I know on this website there is a ton of great information regarding the mechanics of the swing and how to execute it. My question is to Brian or to anyone else, is how should you go about practicing and how do you get the most out of your practice time. Ex: Do the pro's go through the entire bag when they practice or focus on particular clubs in each session?? Should you switch clubs each swing or stay with the same club for several swings?? How often should you hit balls?? I know that if I hit balls more than two days in a row, I have a tendency to get slopy by day three. HOw many balls should you hit, before you might be overdoing it? How much time devoted to playing vs. practicing? How much time devoted to short game?? How much should be dedicated to trajectory vs distance? Is there a set program pro's stick with?? This may be a good topic for the podcast.
How to practice....
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Erik_K
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My 0.02 cents:
Tour players hit over 300 balls and/or play 18 every day. No one on Tour has the identical routine. Some work on their fundamentals all day, such as the setup. Colin Montgomerie, for years, has had a very consistent full swing and he spends a lot of time on his putting.
In my opinion, you need to play as often as you can. That's where it counts, afterall. I think it's great that you can hammer 300 yd drive after 300 yard drive, but if you can't hit the fairway time and time again, what good is the power? And I don't know how many times I bombed one down there only to three-putt, or blade a short pitch over the green. So, I say practice the short game MORE than the full-swing. Get good at chipping it dead and pitching it close. That will start knocking the strokes off faster than ANY increase in driver distance.
Brian, in his Flipper video, said the game, now more than ever, is about power. If you have leakages you are going to be exposed. Thus, you want to start there. I like to warm up with the 'acquired motions.' I take my wedges out and focus on good compression. Nothing big, just nice solid compression. You can do this a number of ways. Over at Lynn's site there's a vid of Ben taking a student into the sand trap. Ben makes him do little swings buy taking sand just after where a line is drawn in the trap. If he hits on the wrong side of the line, he's hitting fat (and that might be because of some throw-away).
Secondly, and this depends on the skill of the player, is your PATH. Are you coming in too steep? You want to hit the ball from the inside and I'd love Brian to have like 344523412321 video shorts on a number of swing issues (setup, roll of the arms, etc.) but I'd love to see one on the HIP ACTION. Homer likens the correct hip action to a hula move and I LOVE that analogy. The head of a hula dancer is steady, while the hips slide and turn.
I'm sure Jim or Ed might chime in with plane lasers and that will give you an idea if you are out to in or perhaps even under plane.
For me I need to work on shortening my swing and holding the FLW at the top. I tend to have too much right wrist bend and that is messing me up at the top and there is some throwaway robbing me of power.
I don't have a magic forumla for you. I would try something like 30-60 mins of putting, chipping pitching at least once a week and maybe another day where you are hitting full shots with a variety of clubs. For God's sake take your time when you are hitting balls. LOOK at your divots. Take note of where they point and where they started. If you practice 4x a week scale it back some, and play one more day instead. Play 9 holes, just play, play, play!
Tour players hit over 300 balls and/or play 18 every day. No one on Tour has the identical routine. Some work on their fundamentals all day, such as the setup. Colin Montgomerie, for years, has had a very consistent full swing and he spends a lot of time on his putting.
In my opinion, you need to play as often as you can. That's where it counts, afterall. I think it's great that you can hammer 300 yd drive after 300 yard drive, but if you can't hit the fairway time and time again, what good is the power? And I don't know how many times I bombed one down there only to three-putt, or blade a short pitch over the green. So, I say practice the short game MORE than the full-swing. Get good at chipping it dead and pitching it close. That will start knocking the strokes off faster than ANY increase in driver distance.
Brian, in his Flipper video, said the game, now more than ever, is about power. If you have leakages you are going to be exposed. Thus, you want to start there. I like to warm up with the 'acquired motions.' I take my wedges out and focus on good compression. Nothing big, just nice solid compression. You can do this a number of ways. Over at Lynn's site there's a vid of Ben taking a student into the sand trap. Ben makes him do little swings buy taking sand just after where a line is drawn in the trap. If he hits on the wrong side of the line, he's hitting fat (and that might be because of some throw-away).
Secondly, and this depends on the skill of the player, is your PATH. Are you coming in too steep? You want to hit the ball from the inside and I'd love Brian to have like 344523412321 video shorts on a number of swing issues (setup, roll of the arms, etc.) but I'd love to see one on the HIP ACTION. Homer likens the correct hip action to a hula move and I LOVE that analogy. The head of a hula dancer is steady, while the hips slide and turn.
I'm sure Jim or Ed might chime in with plane lasers and that will give you an idea if you are out to in or perhaps even under plane.
