Could you become a scratch golfer using only the practice range?

[DShepley]

15 minutes ago, Ty_Webb said:

 

Are you saying that there's no difference in ball striking between scratch and 3-4 handicap? Most 3-4 handicappers who get to scratch do it by getting better with their long games. Occasionally there will be some who have top notch striking, but suck around the greens, but not that many and not without good reason. I do agree that there are mental hurdles to overcome on the way. I spent a long time where I'd be 4 or 5 over through 12 and would play the last 6 in level or even 1 under. Then I'd have days where I was level through 12 and I'd play the last six holes in three or four over. Did that for a while. I knew that I could do it because stick the day where I'm level through 12 with the day where I finish level through the last 6 and I'd shoot level. Then one day I did and not long after that I was -3 through 12 and played the last 6 in -1. At the time that was the course record, so I still have the card somewhere. But do you know how I did that? I got better. 

 

Thing is there is variance in your play. The shotgun pattern. Better players have tighter spreads. If you have a relatively wide spread (like a 3-4 handicap) then you can have days where for a few holes the majority of the shots wind up in the middle of the pattern and you score well for those holes, but then the law of averages kicks in and you wind up with a few that land in the wider parts of the spread and you make some bogeys. There is no doubt some tightening up that happens when you have a good round going and that for sure contributes to some of those shots landing in the wider parts, but the easiest way to break through that is to make the pattern smaller. That is something that you absolutely can do on the range. If the range has the space for you to hit shots from some not flat lies and from rough too, then so much the better. I suspect such ranges are few and far between. I saw a video once showing the practice facility at Stanford. I bet you if that was the facility you had access to for an hour four times a week you could reduce your handicap by a few. If you have a good instructor watching you too, then even better.

The range can't replicate the mental barrier of playing a shot under the pressure associated with breaking through the scoring barrier...you have to beat that demon on the course and become comfortable with it.  The range can help improve your technique but that doesn't mean much in a pressure situation when you can't feel your hands.  The only way to be able to feel your hands in that scenario is through conquering that scenario on the course and gaining the confidence that you can do it again because you have done it before.

 

Also yes, I am saying there is minimal difference in ball striking ability between a 3-4 handicap country club player and a scratch country club player.  Where there is a difference is in both the confidence of a scratch player to pull a shot off in a given scenario, or play conservative to eliminate damage when needed, and perhaps the over-confidence in a 3-4 handicap where they chose a shot that creates the error where they lose strokes, (scenarios where they make double bogey their worst score vs bogey).  The scratch player has been through the scoring barriers and as such is comfortable in more scenarios on the course.

[Long_Left]

On 6/23/2021 at 7:31 PM, Krt22 said:

Nope. Scratch golf swing and scratch golfer are two different things. Even the best ball strikers on the planet are averaging 12-13 GIRs per round. Learning to get up and down from various lies, learning green speed of the day, grinding out the 4-8 footers, avoiding 3 putts etc can't really be replicated anywhere but on the course

I'm going to be a little contrarian here, I mean no offense...

 

I see this stat quoted a lot and it simply isn't applicable to the everyday golfer. I play off 6 and average 10 GIR with another 3 or 4 that are basic greenside chips or fringe putts. This is a "Tour stat" from courses that are set up to be (mostly) difficult from heavy rough, narrow fairways, and playing 460 yard+ par 4s.

 

In my monthly golf association tournament we have several plus handicaps playing and they will routinely hit 14+ greens and the "misses" are greenside bunkers or chips/fringe putts. The course isn't "hard" but it's not a pushover from the tips, 7200 73.1/131... 7 birdie 67 (-5) won low gross in May, 69 was low net. I know that my experience and my course aren't the gold standard but I'm fairly certain that this approach could work in a lot of scenarios.

 

I fully agree with your take, and that the variability in the short game shots is tough to replicate in practice as well as the pressure of making those "I should make this" 5 footers. But I don't think it is "impossible" for someone highly motivated.

 

Scratch golf is a combination of high quality ball striking, which can very well be accomplished on only the range. And minimizing miss damage, which could be done through effective strategy planning etc. Of course the plan gets thrown out the window when you're in jail from a wayward swing or bounce...

