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Travis Dewire

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playing vs. practicing
« on: May 22, 2011, 12:02:19 AM »
Six of the world's Top 10, are European's. The Ryder Cup has become dominated by Europe, and it seems every time you look, another non- American player is winning a major. I feel like the only "energy" from the American players, are guys like Bubba Watson, and Rickie Fowler - players who do not live and die by the mechanics of the game.

Justin Rose is case and point. After such success at a young age, where has his career gone? Many years of mechanical perfection has not brought him back to the same place he was at 17 years old.

Has the current trend in American golf, become to mechanical and practice oriented - rather than feel and playing oriented? I am not downplaying practice, but i'm asking how important it is. Tiger Woods, like Ben Hogan, takes a mechanical approach to the swing, but when does he turn it off? Players like McDowell, and Watson, have a few ideas of mechanics, and rely on feel and play. As McDowell traveled into his mind and analytics, we saw him flounder at the players.

Do we rely too much on analysis? It is overwhelming the amount of instruction filling our airwaves. The Golf Channel, magazines, even during televised tournaments, we are always being introduced to new ideas and methods, as well as ones we have heard before. Where does this get us? Just a bit of information to pop in our head next time we are in a bunker so we can skull it out into the water over the green?

My feelings are that players need to put down the clubs, and pick up their minds. I dont believe there is enough attention played to the mental side of golf, at all levels of play. We would all benefit from proper mechanical instruction, that goes without saying. But we would benefit more, from getting out of our own way, and actually playing golf. IMO we are too busy analyzing and dissecting, that we forget about PLAYING.

what do you'll think?


Tim Gavrich

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: playing vs. practicing
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2011, 12:31:53 AM »
I couldn't agree more, Travis.  As someone who has just finished playing four years of college (D-III) golf, it has always astounded me how overly mechanical so many players are.  I have always been very much a feel player--sometimes to a fault, some might say--and have always felt like I have a little more fun playing golf than most others do.  It's amazing how so many good young players can't seem to make any kind of adjustment to their swing without a 30 minute conversation with their teacher(s) back home.  I've had a couple lessons here and there in my life, but most of what I do in order to swing the golf club has stemmed from the basic fundamentals that my father helped me with when I first started playing the game--15 years ago, when I was six.  If I had always had some guru looking over my shoulder whom I felt I needed in order to play well, the game just wouldn't be much fun for me.

Another thing that seems to lead to this is over-practice and under-play.  So many good players become range rats, and would rather hit pyramids of golf balls than go out and play 9, 18, 36 holes.  The only thing that hitting range balls prepares you for is hitting more range balls.  If you want to prepare to play golf, play golf.
Senior Writer, GolfPass

Niall C

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: playing vs. practicing
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2011, 09:44:56 AM »
Travis

I think you'll find all the top players no matter where they come from have a strong work ethic, it simply goes with the territory. The fact that America is temporarily on the wane is just one of those things, possibly caused by Tiger casting a long shadow over his contemporaries, but probably just an example of the natural ebb and flows that occur in any sport. For example, look at England, a few years ago they had one player in the world top 100, now they hold the no. 1 and no. 2 spots with god knows how many others in the top 50. Then there's Scotland, who dominated for the first few centuries and have done bugger all for the last hundred, Paul Lawrie and Monty aside. Its all ebb and flow.

BTW, not sure of the Justin Rose example, as I recall apart from that one stellar week at the Open as an amatuer, his amateur career wasn't all that glittering in comparison to his peers but I could be wrong in that.

Niall 

Steve Lang

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: playing vs. practicing
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2011, 10:29:00 AM »
 8)  Travis,

I think you have a flawed premise re: the euro's vs americans current top ten standings , and frankly don't most all pros look like robots out there with the notable exceptions praised for home made swings mostly or only when they're in competition on the weekends...  aren't Martin Kaymer and Luke Donald very robot like other than their very human smiles?

we don't need swing analysis and mental analysis switching places.. there's plenty of mind inputs for those who want it.. ever read Combat Golf?

i learned a long time ago that the practice range was to warm up the muscles before a match and to work on flaws after play.. play is always first focus.  i agree that the range has become its own end and that is a problem for many, and unfortunately its many who don't have the time for play.. so

per the Tom Sawyer Paint Co motto.. why scrape when you can paint?

play on
Inverness (Toledo, OH) cathedral clock inscription: "God measures men by what they are. Not what they in wealth possess.  That vibrant message chimes afar.
The voice of Inverness"

Travis Dewire

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: playing vs. practicing
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2011, 11:02:58 AM »
I disagree with all of you except for my southern boy Tim!

I agree on work ethic, but there is a difference between Vijay Singh's old routine (1,000 of balls a day), and Angel Miguel Jiminez's routine of just playing golf. My feelings are that Europeans spend far less time analyzing and disecting their swings, and spending time beating balls at the range. If they practice, they practice around the greens.

Luke Donald has a tremendous flip through impact - no one would teach that. Kaymer has the best swing in the game. Does it ever look like he is working at it? Of course they look like robot's they are pro's shooting par. You ever shoot par? You dont make many bogies when you do, so I argue anyone shooting par is a automatic like you are saying.