For me I need to work on shortening my swing and holding the FLW at the top. I tend to have too much right wrist bend and that is messing me up at the top and there is some throwaway robbing me of power.
I don't have a magic forumla for you. I would try something like 30-60 mins of putting, chipping pitching at least once a week and maybe another day where you are hitting full shots with a variety of clubs. For God's sake take your time when you are hitting balls. LOOK at your divots. Take note of where they point and where they started. If you practice 4x a week scale it back some, and play one more day instead. Play 9 holes, just play, play, play!
Great topic that doesnt get nearly enough attention. With all the great ideas on this and other sites, no one talks enough about how to incorporate a change into your swing.
Do you focus on making 1, 2, or 3 swing changes over a period of 6 months or so?. Do you only focus on one at a time? Do you do multiple drills for the same issue, or do you find the one best drill for you and "wear that sucker out" until you finally get it?
How do you organize your practice? 100 balls to hit, how many do you hit doing drills, how many do you hit "simulating" playing a course? Do you alternate 1 ball with the drill, one without, ect.?
Answers to these and similar questions (from an instructor or highly competetive player) would be a big help and compliment to all the great knowledge being discussed, but, without any discussion of an efficient way of attacking a players issues.
As you can see, I dont have any answers here. I simply focus more on short game, and when it comes to attacking my issues, I find one drill per issue and focus on that, over time, until improvement begins to happen. It simply takes more time than any of us would like.
Do you focus on making 1, 2, or 3 swing changes over a period of 6 months or so?. Do you only focus on one at a time? Do you do multiple drills for the same issue, or do you find the one best drill for you and "wear that sucker out" until you finally get it?
How do you organize your practice? 100 balls to hit, how many do you hit doing drills, how many do you hit "simulating" playing a course? Do you alternate 1 ball with the drill, one without, ect.?
Answers to these and similar questions (from an instructor or highly competetive player) would be a big help and compliment to all the great knowledge being discussed, but, without any discussion of an efficient way of attacking a players issues.
As you can see, I dont have any answers here. I simply focus more on short game, and when it comes to attacking my issues, I find one drill per issue and focus on that, over time, until improvement begins to happen. It simply takes more time than any of us would like.
I understand most of the concepts here and try to integrate them into my swing, problem is sometimes I feel I go to the range without a real plan and no way to really measure my progress. Should I work through the whole bag documenting how close to a target each shot is and see if I improve the next time, should you hit each club 10-20 times, or should you focus more on the driver, wedges, and short game. I think a lot of people know what the end goal is, they just don't have a real plan as to how to get there.
birdie_man
New
I'm pretty scattered sometimes too man. Hard to discipline yourself to go thru your routine.
I'd say there's lots of things that are great for everyone to integrate.
But everyone has their own style too.
Things to integrate (I think):
-work on all clubs...don't just hit drivers...don't just hit wedges. If anything tho hit more wedges.
-try to go through and develop a good routine...just like you do on the course. Same thing everytime. I have the best range sessions by far when I do this. Helps you get into the groove and makes it automatic when you have to go thru your routine on the course.
-try to get into some kind of groove...some kind of rhythm...instead of just angrily bashing balls trying to force your swing to work (this can be a hard one on those "angry days"
). It might take a while so be patient...or it might not happen at all...but accept that and continue to try for a rhythm. You have to build up momentum slowly I think...if you think you can just force yourself into good shots then you're kidding yourself.
-find some drills that can get your swing going...there are many...find ones that work for you. I have a few that are lifesavers.
-practice shots you often need on the course. So you don't have to improvise all uncertainly while it's "game on" time.
That's all I can think of.
-Paul
I'd say there's lots of things that are great for everyone to integrate.
But everyone has their own style too.
Things to integrate (I think):
-work on all clubs...don't just hit drivers...don't just hit wedges. If anything tho hit more wedges.
-try to go through and develop a good routine...just like you do on the course. Same thing everytime. I have the best range sessions by far when I do this. Helps you get into the groove and makes it automatic when you have to go thru your routine on the course.
-try to get into some kind of groove...some kind of rhythm...instead of just angrily bashing balls trying to force your swing to work (this can be a hard one on those "angry days"
). It might take a while so be patient...or it might not happen at all...but accept that and continue to try for a rhythm. You have to build up momentum slowly I think...if you think you can just force yourself into good shots then you're kidding yourself.-find some drills that can get your swing going...there are many...find ones that work for you. I have a few that are lifesavers.
-practice shots you often need on the course. So you don't have to improvise all uncertainly while it's "game on" time.
That's all I can think of.
-Paul
bts
New
It's not only a good concept, but also a practical solution.
