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Do you think too much practice is sometimes bad.

gunning4u

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2006
694
0
So most years around where I live the driving ranges and courses open in mid April. The last few years I have told myself I wasn’t going to play a round until about the first week of May. My thinking was that I would just go out and practice my butt off for a couple of weeks and get my swing “grooved” and nock off all the rust before I played my first round. The last two years I would have to say my scoring improved but my ball striking wasn’t really the greatest. Come to think of it the years my ball striking was the best was the years I didn’t hit the range all that much.

This year I have been doing things kind of backwards. I played two rounds before I even hit the range, and I only hit a half of bucket of balls this year total. I have five rounds in this year and my ball striking has been very good. My scoring hasn’t been the greatest mid 80’s but it’s mainly because of poor touch around the greens, not too worried just a little work around the chipping greens and I will be good to go. I going to take a nonchalant approach to my ball striking this year. Besides the occasional half a bucket of balls before a round, I’m just not going to pound bucket after bucket on the range. I think when I spend a lot of time on the range I start over thinking and getting too many swing thoughts and it kind of screws me up.
 

SilverUberXeno

El Tigre Blanco
Jul 26, 2005
4,620
26
You have a point, but that's what the range is for- swing thoughts. You need a good swing before you can repeat it. After that, if you're confident with your ability to hit consistently, only go to the range to exercise or work on something. For example, I found a way to add 15-20 yards to my 6 iron, and I plan on incorporating this into my normal swing. When I do this with my driver, I hit high, massively long shots. Almost to the point of ballooning because the clubhead is going so much faster.

However, I actually like the range. I don't think I'll ever be a perfect ballstriker, but I think repetition will bring my closer. But I don't ever just hit the ball- I always watch the full flight, analyze what I did, and try to repeat my error to actually FEEL the mistake, so if I make it on the course I know how to correct it. The range is like studying, I think.
 

Eracer

No more triple bogies!!
Oct 31, 2005
12,405
8
Like SUX says, the range helps me FEEL the proper swing without the pressure of the scorecard. You just have to be smart about not hitting the same bad shot over and over again. I saw a guy at the range the other day hit four large buckets. He was making the same mistakes over and over, cursing under his breath after almost every shot. Truth be told, the shots weren't all that bad, but they weren't what he was looking for. Still, he was getting nowhere practicing like that. So yes, you can practice too much.

And you can NEVER practice the short game too much.
 

eclark53520

DB Member Extraordinaire
Supporting Member
Dec 24, 2007
17,520
7,590
South Central Wisconsin
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United States United States
Practicing too much is only bad if you are practicing bad habbits...or if you take your swing thoughts from the range to the course(figured that one out)

I find the range a great place to work on small parts of your swing one at a time and i will usually use one whole range session working on one particular thing so the next time i dont have to think about that part while i fix something else in my swing
 

chemboy2

M634
Supporting Member
Sep 23, 2004
2,822
3
If by practice you mean mindlessly banging balls on the range then, yes, you can practice too much IMO. However, if by practice you mean working on your short game and doing swing drills with the occasional trip to the range to check contact and ball flight then, no, you can't practice enough.

I've seen way too many folks do what Eracer witnessed. Hell, I was one of those guys once and my game certainly was not better for it! I think the keys to practice are having a plan and being focused. If these are present then you're clear to practice until your hands bleed.
 

SiberianDVM

I love Hooters
Moderator
Jul 25, 2005
8,783
1,539
Augusta, GA
Country
United States United States
I have been hitting too many range balls. My the fingers on my right hand hurt all of the time. It's time for some soft grips and just practising putting.
 

ezra76

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2006
12,412
16
Yes for me. My scores at the same courses, same tees, have been a few strokes better without the range. I'll save my money and just go play. I improved nothing at the range during the offseason. All my improvements came from playing Triggs off the temp tees over and over. It's a lot easier to aim and hit at the target now. No swing thoughts for me whatsoever now.
 

Lemonhead

Well-Known Member
Nov 1, 2006
86
0
I love the range....

I'll go hit balls almost every day, either on the range or take a shag bag to the university and hit some. Usually, I'm working on one specific thing. Yesterday I was working on my wedges, the other day it was long irons.

However, there have been sessions where I leave after 15 balls because I'm just not executing properly. Rather than keep pounding and building bad habits, I just stop - recognize that I'm having an off day - and leave. No regrets. Every day can't be a winner.

Not every time I'm there working on my game. Sometimes, I get a card from a local course and play the card up to the green, imagining the hazards and placing my shots. Some days, I just go because I love the way a golf ball looks in flight. Some days, I go to stay limber.

Whatever the reason, the most important thing is to make sure you are not rehearsing bad form.

Lemonhead
 

ers1029

Well-Known Member
Apr 1, 2008
36
0
I find I strike the ball 100x better on the course as opposed to the range, but that's because I overthink my swing at the range. On the course I do not second guess myself and commit to my shot. Practice is only detrmimental when you are practicing bad habits or trying to analyze what's not broken.
 

mont86

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Nov 5, 2005
3,663
4
Like SUX says, the range helps me FEEL the proper swing without the pressure of the scorecard. You just have to be smart about not hitting the same bad shot over and over again. I saw a guy at the range the other day hit four large buckets. He was making the same mistakes over and over, cursing under his breath after almost every shot. Truth be told, the shots weren't all that bad, but they weren't what he was looking for. Still, he was getting nowhere practicing like that. So yes, you can practice too much.

And you can NEVER practice the short game too much.

Eracer...Like SUX says...I sure hope he has a sense of humor..:)

And your right Practice with a purpose is what I have been told..I use to
hit a couple large buckets at a time and not gain anything from it, cursing under my breath...
I don't think you can practice too much as long as you have a goal in mind.
 

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