Rounds Played - Quantity vs. Quality?

[KGlennCole]

Now that Winter has really started to set tin for those of us in the North, a year-end/year-beginning question arises – Play as much as possible or as best as possible?<O</O
<O</O
One of the reasons I ask is – I just returned from Orlando where I played 7 of 8 days. (Missing Thanksgiving Dinner with my Mother was not even considered.) I played some of the best rounds I’ve played all year. Very, very satisfied. Came home,, played last Sun in 35*-40*,, happy. Played Mon and Tue in 55*-60*,, **belch**,, resigned to keeping the clubs in the garage. This weekend, mid-50’s. Hope??<O</O
<O</O
First, this question is not for many of the better players and teachers on this Website who compete at a much higher level than most who play golf and are semi-serious like me. I would think, however, you could provide some insight.<O</O
<O</O
Second, a few caveats.<O</O
a. I, for one, truly enjoy being on the course. I love the game. I am very competitive handicap-wise, especially in Match Play. I blow-up only 3-4 holes a round. Bring cash.<O</O
b. I have a few medical issues that preclude physical activities other than golf. I am not ashamed of those issues, nor do I blame them. I play golf.<O</O
c. Practice facilities in the Pittsburgh-area stink. Hitting downhill to an open field with no targets is useless (Quicksilver, my home course). The coin to be a member at a course with good range/short-game facilities is out of my league.<O</O
d. I do practice and take lessons. I work at the game. Brian and Kevin will attest to that.<O</O
<O</O
This year I’ve played 73 rounds,, so far. Not bad considering the emergency neck surgery in February that side-lined me until early May. And, I'm not getting any younger (58 in 3 weeks).

I'm hitting the ball MUCH better than ever. I believe I'm a much better player than ever thanks to Brian, Kevin and others here. I do practice,, just not every day. The day job has a way of interferring. Rats.
<O</O
<O</O
So – Quantity (As many as possible with little to no practice)? Or, Quality (Only playing when you’re “good”)?

Are the options mutually exclusive? Your thoughts?

 

[Bigwill]

For me, quantity. Playing drops my score much faster than practicing, without question. It's funny, because I love to beat balls. But I've seen it time and again; give me 3 consecutive days on the range, or 3 consecutive days on the course, and I'll not only score better with the course time, but I'll hit it better, even though I'd actually log more swings during the range time.

Heck, if I waited to play when I'm "good", well, you know...

 

[Martee]

I mix both though some of my playing rounds are pure practice. For instance I will take 4 or 5 club and play bogey as par trying to swing within myself, position the ball so I don't have a distance that is not comfortable, etc. I do spend a fair amount of time practicing, putting, chipping and short pitches. The full swing practice is inbetween rounds normally for a very specific purpose. My practice sessions are more about achieving one goal or objective and then quitting. I may hit 30 balls or 100 balls but I don't just hit ball to hit balls, when the job is done, I go play.

 

[ZAP]

Fiddle when you can and work when you should.

I personally do not like practice. My add kicks in and before you know it I am just trying to hit huge fades and hooks our super low or high shots.
I will play an entire round working on one thing in my swing but put a pile of balls in front of me and it turns into a circus.

I say play.

 

[OLIVER1]

put a pile of balls in front of me and it turns into a circus.

I say play.

Don't know why, ZAP, but that line just cracked me up...

 

[mgranato]

I am very competitive handicap-wise, especially in Match Play. I blow-up only 3-4 holes a round. Bring cash.

Absolutely love this mentality!

Hope one day we get a chance to tee it up together. We could partner up for a student vs teachers match... get the strokes right and us on the "amateur" tees... who knows what might happen.

 

[ryant91]

You need to learn how to practice. Harldy anyone even has any idea how to perform the act of practicing. Once you master the optimal state of mind (which takes practice as well) your really learning. Playing is of course important but does not compare to practice.

 

[dcg1952]

I spend some time on the practice tee but I usually prefer to play. In the evenings I will sometimes play up to 3 balls (assuming no one is waiting). And i have the same driving range issues at my home course (Hickory Heights) that you have at Quicksilver, although we do have some flags to shoot at. If you are that close to me we should get together next year

 

[hp12c]

Ive played great with no practice or warm up before teeing off and Ive played terrible with no practice or warm up before tee time.
Ive also played great with practice or warm up before tee time and played terrible with practice or warm up before tee time.
So what does that mean for me, well glad u asked.
It means I know how to propel the ball toward the green,decently for an amatuer, non professional, my problem seems to be when I try to do/propel the ball to the green in a manner not accustomed to me.
Meaning trying swing moves I cant, dont really know how to do, but think I can. But when I just do my swing however flippy,too inside on the takeaway, head moving too and fro up and down, over the top, hacker moves I score lower.
So I just do my swing, most of the time. But I do love to just beat balls and chip, pitch, putt till it gets dark when I have the time.