Practice On Range = Good; Out On The Course = Bad

[JOSEPHLB]

Is It Mental?

Its very odd but I'm sure everyone has gone through it.
I'm finally overcoming my OTT swing and getting the club on the inside. The past few range sessions have been very positive.
So Friday I go down to get in 9 before the evening sun sets. I grab a small bag of range balls to warm up with.. I go from PW, 7 iron, 6 iron and get a groove going.. I hit the 3 hybrid a few times and everything is great. Everything is straight as an arrow. I tee up the 3-wood and begin puring it around 225-230.. So I'm thinking.. I'm ready.. ( i left my driver in the car)

Go to the #1 tee; power fade, into the #9 fairway

I'm not sure if its mental?
I know for a fact it doesn't feel like I'm making the same swing. I try to get a preshot routine going, but it seems at this point nothing is working.
The problem is, its like this every hole.
I hit some decent iron shots and chips , but when I get on the tee box I'm duplicating the same swing = fade.

What are some tips to ensure I can duplice my practice sessions on the range, out to the course?

[Diesel]

it's definitely a mental aspect...

 

you probably tense up a bit on that tee box, knowing the consequences of a bad shot... on the range, it's probably not even in your head, cause you can do it all over again...

 

the only adivce i can give you is to relax, slow your breathing, and don't try so hard... also don't swing hard either... the easier swings usually produce my best results...

[F4unknown]

its weird.. I'm terrible at the range but once on the course.. im fine.. i hate it.

[golfjunky]

I have battled the same issue you face. What has helped me is less time on the range and more time on the course. It's definitely a mental issue along with the fact you do not simulate situations you face on the course that you would on the range. How often do you practice hitting balls on the range from different types of lies (uphill, downhill), rough, divots, etc? When you face these types of situations, you automatically tense up which leads to undesirable results.

[Tingting]

i actually prefer to just get maybe 10-15 balls on the range and play a full 18 as practice. I just focus better. I believe dana quigley also does the same sometimes he plays 36 holes. It is just totally different knowing there is no consequence on the range as oppose to being in the course

[Diesel]

yeah but for most of us, it costs 10x the price to hit a bucket of balls, as opposed to being able to play 18... not to mention 1 hour vs. 3 hours as well...

 

unless you play golf for a living or have a heck of a lot of free time, playing 18 for practice is usually not an option... i sure wish it was...

[Ezgolfer]

You can simulate course on the range by using different clubs directed at different flags . Driver followed by 6 iron or wedge .

And divots there are plenty on the range.

Everyone finds it diffcult to exactly reproduce the results of range on the course to a different degree.

Making notes of a succesfull range session always helps

[Diesel]

hitting from awkard lies is nearly impossible... at least at my range, they have different types of lies around the practice green, but not on the range... so every shot you hit, you're on level ground...

 

that's what you hardly ever find on the course... except the teebox...

[golfjunky]

There are courses where you can play 9 holes instead of 18. Also, do not discount par 3 courses as they will work great in trying to get comfortable playing golf and working on the short game. I love hitting golf balls on the range, but there is something said to actually playing rounds of golf. It is essential. I've seen guys pound balls on the range for hours at a time and they say they never have time to play a round of golf. I get a sense that for some reason they do not want to play because they feel they should have a perfect swing. That's why they fail when they step on the course because they are so uptight about their own unrealistic expectations.

[RNF]

Its very odd but I'm sure everyone has gone through it.

I'm finally overcoming my OTT swing and getting the club on the inside. The past few range sessions have been very positive.

So Friday I go down to get in 9 before the evening sun sets. I grab a small bag of range balls to warm up with.. I go from PW, 7 iron, 6 iron and get a groove going.. I hit the 3 hybrid a few times and everything is great. Everything is straight as an arrow. I tee up the 3-wood and begin puring it around 225-230.. So I'm thinking.. I'm ready.. ( i left my driver in the car)

 

Go to the #1 tee; power fade, into the #9 fairway

 

I'm not sure if its mental?

I know for a fact it doesn't feel like I'm making the same swing. I try to get a preshot routine going, but it seems at this point nothing is working.

The problem is, its like this every hole.

I hit some decent iron shots and chips , but when I get on the tee box I'm duplicating the same swing = fade.

