Bringing the swing to the course

[tanj]

Becoming a range golfer... help!

Well, since I started getting back into golf after a year of study, I've been going to the range heaps and also playing the course.

The problem is that while my swing is great on the range, like Tiger Woods god-like (maybe not but really, really solid and better than I have ever hit it), I can't bring it onto the course. It's not that I revert back to my old swing, though that does sometimes happen under pressure, it's that the comfort and precision and timing just isn't there.

Anyone else have this problem? How do you bring your swing to play on the course?

Josh

[Swingtheclub]

Two things I think should help you.

One slow down the process do not rush when your playing (not telling you to drag butt either) just make sure you think out every shot and make a clear decision about what you want to do.

Remember the key thought . Usually when we practice or play well we have one key thought.

It can be anything from a grip pressure thought to a path thought, or even a tempo thought, you might be thinking turn the shoulders But when we hit it well we usually have one good thought.

The key is to carry this thought to the golf course. We usually forget all about it while hitting a few putts before we head to the tee.,

Good luck

[atlanta golfer]

I think it is just a question of combining practice time with on course playing, trying to find time to do some of both. Also having a varied practice plan to include short game.

[Sean2]

When was at the range I use to just pound balls. Now I practice with a purpose. I start with the wedges and work my way up to driver always selecting a target. Time permitting I play an imaginary 18 holes of golf. This allows me to mix the clubs I am hitting and helps me focus on each shot, instead of just hitting balls. Time permitting, I then start with driver again and work my way down to LW. I can't switch to another club unless I hit the current club pure. This also requires me to focus. My practices end up being longer, but I hit less golf balls. I also take a lot more time between shots.

The purpose of all this is to have my practice sessions mimic golf course golf as much as possible. I don't want to be a range golfer either.

[Solutions Etcetera]

My answer was to take my "game" to the range. Next time, instead of just hitting balls, visualize playing the front 9... shot after shot, changing club for each, based on the previous shot.

You'll hit a lot less balls and get a lot more out of your practice, not to mention a better feel for what you need to work on (at least I do).

[tanj]

Oh don't get me wrong. I do pick out targets for each club and use each club in the bag (on alternate days i.e. odds one day, evens the next). I practice high low and medium trajectories and fades straights and draws.

I just can't get that same feeling on the course, the solid swing. It's not far from it, but the results on the course show it's still a long way off. I think I just hit it too hard. That's when I play badly.

[pocketfulladoubles]

Don't swing with the same club twice, and alternate between long clubs and short clubs. Try "playing" the course, like Driver - 7 iron - Wedge, or 3 wood - 6 iron, etc.

[anth]

Stop going to the range (at least for a while).

Works for me sometimes because I don't have a frame of reference for comparison purposes i.e I might get down on myself because I'm not hitting it like I was during the week on the range.

The trick is to remove the range fom the equation, and then I find myself concentrating on every shot on the course, not aiming for perfection, but worrying more about getting the ball in the hole in as few attempts as possible.

Practice is great but sometimes there is no substitute for playing.

[hayam]

I think its the transition that need work

No.1 Indoor ,Mirrors without ball or clubs.
No.2 Artificial grass range
No.3 Real grass range, totally different from artificial grass. That includes short game
No.4 Learn to play

[EnglishBob]

At the range you always have a perfect lie, flat ground and an uncluttered target.

Soon as I get on teh course and have a side hill, trees in between me and the target and the pressure of not overshooting or missing left or right the hole thing changes. On the range my usual miss is to push right... on the course my miss is wherever the hazard is!

[JeffMann]

My own theory as to why many players (including me) don't hit the ball as well on the course relates to timing/rhythm. At the practice facility, I am hitting ball-after-ball in relatively quick succession, and one gets a "feel" for timing/rhythm. On the course, one has only one shot at a time, and there is a specific time interval between each full swing on the course. My timing/rhythm is therefore much better on the practice range.

Jeff.

[caryk]

Do yourself a favor and go get the book, "Every Shot Must Have A Purpose", by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott. It's focused on helping you develop practice skills on the range that you can take to the course. Very worthwhile read and the practice challenges get you out of the "scrape and hit" mentality of the range. I found it really helpful.

By the way, they also have a new book out called, "The Game Before The Game". Both are great additions to any golf library.

[TEConnor]

[quote name='caryk' post='820042' date='Dec 11 2007, 07:41 AM']Do yourself a favor and go get the book, "Every Shot Must Have A Purpose", by Pia Nilsson and Lynn Marriott. It's focused on helping you develop practice skills on the range that you can take to the course. Very worthwhile read and the practice challenges get you out of the "scrape and hit" mentality of the range. I found it really helpful.