Since 2000, out of the 41 major's played, 23 have been won by American's, 12 of those Tiger. Look at the Ryder Cup record too, they both speak for themselves. The europeans are flat out better, and I dont think you will see a change in that, because they are playing golf, not swinging the club.

Look at demographics for a minute. We are in 2011, golf is accessabile to just about anybody. What was it like for a Scot or Englisman to get into the game of golf during the mid 20th century?

And my last question, what is a truer test of skill, alternate shot or just a round yourself?

Bill Hyde

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: playing vs. practicing
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2011, 11:33:10 AM »
As the parent of a high school golfer, I fully agree Travis. I have really tried to keep my son from becoming super mechanical in his approach to the game, but it's tough when kids these days all drink the same Kool-Aid. He has been going to an instructor maybe once or twice a month for about three years, but the guy is great. He just watches him hit, stays pretty quiet and makes the slightest comments to help him with this or that. Unfortunately, our course has been closed for the last 10 months for a renovation, but when it re-opens, I just want my son to play. In the meantime, I am encouraging him to play our short course and practice his short game and putting, rather than just banging balls on the range with his teammates. And I have pretty good evidence to support my advice, Friday he shot a 77 in a state amateur qualifier and missed the cut by one. He had 6 3-putts.

Padraig Dooley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: playing vs. practicing
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2011, 11:59:30 AM »
The best form of practice is playing.

Range time can be just as beneficial depending on how you use it. The common view of range usage where a golfer hits a bucket of balls one after another into the middle of the range is akin to throwing a whole pile of mud against a wall, some of it will stick but not a whole lot.

If a golfer learns how to randomise his practice then the range can be extremely beneficial. Examples of random practice would be playing holes on the range i.e. hit driver, followed by an iron shot, followed by a chip, if the drive goes into the virtual trees, the next shot could be a pitch out. The range session would continue on for 9, 18 or more holes. Putting practice would consist of using one ball, short game practice would be a chip followed by holing out with the putter.

There is no need to discourage anyone from going to the range, just have them change their practice routine.

There is an opportunity for architects to resdesign ranges, most ranges don't accomodate this type of random practice, no varied lies etc. It probably can be done without too much expense either.

   
There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.
  - Pablo Picasso

Tom ORourke

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: playing vs. practicing
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2011, 02:21:13 PM »
So much emphasis is put on hitting it high and long that the game tends to be more about the mechanics of hitting that one shot than anything else. I have played with a number of young guys and I would say they have a stock shot that seems to be the high draw. They do know how to chip and putt but tend to chip with only a sand wedge. I can't say that I have seen any of them work the ball both ways, putt with a hybrid (of course they don't own one, but they wouldn't put with it if they did), play a bounce it on type approach, or play a controlled knockdown. Everything seems to be based on the concept that you only need one swing. They need to learn how to control all trajectories, not just pound it.

Richard Choi

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: playing vs. practicing
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2011, 02:40:59 PM »
I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice man! We're talking about practice!!?? We're talking about practice??? We're not talking about the game...

Tim Martin

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: playing vs. practicing
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2011, 08:25:30 PM »
The best form of practice is playing.

Range time can be just as beneficial depending on how you use it. The common view of range usage where a golfer hits a bucket of balls one after another into the middle of the range is akin to throwing a whole pile of mud against a wall, some of it will stick but not a whole lot.

If a golfer learns how to randomise his practice then the range can be extremely beneficial. Examples of random practice would be playing holes on the range i.e. hit driver, followed by an iron shot, followed by a chip, if the drive goes into the virtual trees, the next shot could be a pitch out. The range session would continue on for 9, 18 or more holes. Putting practice would consist of using one ball, short game practice would be a chip followed by holing out with the putter.

There is no need to discourage anyone from going to the range, just have them change their practice routine.

There is an opportunity for architects to resdesign ranges, most ranges don't accomodate this type of random practice, no varied lies etc. It probably can be done without too much expense either.

   

Padraig-That is good advice and practice with purpose can be beneficial while just beating balls into space probably won`t help much. I had a high school baseball coach tell me that even when you are playing catch you should have a target on every throw- right knee, left shoulder,belt buckle etc. This same premise should be brought to the range with distance, flight, shape etc. all in the equation or at a minimum a target or target line. If you are not going to do this then you are better off chipping and putting as it will save you more strokes. 

Jim Eder

Re: playing vs. practicing
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2011, 08:34:47 PM »
The range is great to practice on but I really enjoy going out and playing a couple of balls. I'll play 2 balls and play "worst ball" to practice shots that are not always available or thought of on the range. And to that I will add an extra drive or two and play one or two additional approaches. Then hit a couple of chips, a few extra putts etc. It can be a bit more "real life" than a range can be.

Can this way of doing things avoid the "Ranger Rick" syndrome?

The danger is to avoid any negative thoughts that may arise from this (playing the worst ball and shooting a bit higher on the worst ball score).

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