 

What are some tips to ensure I can duplice my practice sessions on the range, out to the course?

I've found what happens is that you go into a "panic" mode. You start your practice session good and it continues that way all the way to the 1st tee. Then you hit a horrible shot, one that has not even entered your mind. At that point panic sets in and you go in search of your swing that has suddenly deserted you. And therein lies your problem. Rather than just accepting that everyone hits a bad shot and moving on, you lose confidence in your swing.

 

It happens to all of us. the difference is how fast you recover.

[golfwire]

the mat on the range is a lot more forgiving too...you could be chunk some shots but the mat is hard enough that it groove you toward the ball and you still hit it up...on the grass that is a big divot before the ball...sometimes the range can be misleading like that...

[JOSEPHLB]

Much better results yesterday evening; even though my score may not reflect that.

 

It was just a matter that I was not making the same swing that I do when I'm in "practice" mode.

I still had the fade; but it was slightly as I was just off the fairway most of the time by not too much. I can work with that. I really don't expect to be breaking 80, since I haven't played in 12 years. With a new swing being grooved from the ground up, from my previous instruction, I would consider myself almost a beginner again.

 

I currently have two 9-hole rounds under my belt. Have shot a 53 and yesterday's 52.

I did end up three less putts, so there was a slight improvement in that department.

 

Hit 1/7 fairways; 0/9 greens with 20 putts total. Need to get those putts down and get those shots a little straighter off the tee, to give myself better second and third shots.

 

I'm hoping to be in the mid-80's by fall which should be reasonable. In the mean time, I'm going to give my PGA pro a call again and set up another hour of instruction.

[FlyFish]

Try not hitting the same club twice in a row on the range. After you hit that first shot with a club, you've already figured out how to make a compensation for the second shot. That is a big difference between the range and the course.

[spearfish]

what he said..

 

Warm up.. then hit 5 iron, wedge, driver, etc..

Just replicate a 9 hole course..

 

But, you do need to work on your swing, make changes/adjustments, etc.. This can only be done by repeating the same swing with the same club over and over again...

[jirwan31]

"the mat on the range is a lot more forgiving too...you could be chunk some shots but the mat is hard enough that it groove you toward the ball and you still hit it up...on the grass that is a big divot before the ball...sometimes the range can be misleading like that..."

 

I agree with this. If it's possible, don't practice on golf mats, hit the grass if you can to get a feel for the actual course.

[Sean2]

I try to make my practice as close to playing conditions as possible. I never pound balls. Each shot I take on the range has a purpose. I also mix my clubs after I warm up, and often play the course on the range. I also go through my routine on every shot...I hit a lot less balls than most folks, but feel the quality of my practice is more effective.

[mcputter]

Alot of good tips posted already. From a physical standpoint: watch that your grip pressure and tension level in your arms doesn't get too tight or your tempo faster than normal on those first few holes.

[malibu3]

I am going through the same thing myself, I am working on grooving a new swing and getting away from my big fade. I actually think I finally feel it for the first time tonite, I am so excited to get back out to the range or course. Here is the thing I do and I know this sounds silly but I play mental games in my head. I challenge as if it is 2 people playing against each other. For example, I may say to myself, "Ok this hole is a Par 5, I will tell myself that the firt two short greens are water, after that the green at 150 is a bunker etc etc and I will narrow myself down to a small fairway I am trying to hit. I Hit one drive, then go through the whole routine again for the second drive, based upon how good of shot I have = my next club, on the par 5, one person may lay up with a 5 to 7 iron, and the other guy goes for it with the 3 or 5 wood but I point out hazards on the course." I just have alot of fun with it. I play 18holes on the driving range, you just have to have a good imagination.

 

Cya!

Malibu3

[leekgolf]

Do you always have a specific target on the range? Do you use some clubs for alignment on the range? Do you go through your pre-shot routine on the range?

 

If you have no target, you don't check alignment and you rake balls over to hit the next shot with out your routine, the range is like tryin to hit the ocean, you can't miss, so poor shots look "good."

 

If you are raking balls over, then whacking them, you build a rhythm that goesn't exist on the course. That's why the pre-shot routine is so important on the range.

[Young04]

just a matter of how you practice. simulating a round of golf is a good suggestion given by many, but also make sure that you concentrate for every shot. never hit the same club more than a few times, unless you're trying to work out a specific flaw.

