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practice rounds

• fredfox 5 Posts

  Wed, Aug 4 2010 10:43 AM

  This may fall under the driving range / putting green suggestion, but how about providing the facility to actually replay shots in practice rounds. I have just started the game and have been using practice rounds to experiment with different clubs, different shot strengths etc., sometimes they work sometimes they don't, it would be nice in  certain difficult  situations to be able to play 3 or 4  different shots using different clubs etc. to see what works best, so that if you find yourself in a similar situation in a proper round you would at least have some idea of how to extricate yourself without losing too many shots.

• zakibsen 16 Posts

  Wed, Aug 4 2010 5:43 PM

  Amen to that. How useful would it be to be able to have a go 'til you get it right, rather than have to wait for a similar situation to come up again.

• torch2k 18 Posts

  Wed, Aug 4 2010 5:45 PM

  From what I've read in other threads on this subject, the standard cautionary response is that mulligans would enable players to 'memorize' the courses.

  I tend to agree with you, though, at least to some extent.  As a relative newbie, I occasionally shoot myself in the foot and end up in a really ugly situation.  In situations like this, not only do I sometimes fail to recover, but can't understand really why my solution didn't work.  These are the shots I'd really like to retry.  Not only would there be very few of them in any given round, but the opportunity to rethink my shot making would really improve my game at this point.

  So whether it's a nasty lie in the rough, a crazy bunker shot, or a 40-foot roller coaster putt, I know 4 or 5 mulligans per practice round would really help my shot-making.  Would it really pose such a threat?

  And BTW ... love the game so far, and realize above all that any boo-boos I make are entirely my own fault.  Just looking for a better chance to work on them.

• Snaike 3,678 Posts

  Thu, Aug 5 2010 12:46 PM

  zakibsen:

  How useful would it be to be able to have a go 'til you get it right, rather than have to wait for a similar situation to come up again.

  Which is exactly why it won't happen.  Can you imagine the better players on this site able to play and replay the same shot over and over again?

  We're talking scores in the unrealistic TWO realm.

  No thank you.

• zakibsen 16 Posts

  Fri, Aug 6 2010 11:23 AM

  Snaike:

  Can you imagine the better players on this site able to play and replay the same shot over and over again?

  We're talking scores in the unrealistic TWO realm.

  Don't those who practise harder deserve the better scores and we are only talking about practise here. I think it's about giving people the best chance to have fun and get better, not protecting the course from talent and application.

• Snaike 3,678 Posts

  Sat, Aug 7 2010 9:55 AM

  zakibsen:

  Don't those who practise harder deserve the better scores and we are only talking about practise here. I think it's about giving people the best chance to have fun and get better, not protecting the course from talent and application.

  If the pins were variable between every game then I could see it as a possibility.  But to allow folks to hit the same shot from the same place to the same pin numerous times in a 'practice' session is not.

  How many pros do you see playing 20 -30 shots from the same position on the fairway to the same pin position they will be playing on Sunday?  None.

  The pins are generally static here so all the practice you need can come from playing the courses.  Take a look at the number of rounds from the best players on the site.  Guess what?..  They use those rounds to learn the game and to get better.

• zakibsen 16 Posts

  Sat, Aug 7 2010 12:10 PM

  Snaike:

  How many pros do you see playing 20 -30 shots from the same position on the fairway to the same pin position they will be playing on Sunday?  None.

  Isn't that exactly what pros do? On a practise round, it's fairly common for them to keep a ball in their pocket and have another go or two to work out what went wrong the first time. You're right it's not 20 or 30 balls but lots of them will have another go on a shot (or putt) that foxed them the first time.

   

• rutgernohl 188 Posts

  Sat, Aug 7 2010 2:14 PM

  Pro¨s do shot a second ball when the first one went wrong. But it should be kept to a limit of 1 mulligan per shot.

  If you really want to get better try making practice rounds without hitting any fairway and hitting every bunker there is!!

• torch2k 18 Posts

  Sat, Aug 7 2010 4:08 PM

  lol ... have had more than a few practice rounds go that way without even trying.  Guess I was on to something and didn't even realize it.

  As it is, I realize even a handful of mulligans is likely not on offer, so I make a mental (and more often a physical) note of the situations that have really messed me up and watch for them when they recur.

• Snaike 3,678 Posts

  Sat, Aug 7 2010 7:52 PM

  zakibsen:

  Snaike:

  How many pros do you see playing 20 -30 shots from the same position on the fairway to the same pin position they will be playing on Sunday?  None.

  Isn't that exactly what pros do? On a practise round, it's fairly common for them to keep a ball in their pocket and have another go or two to work out what went wrong the first time.

  Read it again, this time pay attention to the highlighted part.

  The point is that the pins here DON'T change, so giving the best players free shots at them will only lower these scores to unrealistic TWO levels.