Today I went back to Palm Aire again, to practice, but I had a bit more time. I brought just 3 clubs instead of my golf bag like last time. My 56 degree wedge, 7 iron, and driver. I did not buy a bucket of balls.  I grabbed some from the practice area and hit up to the practice pin. This is one of my favorite shots to practice, but the conditions usually are not as realistic as this.   Palm Aire has fairway like grass leading up to the pin, so I used that area. At one of my other practice spots, I practice hitting from the rough over the bunker for my short shot. 

After nailing the pin repeatedly with only about 10 shots, I grabbed some balls headed to the range. I didn’t bring an array of clubs because I didn’t think I’d hit much on the range. As luck would have it, there were plenty of balls around. I alternated between my irons and my driver. Each shot I went through my normal routine, planning where each shot should land. 

The balls were sailing where I wanted them to, mostly, and I was feeling pretty good. 

The difference between yesterday and today? A plan to hit just as I would on the course vs swinging the club. This results in a far better practice with repeatable swings that will be carried onto the course later. 

Whatever your practice time available, plan what you can do well with the time you have.

I brought my clubs with me to hit a few balls at Palm Aire Golf Club while waiting to pick up someone from a local course. I figured I would have 20 minutes and bought a small bucket. The turf to hit off was in great condition. 

Since time was short I really couldn’t waste a moment. I skipped putting and pitching, which ordinarily would have been the better choice, because I wanted to swing my golf clubs since it had been at least two weeks. 

The wind was blowing- which means watch your speed. But again, I was in a hurry. I quickly turned my arms and did quick stretches for about 90 seconds. My first shot was awful. And my second. So then I stopped, put my feet together, and hit a few half pitches until I got the right effect. Then I quickly hit my pitching wedge and 7 iron, then brought out the drive. Barely stopping to check my line, I whizzed through my bucket. 

Was this a good practice? Did I really benefit from it? 

I learned two things: if I took my time, and went through my routine, yes, I could hit the ball where I wanted. But just whacking the balls to get some swings really only told me if I needed a lot of practice or if my swing is really about right no matter what I do. 

Conclusion: This type of practice is only for extreme circumstances when at best you want to gauge something about your overall swing.