Block vs Random Practice

Most players go to the range and buy a hundred balls. They find a stall and dump out the bucket and pull out and club and begin to hit. Then then take another ball over and keep swinging. This is a poor example of block practice. It will also accomplish nothing to improve your game. Even if you are hitting to a target it is not something that happens on the course. There is never a time when you are on the course and you get to hit several balls at the same target from the same spot.
If it did you sure would not be happy about it because you either hit the first shot into water or out of bounds. Neither is what you want to do. Some raking balls over and hitting without any plan for the shot is just mindless practice.

Block practice is however fine if you are working on a specific motion or drill that involves striking a ball in the process. Once the motion is ingrained then block practice is not very beneficial in my opinion.

I feel that random practice is a much better way to spend your practice time unless you are working on a drill to improve a motion.

Random practice is much more likely or what you will face on the course. When you play a round of golf you are never hitting the same shot twice and most of the time you are hitting a different club on every shot except on the putting green. So when you practice it is a much better to choose different targets at different distances on every shot.
Also go through your routine just as if you where on the course and make the shot mean something.
What I mean by that is think about the pressure you put on yourself when you are on the course.
Out there you only have one chance to succeed on each shot you hit. This is how you should practice. Challenge yourself just like you do on the course. Make up scenarios in your head. Hit a three wood then a nine iron. Make a forty yard pitch shot. Then hit a driver. If you are on the putting green make putts from random distances to different holes. This is a much better way to spend your time. Working on quality shots not quantity. You will begin to improve your on course play once you begin this type of practice. You will also hit less balls because you are taking more time to think up different shots and choose different targets.

I know you can say “I’m not good enough to hit different types of shots.” You don’t have to hit different types of shots just hit shots to different targets and use different clubs as much as possible.  So many times I see even accomplished players hitting ten fifteen shots with the same club to the same target. Now if you try to hit different types of shots with the same club at the same target okay then. Hit a draw then a fade then a high shot and a low shot. At least you are hitting different types of shots. If you can do it to different targets with different clubs then you will get much more out of it. Also try to hit shots you never tried before. If you fail at pulling it off fine. That’s how we learn and figure it out. Remember everything you have ever learned you have failed at before you became better. It ok to fail. It is part of the learning process. So try random practice the next time you go to the range and see how it can change you game.

You can take a lesson online with Bernard or if you are in the Naples Fl. area give us a call at 239-236-5536 and book your session and improve your impact!