Field Practice is no Joke...

[SomeChump]

3. As for accuracy, play what I call 'bocce disc'. Toss a putter/midrange out in an open field (to a comfortable but challenging distance), and take 5 more shots to get as close to where that landed as you can. Fantastic practice, and make it harder by using 5 different discs or using different lines/types of shots. Every shot within 10 feet is a point, every shot within 5 feet is 2 points. Play a game to 20. If you do this once a week, your midrange game will improve dramatically, and your accuracy off the tee will benefit as well.

Like the idea, but think the points are a bit off. Since I can hit 98% of my 15 footers and 80% of my 20 footers, I don't need my approaches or midrange shots to be anywhere near 5 feet from the basket. Maybe 1 pt for 25 feet and in an 2 for 15 feet and in. Especially if you're throwing a midrange out there and not just a little 100 foot approach with a putter.

I play a similar game in the road in front of my house. From what distance can I reliably get up and down in 2 shots? It turns out I can get up and down 50% of the time on a wide open 200 footer. I'm nearly 100% at 100 feet though. But I don't have room to throw more than my putters out there.

 

[VictorB]

Like the idea, but think the points are a bit off. Since I can hit 98% of my 15 footers and 80% of my 20 footers, I don't need my approaches or midrange shots to be anywhere near 5 feet from the basket. Maybe 1 pt for 25 feet and in an 2 for 15 feet and in. Especially if you're throwing a midrange out there and not just a little 100 foot approach with a putter.

I play a similar game in the road in front of my house. From what distance can I reliably get up and down in 2 shots? It turns out I can get up and down 50% of the time on a wide open 200 footer. I'm nearly 100% at 100 feet though. But I don't have room to throw more than my putters out there.

So putting a disc in the 100% circle doesn't mean anything?

How many times are you getting inside 15' from a 200' approach? If you're only getting up and down from 200' 50% of the time - on a wide open shot, nonetheless - then that's not good enough. If you truly want to be competitive, that number needs to be at least 90%. Up and down in 2 from 100' isn't a challenge at all - it's just getting close on a jump putt on your first shot.

Think of it this way - a 230' hole should be an EASY birdie. If you're not hitting it almost every time, then your accuracy in the midrange game isn't good.

Personally, if I'm approaching <250' and I'm not inside a 20' circle, I'm a bit upset b/c I didn't throw a good approach.

 

[JoshEpoo]

Think of it this way - a 230' hole should be an EASY birdie. If you're not hitting it almost every time, then your accuracy in the midrange game isn't good.

Personally, if I'm approaching <250' and I'm not inside a 20' circle, I'm a bit upset b/c I didn't throw a good approach.

I tend to agree with most of this but it really depends on your goals and the holes you're playing. I feel like EVERY hole I can reach in one shot should be a birdie almost every time, regardless of distance, but good courses make it harder to do that by throwing obstacles at you and what not.

The only tournament data I have is for the MN Majestic but even top pros playing an NT were birdieing the shortest holes at BRP about half the time. There are some 300'ers with average scores higher than 3...

You're kind of trivializing the difficulty of real 250' golf shots, especially for rec golfers or newer competitive players.

 

[Triflusal]

Think of it this way - a 230' hole should be an EASY birdie. If you're not hitting it almost every time, then your accuracy in the midrange game isn't good.

Personally, if I'm approaching <250' and I'm not inside a 20' circle, I'm a bit upset b/c I didn't throw a good approach.

my issue: I am so diesel that I overthrow those holes with my putter

 

[VictorB]

I tend to agree with most of this but it really depends on your goals and the holes you're playing. I feel like EVERY hole I can reach in one shot should be a birdie almost every time, regardless of distance, but good courses make it harder to do that by throwing obstacles at you and what not.

The only tournament data I have is for the MN Majestic but even top pros playing an NT were birdieing the shortest holes at BRP about half the time. There are some 300'ers with average scores higher than 3...

You're kind of trivializing the difficulty of real 250' golf shots, especially for rec golfers or newer competitive players.

Not trying to trivialize it, more like trying to place a high importance on the midrange game, which a lot of people don't practice.

The midrange game can be a major factor where you can keep up with people who throw longer than you. It can also save you strokes against the field, where a good approach from most distances gets you inside your comfort zone of putting, where others may struggle to get inside the circle and potentially two-putt.

