in focus, and on course improvements. I used to just go at my weak clubs on the range and beat them to death hoping I can "figure them out", even if they were pulled maybe 1-2 times a round. That builds up the stigma and fear imo, so naturally when it was their turn it would be less than ideal on course. Changing approach, and understanding its all the same swing and applying that has really upped consistency and performance of even those trickier 4 irons etc.

Edit: https://golf.com/instruction/how-pga-tour-players-practice-amateurs-infograpbic/

So I usually hit my GW and SW the most, then swap to Driver. That grooves in the extreme ends of the swing, and then touch up the middle with about 2-3 balls per club before heading to the practice green or first tee.

 

Also of note, this comes after one has dialed in the bag to cover distances and knows mostly what club does what distance or 1/2 swing etc.

 

[2bGood]

It would really depend on what I am at the range for, but typically warm up with a wedge and driver than on to practice were I never hit the same club two times in a row unless I am working on something technical.

 

[Mizzoujames]

I actually start with my 5 iron, then go to 8, then onto the wedges and then the driver.

 

If I'm playing a round right away I'll visualize the first 3 holes and play them on the range.

[Loomis13]

I'm pretty loose in general and typically show up too the first tee and hit driver without warming up. So when I do hit the range before hand, I approach it like that. Hit maybe 4 or 5 drivers then go to wedges. Long irons usually last.

[WarEagleGolf]

I don't practice much but warm up. W-7-4-D

Pitches, the light swings then full swings with wedge. Lots of stretching. Then 7 aim at some flags or pick a line, 4 aim at flags or pick a line. Driver hit one. Then visualize 1st hole. Pick line and hit one. Then hit 7 iron. Then 1 driver. Then 1wedge. Then driver and 1 4 I. Then tee a 4 I. Driver a couple times then done.

I'll occasionally hit a second one if I hit a bad shot during this routine but I practice like I play. I find it really helps transitioning without alot of practice swings when on the course.

 

Probably don't hit more than 25-30 shots whilst warming up. Then chip/flop, then putt...then 1st tee box. I stretch more than I swing to get loose.

[jjschafe]

Hey look, I have exactly 1 thing in comming with pros I usually start with wedges and work my way up through the bag, but hitting progressively less shots as I get into mid and long irons. Then I usually end with more wedges.

One other trick I like, is to alternate between driver and either a full PW or a 100 yard sand wedge. They're the two most different swings, and the two most common back to back swings during play. I like to think I'm training my body to switch between the two types of swings easily.

[Chuck905]

I start off with 3/4 PW, then 3/4 9 iron until I am warmed up. Full PW all the way down to the driver; 2-3 balls per club.

Then I jump between the 8, 6, 2 irons and finish off with partial lofted wedges. I’ll leave a few balls if I perfectly execute a shot and leave on a good note.

The last few practice sessions I had intentions on the scoring irons only (LW-6) but pretty girls keep showing up since summer time is in bloom. So it was lot of 2 irons to show off.

[EaglesGolf99]

64°

58°

52°

8 Iron

6 Iron

4 Iron

2 Hybrid

Driver

1st Tee Club (Typically 2 Hybrid)

[dubbelbogey]

I always, always start with partial distance wedges - from 20 to 70 yards. Probably a quarter of the bucket hitting just those shots.

Then I work my way up from full wedges up to driver - often skipping clubs in the progression and different clubs on different sessions.

Driver is not high volume, but I always imagine holes from my local courses and try to hit those shapes. I hit several bunt/chip drives, too.

If a particular club was giving me problems on my last round, then I hit a few extra of those.

Finally, I finish off with a few more partial distance wedges and some flop shots.

My range practice sessions are typically less than 50 balls, total.

 

[Seidinho]

Start with orange whip warm up, hit a couple of drives. This is also my last minute warmup and typically works!

Then PW, 1/2, 3/4 swings until I hit them flush. Then hit a few of PW, 8, 6, 4, hybrid.

[slolane]

I start off with driver because that's usually the first club I use in a round and I want confidence in that club on the first tee. Then I go to mid to short irons because that's usually what I hit next ( most of the courses I play start with par 4's ). Then up to long irons and down to short irons finish with fairway woods.

[cgasucks]

Me personally I would start with my shortest club (SW) and then go to a 7 or 6 iron, then my 3i, then a 5w or 3w, and then the big stick. Repeat.

[Drivingrangehero]

LW and go up odd numbers GW, 9,7..etc to Driver. Then back down on the even numbers 2Hybrid, 4,6,8....etc!

i try to leave each club after I’m satisfied with the contact and shape. I may hit a club once, or may hit a club 4-5 times, I rarely put one back in the bag if I hit it poorly unless it’s a hybrid or 2 iron and I know I just am off that day ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Jtgavigan]

Same, but some days it is my 58 or 50. It depends on what targets are close. Those first and last swings will be my 50 to 75% wedge distances. I like to hit a few shorter shots at the end to slow back down as my tempo can get quick.

[hobbstc]

according to this video, if you’re Tiger you go something like. 8-4-D-8-SW-club off first tee. Also according to the video if you’re Anthony Kim you hit you’re PW and try to figure out if it’s a 100yd day or 120yd day. I’m more like AK lol.

[LPCP]

Yea I didn’t really go into much detail with my post, but I always start and end my practice with shots anywhere between 30 and 75 yards. I try to spend the most time on the shots I know I’ll frequently see on the course.

[Phabs]

I start with half swing lob wedges until I loosen up then work my way up the bag spending extra time with my pitching wedge and 7 iron. Usually start hitting draws, transition to straight balls then to baby cuts with every iron in the bag. I only hit maybe 5 balls a piece with the 4 wood and driver unless they’re broke I don’t fix them. I end back on my 58/54 wedges hitting the same shots I started with. Then I’m off to the putting green for 3-5-7 drills for about a hour and a half typically.

My range has 55 gallon drums out at about 40 yards so I spend too much time making noise with the 58/54/50 wedges at them. It does help get my tempo and ball striking warmed up though.

[setter02]

I do basically the same thing. Start off with half 54s and then move up to 3/4 and then up to 8i and on.

[jjschafe]

Some interesting insight from the TXG guys. The purpose of the video is not relevant to this thread, but some of the findings are. Largely, that range balls are not very accurate at all for wedges and under. Basically the ball is so hard it produces a flyer on higher lofted clubs. It has definitely changed the way I view my practice. Remember that pros are hitting good balls at the range, not pinnacles and top flights like most of us are.

 

[braincramp52]

Ranges are a complete waste of time for me. It took me a long time to figure it out. I do 20 minutes of yoga stretches and go to the putting green and hit chips and putts for 30 minutes.

[Kovie623]

I work partial wedges to start, and then progress to full wedges. Depending on what I'm working on at time, I will typically only hit 10-12 balls with the driver and work on hitting the shot shapes I need for the holes I am playing that week in my match play league, but that's it. The rest are spent on short/middle irons and finish with the wedges again.