Do you listen to music when you are practicing?

iacas · February 14

27 minutes ago, MonteScheinblum said:

I wear headphones and listen to books or music so people won’t be inclined to give me tips. They still try and when it’s obvious I can’t hear them, they get my attention visually. There have been many doozies over the years. One real good one happened in 2023.

Was it any of these…

"If you want to fly from NYC to LA don't stop in Chicago."
"You're overthinking, you should have a very relaxed mind when you swing a club. All those swing thoughts are slowing down your natural reflexes."
"The pivot isn't a power producer."

MonteScheinblum · February 14

2 hours ago, iacas said:

Was it any of these…

"If you want to fly from NYC to LA don't stop in Chicago."

"You're overthinking, you should have a very relaxed mind when you swing a club. All those swing thoughts are slowing down your natural reflexes."

"The pivot isn't a power producer."

@Hawkeye77

It’s way better. I was practicing with headphones on. As most know I’ve been a shaft steepening, lead wrist extending, goat humping, handle raising fool for 40 years. I was rehearsing keeping the center of my pelvis back and ulnar and flexing lead wrist.

He gets my attention and says to me what I’m working on isn’t good, that it’s casting and I won’t have any power if I do that. I thanked him and said I’ll work on it.

10 minutes later he gets my attention and says I’m still not doing it right and even though I’m a big guy, I’ll never hit it far doing that. I wanted him to stop bothering me so I dropped the WLDC card. He pauses for a second and says that I may be able to hit it far, but I’ll never be a single digit. His attitude was really condescending and I had enough so told him I had played the korn ferry tour and more recently made the us senior open and finals of Q school.

He moved the goal posts again and said I must be a tremendous athlete, because what I was doing was horrible and any instructor would tell me what I was doing was awful. I asked him what his teaching credentials were.

He said he had read the PGA manual back to front and every issue of golf digest since 1980.

His attitude was so superior it rubbed even more wrong than what he was saying, so I fired back.

“Listen boss, if you check your December 2021 edition I’m rated one of the top instructors in CA and I was runner up for teacher of the year this year in Southern California. ‘“

Then he said I was delusional to make up things about myself that obviously weren’t true just to avoid learning something from someone with much more experience and knowledge.

I said for him to google Monte Scheinblum in his phone, Comes back a few minutes later and said there was no record of me being runner up for teacher of the year and reiterated how delusional I was.

GolfTurkey · February 14

I don't, I think I have weird shaped ears and earbuds fall out if I move and tilt my head like in a golf swing.

I wouldn't contemplate headphones where I live, it's far too hot and humid

GolfTurkey · February 14

Is it common to receive unsolicited advice at a range in the US?

Maybe I just look hostile, but in all my years at the range in Australia I think I've received unsolicited advice once (and it was good, fella said I was whipping it too far inside when I was in the practice bunker and that's my bad habit there).

I've had maybe two guys ask me for advice and one old guy who wanted to tell me how many course records he owned while looking like he had never broken 100 when he hit a ball.

The most common interaction on the range by far is people offering you the rest of their bucket because it's too hot and they're going home.

johnrobison · February 14

I love the sounds of a peaceful, quiet practice tee, plus the audible feedback from each shot. But the sound of other human beings talking makes me want to hurt someone, so I'm listening to music probably half the time.

Long_Left · February 14

3 hours ago, GolfTurkey said:

I don't, I think I have weird shaped ears and earbuds fall out if I move and tilt my head like in a golf swing.

I wouldn't contemplate headphones where I live, it's far too hot and humid

I was sad when I first got my earbuds (airpods pro,) they wouldn't stay in my ears for anything more strenuous than sitting perfectly still and doing nothing, tried all 3 sizes. I had $200 sitting there, all but useless to me. I ordered memory foam replacements for the stock silicone tips and I think I could box in them without them coming out. Seals well too and assists the noise cancellation on flights, transparent mode works great so I can have a conversation with them in. It's 105 F here in the summer but not overly humid, they still stay put when sweaty.

Brand is Comply, got them on Amazon for like $20 for 3 sets, this was 3 years ago and I just put the last set on, they last forever if you keep them fairly clean.