 

i think the key is that people forget about the bad shots they make at the range and just remember the good ones. try to judge your session by how many bad balls you hit than how many good ones.

[BigBad]

Did you play by yourself? The reason I ask is because whenever I played by myself I used to have the tendency to peak at the ball on the first tee. This will always cause a slice. I fixed it by trusting my swing and COMPLETING it.

[FreakinA]

yeah but for most of us, it costs 10x the price to hit a bucket of balls, as opposed to being able to play 18... not to mention 1 hour vs. 3 hours as well...

 

unless you play golf for a living or have a heck of a lot of free time, playing 18 for practice is usually not an option... i sure wish it was...

 

Im just the opposite, it costs me 5 dollars for a bucket of range balls, and 1 dollar and 8 cents to play.

[JOSEPHLB]

Did you play by yourself? The reason I ask is because whenever I played by myself I used to have the tendency to peak at the ball on the first tee. This will always cause a slice. I fixed it by trusting my swing and COMPLETING it.

 

You know something.. I was thinking of this on the drive to work this morning.

Kind of like a wide reciever tring to run before he has even caught the ball.. in a silly sort of way

 

That is exactly the part of the swing I am focusing on now: After impact and the release/finish.

My last nine holes I found myself already looking down toward the target line, when my release wasn't even finished yet.. I have a feeling I'm not swinging through and stopping shortly after i've made contact.

 

Its funny.. but when I take my practice swings, I follow through every time.. chest pointed down toward the target.. club all the way back over through the finish.

 

Slowly, but surely it will come together. I had quite a few flaws pointed out when I took my lesson, and I've been working on one thing at a time....

 

Bad Grip

Outside - In Swing Path

Open Clubface (caused from weak grip)

Bad Release

 

Got the grip almost worked out..

Starting to get the swing path in an ideal plane.. most of my shots start off straight now, instead of left

 

now just need to work on the full extension and swinging THROUGH the ball and toward second base

[pggolf66]

break down your practice sessions into 2 parts

 

1- mechanical: something that you need to work on, do not spend time mindlessly beating 100 balls all over the place like 95% of the people I see on the range, it's destructive to your swing and has nothing to do with playing golf on the course, less than 25 shots should be more than enough + it's a good warmup for below

 

2- Focused practice: target oriented and performance based - read the book "Every Shot Must have a Purpose" by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott - there are some superb pratice drills that will force you to perform in the same manner as a real round. If you do this with total concentration and focus you will be drained by the time it's over.

 

Keep track of the number of attempts it takes to accomplish the following, all shots must be taken from different spots (putts/chips/pitches), vary the difficulty if possible.

 

 

1- make (3) six footers (for advanced try 3 in a row w/o missing) - var location for each putt

2- make (3) 2 putt 30 footers - varied locations for each putt

3- make (3) 2 putt 60 footers - varied locations for each putt

4- make (3) good short chips <15 yards (up/downs, my session)

5- make (3) good long chips >15 yards (up/downs, my session)

6- make (3) good short pitches (<6 feet from the hole, my session)

7- make (3) good long pitches (<6 from the hole, my session)

8- make (3) good short sand shots less than <10 yards from the hole

9- make (3) good long sand shots (could be fairway bunker play, 20yarders whatever)

10- make (1) good full sand wedge shot to a specific target

11- make (1) good full pitching wedge shot to a specific target

12- make (1) good 9 iron shot to a spec target

13- make (1) good shot any club 4iron to 8 to a spec target

14- make (1) good shot with a 3 wood

15- make (2) good drives

 

Optional

1- play nine holes of a course that you know very well on the range, putting excl of course, keep track on the number of shots

 

add up the number of attempts/shots for the 9 holes and that's your focused practice score for the day

 

all in all I find this far more productive than hitting 15, 8irons in a row or whatever, it's a very good simulation for the 'pressure' you will feel on the course and the need to perform that 1 specific shot and YOU ARE guaranteed to learn what your true weaknesses are, from there you a have a chance to work on specific weaknesses, if it takes 12 attempts to hit 2 good drives then that's something to work on, same as taking 12 attempts to make 3 six footers.

 

the definition of good varies from 1 player to another - it has to meet your standard, as you improve in certain areas, the standard is raised and so forth