[getitdaily]

7 minutes ago, Long_Left said:

I'm going to be a little contrarian here, I mean no offense...

 

I see this stat quoted a lot and it simply isn't applicable to the everyday golfer. I play off 6 and average 10 GIR with another 3 or 4 that are basic greenside chips or fringe putts. This is a "Tour stat" from courses that are set up to be (mostly) difficult from heavy rough, narrow fairways, and playing 460 yard+ par 4s.

 

In my monthly golf association tournament we have several plus handicaps playing and they will routinely hit 14+ greens and the "misses" are greenside bunkers or chips/fringe putts. The course isn't "hard" but it's not a pushover from the tips, 7200 73.1/131... 7 birdie 67 (-5) won low gross in May, 69 was low net. I know that my experience and my course aren't the gold standard but I'm fairly certain that this approach could work in a lot of scenarios.

 

I fully agree with your take, and that the variability in the short game shots is tough to replicate in practice as well as the pressure of making those "I should make this" 5 footers. But I don't think it is "impossible" for someone highly motivated.

 

Scratch golf is a combination of high quality ball striking, which can very well be accomplished on only the range. And minimizing miss damage, which could be done through effective strategy planning etc. Of course the plan gets thrown out the window when you're in jail from a wayward swing or bounce...

What you're missing is the mental and course mgmt difference that a scratch plays with. You can't understand the difference if you've never been scratch. You think and understand things of a 6. Scratch golfers approach the game very differently than a 6. 

[Ty_Webb]

3 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

What you're missing is the mental and course mgmt difference that a scratch plays with. You can't understand the difference if you've never been scratch. You think and understand things of a 6. Scratch golfers approach the game very differently than a 6. 

The course management you can learn off the golf course. The mental thing doesn't necessarily affect everyone the same way. 

[getitdaily]

5 minutes ago, Ty_Webb said:

The course management you can learn off the golf course. The mental thing doesn't necessarily affect everyone the same way. 

You can learn the strategy around course mgmt off the course. But you have to make decisions on the course that convert strategy to execution. That comes by playing ONLY. 

[Long_Left]

5 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

What you're missing is the mental and course mgmt difference that a scratch plays with. You can't understand the difference if you've never been scratch. You think and understand things of a 6. Scratch golfers approach the game very differently than a 6. 

I find it best to not assume anything about people you don't know on the internet...

[getitdaily]

6 minutes ago, Long_Left said:

I find it best to not assume anything about people you don't know on the internet...

I find it best to actually know what I'm talking about because I have the experience and ability. I've made the transition from low single to better than scratch twice...early 2000s and then again in the last couple of years. 

 

I'm not assuming anything. The mental game and course mgmt game are hugely different between a scratch and a 6.

[Ty_Webb]

1 minute ago, getitdaily said:

I find it best to actually know what I'm talking about because I have the experience and ability. I've made the transition from low single to better than scratch twice...early 2000s and then again in the last couple of years. 

 

I'm not assuming anything. The mental game and course mgmt game are hugely different between a scratch and a 6.

 

So have I - and I've seen scratches who are complete space cadets and 6s who think their way round pretty well. 

[getitdaily]

2 minutes ago, Ty_Webb said:

 

So have I - and I've seen scratches who are complete space cadets and 6s who think their way round pretty well. 

I never said a 6 couldn't. I said course management is different. 

 

A 6 and a scratch approach and play these two holes very, very differently.

 

 

[Ty_Webb]

11 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

I never said a 6 couldn't. I said course management is different. 

 

A 6 and a scratch approach and play these two holes very, very differently.

 

Yes they would, but in a way that you could learn. DECADE would give you the right target in both instances. You'd need to adjust it according to your distances, which you could know from a launch monitor. Playing the right shot is a learnable skill without being on the golf course. Just have to do your due diligence.

 

I also think that how you play the par 4 that you showed (the first one) would have more to do with how far you hit it than what your handicap is. If you're a scratch who carries it 250, then you're playing that hole wildly differently from if you're a scratch who carries it 275. Similarly if you're a 6 who carries it 275 then you'll be taking a more aggressive line than the scratch who carries it 250. 