By the way, they also have a new book out called, "The Game Before The Game". Both are great additions to any golf library.[/quote]

The second book is fantastic (first is good too).

A few tricks for transferring between range and course: after you've gotten to a point where your swing feels good on the day, take a break. When you return to hitting, step back between shots, distract yourself, and then step back to your ball carrying out whatever routine you would normally use on the course. After you get this rhythm down, I second the recommendation to play nine holes in your mind on a course layout you know well...imagining the layout and targets as you go. Play the shots that you "wish" you could on the course like working it off the tee, hitting all the tweeners and 3/4 to 1/2 shots, simulate recovery shots, and hit all the high/low shots to pins that you would try on the course. You'd be surprised that by the end of this exercise your mind will be playing wicked tricks on you.

Another great range exercise that helps with "on the course" transitions is to play competitive games. If you have a range buddy of comparable ability (or just play against yourself and/or an imaginary competitor) play the "target" game where you attempt to bring a ball into a pin/target from one side and the closest to the pin without going too the left or right (whichever is chosen as the wrong side) of the target wins. This is a great game for the transition because it forces you to really play target golf and it's competitive. Sometimes the lack of competition on the range can be what makes transitioning to the course such a difficulty for some.

Good Luck,
Tim

[tanj]

I should clear this up. I'm not one of those range hitters that just drags balls from the stack and hits them in the same stance.

What I do is: pour out around 10 balls from the bucket. Put the ball on the turf. Go through my whole routine (start about 3 paces behind the ball, find my alignment aids on the ground for the shot I want to hit, walk up to the ball, start tall and address, align myself, comfort check, go). I do that for each ball, just like for each shot I do on the course.

I think my problem is the pressure side of the swing. When the pressure is up, I tend to rush the swing and the rhythm is all out (I have a two-plane swing so timing is everything).

Thanks for all the input! I shall be sure to try some of these suggestions out.

Josh

[ezra76]

[quote name='Solutions Etcetera' post='818838' date='Dec 10 2007, 10:36 AM']My answer was to take my "game" to the range. Next time, instead of just hitting balls, visualize playing the front 9... shot after shot, changing club for each, based on the previous shot.

You'll hit a lot less balls and get a lot more out of your practice, not to mention a better feel for what you need to work on (at least I do).[/quote]

This is what I try to do as well. Especially with the driver/woods. I hit out a grass area so pick different areas as the "fairway". I go through the preshot routine, alignment to the target, chosen ballflight and hit. It's always been the case I hit my driver a lot better on the range but that's after getting in a groove aiming at the same target. Irons are actually usually better on the course but then again I'm hard on myself at the range, I expect to hit the stick or within 3ft. of it every time there. More than 1 bad shot (fat, thin, pulled or pushed) in a row and I go back to a half dozen 100yd. SW shots.

I like to hit a lot of wedge shots as well. Not only to practice 30-100yds. but it also makes my iron striking a lot better and much easier to control trajectory/ballflight with irons.

[JakeBarnes]

[quote name='tanj' post='820683' date='Dec 11 2007, 04:09 PM']I think my problem is the pressure side of the swing. When the pressure is up, I tend to rush the swing and the rhythm is all out (I have a two-plane swing so timing is everything).

Thanks for all the input! I shall be sure to try some of these suggestions out.

Josh[/quote]

Josh-

More likely than not, you are right: you are probably rushing the swing. I took a similar path as you, taking a year off and not being able to transition the range to the links. It is that type of giddiness you get when you finally step onto the first tee and want to crush it like no other. I found that slowing my backswing down helped considerably in combination with trusting my visualization of the shot.

Best of luck!

Pete

[Serenity05]

I know this type of stuff always brings in some skepticism but its always worth a look.

[url="http://clearkeygolf.com/"]http://clearkeygolf.com/[/url]

[golfer.61]

you need to work on timing and tempo get one of those music beat things ....

[wkuo3]

Lots of great insights already posted by so many here, one aditional is the range mat is a bit different than the turf.
Range mat will bounce and skip the irons and change a so so hit to a great hit.

[PurePursuit]

I think establishing a pre-shot routine that you consistently use before every shot can help bring that swing to the course. Line up, 1 or 2 practice swings, deep breathe fire...whatever it is it should be something you do before every shot on range or on the course.

[dcrocketman]

just move to japan and become a range pro........too expensive to play on the course.....problem solved