GolfTurkey · February 14

5 hours ago, Long_Left said:

I was sad when I first got my earbuds (airpods pro,) they wouldn't stay in my ears for anything more strenuous than sitting perfectly still and doing nothing, tried all 3 sizes. I had $200 sitting there, all but useless to me. I ordered memory foam replacements for the stock silicone tips and I think I could box in them without them coming out. Seals well too and assists the noise cancellation on flights, transparent mode works great so I can have a conversation with them in. It's 105 F here in the summer but not overly humid, they still stay put when sweaty.

Brand is Comply, got them on Amazon for like $20 for 3 sets, this was 3 years ago and I just put the last set on, they last forever if you keep them fairly clean.

Thanks, I'll give that brand a go. I bought Sonicfoam tips a couple months ago and they have been only fractionally better than the stock Apple ones for me.

golf-RN · February 17

I've never been a proponent of listening to music at the range or on the course, however, two nights ago I was practicing on my simulator and I still had my music on while I was doing other things before hitting some shots and just left it on. I had the best session of ball striking I have ever had!! I was listening to Rush (my favorite band) who are known for odd time signatures so I don't think it was the actual rhythm lol I don't know, maybe it just helped take all of the swing-thought clutter out of my head for once or maybe as a musician myself (bass player), my inner tempo was locked in somehow. I will say that I may have done a 180º on my thinking about playing music while hitting cause I will do this again!!! Who says at 53 an old dog can't learn new tricks!!!

virtuoso · February 17

7 hours ago, golf-RN said:

I've never been a proponent of listening to music at the range or on the course, however, two nights ago I was practicing on my simulator and I still had my music on while I was doing other things before hitting some shots and just left it on. I had the best session of ball striking I have ever had!! I was listening to Rush (my favorite band) who are known for odd time signatures so I don't think it was the actual rhythm lol I don't know, maybe it just helped take all of the swing-thought clutter out of my head for once or maybe as a musician myself (bass player), my inner tempo was locked in somehow. I will say that I may have done a 180º on my thinking about playing music while hitting cause I will do this again!!! Who says at 53 an old dog can't learn new tricks!!!

Rush makes a big sound for only 3 guys.

Mikey_HACKilroy · February 17

On 2/14/2024 at 7:10 AM, GolfTurkey said:

Is it common to receive unsolicited advice at a range in the US?

Maybe I just look hostile, but in all my years at the range in Australia I think I've received unsolicited advice once (and it was good, fella said I was whipping it too far inside when I was in the practice bunker and that's my bad habit there).

I've had maybe two guys ask me for advice and one old guy who wanted to tell me how many course records he owned while looking like he had never broken 100 when he hit a ball.

The most common interaction on the range by far is people offering you the rest of their bucket because it's too hot and they're going home.

No. In fact, the only thing I've ever heard is silence during my bad shots and a very very VERY occasional, "Nice, dude" with the best looking shots. I, too, have very rarely commented because it's generally considered sacrilege to offer unsolicited advice. MOST golfers understand that.

(When I say rarely comment, I'm merely talking comment and it is after said golfer has already addressed me in some manner. I never give advice. LOL)

What most golfers do not seem to understand is that I would REALLY REALLY LOVE IT if they would comment on ALL of my great looking shots. It would help boost my confidence..... 🤣

Back to the topic of the thread. I do listen to music, but when I want to hear the shot I turn it off. It also depends on the music. Some types of music will compliment my process on one day but not the next. I do it to remove myself from the moment so I can try to stop thinking about the shot so dang much. 😄

Edited February 17 by Mikey_HACKilroy

golf-RN · February 18

11 hours ago, virtuoso said:

Rush makes a big sound for only 3 guys.

They certainly do!!

PedronNiall · February 18

Some of you clearly need a better RBF so people know to leave you alone on the range, hah. I've never had anyone bother me other than to say nice swing as they're leaving.

Not a fan of music during practice unless I'm at home and putting around or whatever, and even then it's a maybe. When I play or practice at the course it's to get away from everything else. I also want to practice in the most similar condition to how I'll play and I've yet to have it be the norm that music is going in the background while I'm on the course.

I don't listen to music when at the beach, on a walk, or doing whatever else where I mostly get to enjoy natural or at least ambient sounds.