[Long_Left]

13 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

I find it best to actually know what I'm talking about because I have the experience and ability. I've made the transition from low single to better than scratch twice...early 2000s and then again in the last couple of years. 

 

I'm not assuming anything. The mental game and course mgmt game are hugely different between a scratch and a 6.

I'm going to find it best to say "Good day sir" and assume you're unpleasant to play 18 with. But I probably don't know what I'm talking about...

 

 

[nsxguy]

43 minutes ago, Long_Left said:

I find it best to not assume anything about people you don't know on the internet...

 

In general I'd say that's true, however, it IS fair to assume that if you were aware of the "mental and course mgmt difference that a scratch plays with" you'd have talked about it.

 

Not so ?

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

1 hour ago, DShepley said:

The range can't replicate the mental barrier of playing a shot under the pressure associated with breaking through the scoring barrier...you have to beat that demon on the course and become comfortable with it.  The range can help improve your technique but that doesn't mean much in a pressure situation when you can't feel your hands.  The only way to be able to feel your hands in that scenario is through conquering that scenario on the course and gaining the confidence that you can do it again because you have done it before.

 

Also yes, I am saying there is minimal difference in ball striking ability between a 3-4 handicap country club player and a scratch country club player.  Where there is a difference is in both the confidence of a scratch player to pull a shot off in a given scenario, or play conservative to eliminate damage when needed, and perhaps the over-confidence in a 3-4 handicap where they chose a shot that creates the error where they lose strokes, (scenarios where they make double bogey their worst score vs bogey).  The scratch player has been through the scoring barriers and as such is comfortable in more scenarios on the course.

 

Possibly why there are different opinions on this matter is that some of us don’t feel any extra or less pressure playing on the course or simply hitting balls on the range whilst some do?

 

Unless you land in deep rough, there shouldn’t be any extra burden hitting on the course for money or hitting balls on a range. Both require some thought, unless banging ball after ball without any purpose nor aim?

 

 

[Krt22]

39 minutes ago, Long_Left said:

I'm going to be a little contrarian here, I mean no offense...

 

I see this stat quoted a lot and it simply isn't applicable to the everyday golfer. I play off 6 and average 10 GIR with another 3 or 4 that are basic greenside chips or fringe putts. This is a "Tour stat" from courses that are set up to be (mostly) difficult from heavy rough, narrow fairways, and playing 460 yard+ par 4s.

 

In my monthly golf association tournament we have several plus handicaps playing and they will routinely hit 14+ greens and the "misses" are greenside bunkers or chips/fringe putts. The course isn't "hard" but it's not a pushover from the tips, 7200 73.1/131... 7 birdie 67 (-5) won low gross in May, 69 was low net. I know that my experience and my course aren't the gold standard but I'm fairly certain that this approach could work in a lot of scenarios.

 

I fully agree with your take, and that the variability in the short game shots is tough to replicate in practice as well as the pressure of making those "I should make this" 5 footers. But I don't think it is "impossible" for someone highly motivated.

 

Scratch golf is a combination of high quality ball striking, which can very well be accomplished on only the range. And minimizing miss damage, which could be done through effective strategy planning etc. Of course the plan gets thrown out the window when you're in jail from a wayward swing or bounce...

You can mention course setup, this and that, but the stats are what they are. You are right, on average a scratch golfer may hit more greens than even a tour pro, but will do so with a wider proximity to the hole.  And a club golfer "routinely" hitting 14 greens is not the same as on average. I play with + guys just like that weekly, it's easy to remember when they shoot 67 and easy to forget when they shoot  73. Some tour pros occasionally hit 17-18 greens a day, that doesn't mean they do it every time. These are PGA tour pros, the most elite ball strikers in the world, who are all essentially +6 or better, who practice and play hours and hours a day. The simple point is the best of the best still miss. Stats and averages matter because you need 8 of those 20 scores to average out to a 0 differential. 