The course you play on obviously dictates how difficult the shots in the 200-300' range are, but becoming comfortable in that range is the first step to making those shots off the tee. BRP is obviously more of an exception than a rule when it comes to midrange accuracy.

Lucky for me, we have course here in town that seriously challenges my midrange game on and off the tee.

 

[Jbowdown]

I read somewhere that Climo attempts to aim for a landing zone anywhere within the 10m circle. He's confident enough with his putting game that it's practically a gimme, as he should make it every time. Anything he makes outside the 10m circle he considers a bonus, he could make it or miss it (but of course he wants to make it). This means he's playing for the 10m circle at every opportunity he can to give him the highest chance for the lowest score he can achieve for the hole. He's simply choosing the highest % shot (path and disc) to put him inside that 10m circle.

This is the way I chose to think about my driving/approach game a couple of years ago and it has definitely improved my mental game planning my shots for a hole. A 33' circumference circle is much easier to hit then a 20' circle, it just requires a stronger putting game.

 

[VictorB]

This is the way I chose to think about my driving/approach game a couple of years ago and it has definitely improved my mental game planning my shots for a hole. A 33' circumference circle is much easier to hit then a 20' circle, it just requires a stronger putting game.

This is exactly the way I approach it as well.

In the majority of the cases, however, a stronger putting game generally is developed a little later than an approach game. Working on your approach game to put you in the best position to get a putt you know you can make is incredibly important, and at the very least worthy of consideration for making a practice session of its own at least once a week.

If you can get pretty consistent at hitting a 25' circle from 200' or so, then your practice putting work will come in handy since you should be in your comfort zone there. Anyway, that's just one man's opinion, it's neither right nor wrong, it just works for me time and time again on many different types of course.

(The best way to become a better putter in a competitive setting is to put your approach closer to the basket )

 

[Caldwell5161]

This is exactly the way I approach it as well.

In the majority of the cases, however, a stronger putting game generally is developed a little later than an approach game. Working on your approach game to put you in the best position to get a putt you know you can make is incredibly important, and at the very least worthy of consideration for making a practice session of its own at least once a week.

If you can get pretty consistent at hitting a 25' circle from 200' or so, then your practice putting work will come in handy since you should be in your comfort zone there. Anyway, that's just one man's opinion, it's neither right nor wrong, it just works for me time and time again on many different types of course.

(The best way to become a better putter in a competitive setting is to put your approach closer to the basket )

This is exactly how I think. Luckily for me my home course is basically 90% up shots. The difficulty comes in the obstacles. It has taught me to thread the needle and land it close to the basket.

I've found that my best rounds pretty much come when my up shots are on fire. My putter will go hot and cold, but if I can keep my up shots consistent then I'll make the putter insignificant, and can recover from poor drives as well. That's why when I do field practice, I'll empty my bag and throw discs from different distances into the same soccer goal.

Just got to count the discs when you get there and before you leave. I've left a few lying around before. :wall:

 

[dtuba]

Am I the only one that thinks field practice is fun?

No way. On a nice sunny day, if you don't have time to play a full round, it is a great way to kill an hour or two while working on your game.

I have the best of both worlds. About 10 minutes from my house is a place called Fircrest which is an old state office complex. There used to be a half-#ssed course on the grounds, but now has been deactivated and taken off the course directory, but there are still 3 baskets remaining in the fields between buildings. It's a great place to go and practice driving and putting.

Whoops I just spilled the beans.. no one read this

 

[Bradford]

Am I the only one that thinks field practice is fun?

I enjoy it other than having to chase my disc down. It's helped me out a ton.

 

[jenb]

A 33' circumference circle is much easier to hit then a 20' circle, it just requires a stronger putting game.

Oh, is that all? lol

 

[Jbowdown]

A 33' circumference circle is much easier to hit then a 20' circle, it just requires a stronger putting game.

Oh, is that all? lol

Maybe the next putter MVP makes should have a magnetic rim instead of a rubber one!

 

[jenb]

Maybe the next putter MVP makes should have a magnetic rim instead of a rubber one!

You forgot to emphasize the just!

As someone who is presently 10% from 30 feet, 50% from 20 feet, and 66% from 15 feet, and practicing putting every day, that just is such a tease.

 

[Jbowdown]

You forgot to emphasize the just!

As someone who is presently 10% from 30 feet, 50% from 20 feet, and 66% from 15 feet, and practicing putting every day, that just is such a tease.

I know, but these quote boxes can be confusing sometimes!