Thinking about a practice net... advice?

[symowallo]

I need to keep practicing - my swing is just a joke (according to my instructor yesterday), and I keep wasting money at the practice range.

I need to be able to get it right and was wondering if anyone has checked out any of the practice nets on the market? I feel uneasy about them, but would love to be able to practice at home.

Which ones are good? Are they worth it?

[henno]

Your instructor telling you your swing is a joke is a bit harsh!

The problem with practice nets is that you don't get to see ball flight. Previously I was fighting the hooks, but now that I am fighting the cuts, every shot would feel sweet in a net. It's not until I reach 60% of the ball flight that it really starts to move right on my standard miss.

[just]

Get any practice net and some birdie balls (http://www.birdieball.com.au/). They don't have the weight of normal balls but fly the same, so you don't have to worry about them going through the back of the net and through a window.

[symowallo]

Good point henno - I do have a wicked slice but every time I've had lessons I've had to change my swing, just when I thought I was getting it right I'm being told that it's not... aaargh. So I figured that practice several times a week is better than once. Yes, the instructor was harsh but probably right!!!! A bit embarrassing seeing that the missus was getting a lesson from him before me and saw all of my disgraceful efforts.

just-will check out the birdie balls.

[Russ]

Who's your Instructor?

I agree with henno ... a nets usefulness is very limited. Unless you can see what the ball is doing in flight, or you have an Instructor with you at all times, you can make a thousand mistakes and never know about it. It can even make things worse if you continue to make the same mistake over & over ... it starts to become a natural part of your swing and you'll need to start from scratch ... again!

I've had about a 1/2 dozen lessons and each time I've had to change something new - things that I thought I was doing right during my practice sessions down the range. It's just the way things go when you're fixing something that's so ****ed up - especially a golf swing - it looks quick & effortless, but it's complicated and precise.

[dan]

I had a net in the backyard for a few years. Was great to go out there and just bash some balls whenever i felt like it. I couldn't get to a range much so it was the next best thing. Great for working on your timing and keeping you from going rusty. I highly recommend you get the best quality netting you can buy as the cheap stuff doesn't last. And make sure you're fully enclosed inside the net as 1 stray shot can be catastrophic.

[JMT]

I purchased one about a month ago (7 ft by 9ft) and it does the job. Agree it isn't as good as going down the range, but it is the next best thing for working on balance etc. I also use mine a lot for chipping, I move the mat back various distances and attempt to chip to different parts of the net.

I have seen improvement in my short game thanks to a few of these chipping sessions.

[Jono]

I actually think nets are very useful, ESPECIALLY when you are having lessons and trying to change your swing.

The net doesn't show you the ball flight, so you can concentrate on making the swing changes. If you see the ball flight, you can get tempted to go back to your old swing.

[symowallo]

This is the one I was looking at: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320376922720&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:AU:1123

Wary of anything on EBay but looks pretty decent from a size point of view.

[Captain Nemo]

I got one of these from ebay, probably the same bloke, cheap as chip's does the job but the black plastic sheet doesn't last long. I hung an old sheet up in its place, works a treat.
Got an old mat from the club, set it up in the garage, can hit balls anytime, especially sat arvo when its raining and i'm not playing, listening to the races!

[CobraSS]

**** me don't shank one

[symowallo]

Geez Titleist I hope you back the car out of the garage before you hit... Cripes!

[Captain Nemo]

No boys, i leave the Forester right there, keeps me focused on hitting good shots!
I back the missus' Tribeca out though, its only a few months old!

[razaar]

Net practice can be very productive for improving fundamentals of the swing and working on trajectory and hitting on line. The position of the forearms beyond impact is always a good indicator of what the clubface has done through impact. But if it is done just to bash balls then your time would be better spent practicing putting on a carpet.

[Captain Nemo]

Agree, i just work on 1/2-3/4 swings and chipping.
Just concentrate on getting my hands/arms in the right position.
Can also set up the camera and film a few swings etc...
Plus its undercover out of the elements, i have a radio and internet access, and a bar fridge so sat arvos after golf are very productive in there!

[symowallo]

Net practice can be very productive for improving fundamentals of the swing and working on trajectory and hitting on line. The position of the forearms beyond impact is always a good indicator of what the clubface has done through impact. But if it is done just to bash balls then your time would be better spent practicing putting on a carpet.
Agreed... There's been a lot of good feedback in this thread and I will take on board the fact that I shouldn't rely on the net for shot practice - only stroke feedback - ie. it won't cure a slice but it will help me get the swing right. I certainly won't be relying on it as a substitute for driving range time.

[symowallo]

Well I put the practice net on hold for a while. I ended up being given one for Father's Day (BigW had them for about $68 a few weeks ago). Tried it out today. Worked well for chip shots but a couple of full swing driver/hybrid/5 iron shots resulted in a split along the seam where the floor meets the net.

Advice? If you have one, use it for chipping and pitching. For that, they're great. For driving, be prepared to ask the missus to reinforce the stitching before you start belting at it!

Great for chipping and pitching though.

[hardboiled]

After having a few cheap and exxy nets nots lasting very long bought one of these...

http://redbacksport.com.au/products/rbac-pn08

Highly recommended. Well built and has lasted over 12 months of nightly beatings with no signs of wear.