I believe that's what golf is all about-having fun through getting over the human nature, which is what needs to be practiced-"think as a golfer and execute like a machine".
A machine not only can repeat what has been programed precisely and consistently, but also has no ides about the ball, the impact, the ball flight, the target, the result, the score, the ego, the title, the prize,....... while being operated.
birdie_man
New
I do that too cdog.
Always in front of a reflection somewhere...or using flashlights...or hitting divots (this one is awesome...honestly). I do a lot of that in the winter just in my garage...to satisfy my obsession.
Always in front of a reflection somewhere...or using flashlights...or hitting divots (this one is awesome...honestly). I do a lot of that in the winter just in my garage...to satisfy my obsession.
Most of my mechanical practice is with 2 dowells right in my living room.
Also right there is a 3 iron with a freddy connect on it, shows path and clubface through the hitting area.
The lot next to my house is where i do Brians divot extension drill, i usually do my divot work early in the morning cause the neighbors already think im nuts.
When i do hit balls, its chip and pitches right off my back porch, i do them using just my pivot, i do them swinging ,and hitting, i even do them with a putting stroke. Most practice off my back porch is done with a lob webge and sand wedge.
Also right there is a 3 iron with a freddy connect on it, shows path and clubface through the hitting area.
The lot next to my house is where i do Brians divot extension drill, i usually do my divot work early in the morning cause the neighbors already think im nuts.
When i do hit balls, its chip and pitches right off my back porch, i do them using just my pivot, i do them swinging ,and hitting, i even do them with a putting stroke. Most practice off my back porch is done with a lob webge and sand wedge.
Cdog
I believe your divot extension drill is to mark a spot which would be the ball and try to hit the ground as far forward of the spot as possible? Also I find swinging in the house makes me come up for fear of hitting the floor. When I get to the range I have to focus on hitting the ground for a number of shots.
Dave
Dave
I believe your divot extension drill is to mark a spot which would be the ball and try to hit the ground as far forward of the spot as possible? Also I find swinging in the house makes me come up for fear of hitting the floor. When I get to the range I have to focus on hitting the ground for a number of shots.
Dave
Dave
Davel, the divot extension drill is the same that Brain shows on the flipper video.
If you use just the dowells in the house, you wont make divots, basicaly i really drill parallel to parallel (clubshaft parallel), generally, if you are onplane parallel to parallel, thers a real good chance your on plane elsewhere.
If you use just the dowells in the house, you wont make divots, basicaly i really drill parallel to parallel (clubshaft parallel), generally, if you are onplane parallel to parallel, thers a real good chance your on plane elsewhere.
birdie_man
New
Good one EdZ. Very good.
300, VERY PRACTICAL- you need to practice the geometry of the stroke before the physics. Clip dandilions or leaves in the grass as a target. Find the stroke than put the same new founded motion on the ball. The ball is just a dot along the plane line but the geometry - motion- of the stroke can be developed without the ball, just the plane line.
I will admit that practing w/o a ball is great practice. I do dowel work 3-4 times a week, and practice indoors with various clubs (Power angle pro, medicus, chipping, etc). I was speaking for "my perception" of the mass number of golfers and there willingness to do such things. I "suspect" from conversations with my friends and listing to other golfers that many dont have an appetite for practice in general, let alone practice without a ball.
I would be interested in Brian's or some other teachers feedback on how much they promote practice without a ball. No question is a great and effective practice procedure. Not so sure that its promoted or incorporated into a practice routine by many though.
I would be interested in Brian's or some other teachers feedback on how much they promote practice without a ball. No question is a great and effective practice procedure. Not so sure that its promoted or incorporated into a practice routine by many though.
Practice all day long...even when it appears you're doing something else...like the appearance of doing your job...
In front of ANY reflection, in the airport, in your car, in the shower....etc...just don't let anyone catch you especially if you're married...
Mirrors, dowels,armchair,whatever...then 12-5 -stages 1,2,3 is a great place to build, re-build and test each component...then by-pass the range...go to the first tee and have a great journey...
NON
In front of ANY reflection, in the airport, in your car, in the shower....etc...just don't let anyone catch you especially if you're married...
Mirrors, dowels,armchair,whatever...then 12-5 -stages 1,2,3 is a great place to build, re-build and test each component...then by-pass the range...go to the first tee and have a great journey...
NON
Yep - all the time, any time.
When I spent time at OCN with Lynn and Ted one of my personal favorite moments of that trip was watching Lynn 'practice' in the middle of an absolutely packed restaurant, nearly taking out a tray of drinks in the process....
Practice is always fun if you let it be so.
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