(08-04-2023, 06:46 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: Do you guys ever practice, or do you just mainly play? 

I recently read an article that referenced a "68% rule."  It echoed what some of you have said in this thread, and basically it is this: if you look at all the shots an average golfer takes during a round, add all the times you hit driver, plus all the times you putt, plus all the times you chip, it comes to a vast majority of the shots you take during a round.  So your practice should focus on those things.  In my case, when I say "chipping," I am saying whatever is not a full swing.  So I would include all those 40 or 50 or so yard half-swings that are so common. 

So, practice should focus on driver, putter, and wedge.  In looking at my recent play, it's absolutely true.  I'm hitting a ton of half-wedges and chip shots.  In fact I would say most of my strokes don't involve a full swing.  It's just not that common that I am taking a full swing from a fairway these days.  

Here's the front 9 from my round the other day:
1) par 5 - driver, 5-wood, 40 yard pitch, 2 putts
2) par 3 - shanked my tee shot, re-teed, hit it on green, 2 putts
3) par 5 - driver, 5-wood, 30 yard pitch, 2 putts 
4) par 4 - driver, 60 yard wedge, 2 putts.
5) par 4 - driver, 60 yard wedge, ball rolls off green, duffed my chip shot, putted the ball onto the green, 2 putts
6) par 3 - missed the green, chipped on, 2 putts
7) par 4 - driver, full 7 iron, missed the green, chipped on, 3 putted 
8) par 3 - hit the green, 2 putts
9) par 5 - driver, 5-wood, 30 yard chip, 2 putts.  

The course is a bit unusual in that it has five par-5s and five par-3s, the front 9 only having three par-4s.  But in this 9 holes, I count 4 full swings that were not tee shots.  Jesus Christ, when I look at that list, that is only 13 full swings and a plethora of half swings, chip shots, and putts.    

So just in general, how do you guys practice?

I tend to practice whatever sucked the most in my last round. 
(irons/hybrids/approach shots from 140 or more lately) 

But your breakdown above is like lots of cards from lots of amateurs in that you could shave some strokes effectively by making a few more putts and hitting 2 or 3 better chips or pitches per side. 

For me, it's the easiest thing to fix in the game with minimal practice.  

Had a round at King and Bear recently that saw 7 fewer strokes between the front and the back  -  and it was mostly from not duffing chips, zero three putts, and sinking a couple of 12 ft-ish putts on the back. Front side had duffs and 3 putts galore.

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