 

But you are right, nothing is impossible, but certain things are highly improbable and this is one of those cases. The gap between a 3-4 and scratch is much larger than some people realize, I just don't think 3-4 hrs of practice with very little course time is enough to close that gap

[getitdaily]

16 minutes ago, Ty_Webb said:

 

Yes they would, but in a way that you could learn. DECADE would give you the right target in both instances. You'd need to adjust it according to your distances, which you could know from a launch monitor. Playing the right shot is a learnable skill without being on the golf course. Just have to do your due diligence.

 

I also think that how you play the par 4 that you showed (the first one) would have more to do with how far you hit it than what your handicap is. If you're a scratch who carries it 250, then you're playing that hole wildly differently from if you're a scratch who carries it 275. Similarly if you're a 6 who carries it 275 then you'll be taking a more aggressive line than the scratch who carries it 250. 

I wouldn't recommend that a 6 who carries it 275 try to cut that corner. For a 6, that whole screams play safe and try to make par by hitting the green with a mid iron. There's ob on the corner of that dogleg. There's a hazard through the fairway long. The dispersion pattern and carry consistency for a 6 says play it in the fat part of the fairway. A scratch should attack that hole to leave wedge in and try to make birdie....it can be a tough driving hole for a scrarch drawer simply because long off the tee is no bueno. 

 

I can remember thinking aggressively as a low single digit cap and got in trouble. Interestingly, I'm a more conservative golfer as a scratch/+ than I was as a higher cap. Now, ability and aggressiveness kind of go hand in hand. The ability to miss in the right spot is kind of a key differentiator between a 6 and scratch. For example, on that par 5, depending on pin location, my 2nd shot is very different. From 250-260 I'd encourage most 6 caps to hit it to 80- 100 yards.

 

I play with a 6 a lot. His short game is terrible. We went out one day and I guided him around the course. He realised that he thought like a scratch but his ability and his course mgmt didn't match up. He started hitting more 3woods off tees and started laying up or taking lines that removed some of the risk of a hazard. 

[Ty_Webb]

26 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

I wouldn't recommend that a 6 who carries it 275 try to cut that corner. For a 6, that whole screams play safe and try to make par by hitting the green with a mid iron. There's ob on the corner of that dogleg. There's a hazard through the fairway long. The dispersion pattern and carry consistency for a 6 says play it in the fat part of the fairway. A scratch should attack that hole to leave wedge in and try to make birdie....it can be a tough driving hole for a scrarch drawer simply because long off the tee is no bueno. 

 

I can remember thinking aggressively as a low single digit cap and got in trouble. Interestingly, I'm a more conservative golfer as a scratch/+ than I was as a higher cap. Now, ability and aggressiveness kind of go hand in hand. The ability to miss in the right spot is kind of a key differentiator between a 6 and scratch. For example, on that par 5, depending on pin location, my 2nd shot is very different. From 250-260 I'd encourage most 6 caps to hit it to 80- 100 yards.

 

I play with a 6 a lot. His short game is terrible. We went out one day and I guided him around the course. He realised that he thought like a scratch but his ability and his course mgmt didn't match up. He started hitting more 3woods off tees and started laying up or taking lines that removed some of the risk of a hazard. 

6s miss a lot of greens with mid-irons. It's not clear from the picture that there is any OB or penalty areas. Laying back is a pretty sure way to make bogey. Being aggressive off the tee if it's wide enough and it sure looks pretty wide at 275 is probably the better play. Couple that with that three wood isn't often much straighter than driver anyway and playing a lot of 3 woods is a good way to score poorly. 

 

I have a couple of friends who I play with fairly frequently. They're 5.5 and 7.7 I think right now. They hit it reasonably well off the tee, hit the odd really bad iron shot, but for the most part hit it okay, one of them chips so so and putts poorly, the other chips poorly and putts so so. Their long games are both of theirs strengths, but they're a long way from scratch level. They occasionally hit it reasonably close - like 15 feet from 160, but not particularly often. They miss greens frequently. I'd never tell either of them that they'd be better off laying back off the tee with three wood. They are 100% better off getting it as close as they can. Both of them would play that par 4 the same way I would. Driver at the bunker, unless the wind is hurting and then driver left of it.

[Nels55]

2 hours ago, DShepley said:

The range can't replicate the mental barrier of playing a shot under the pressure associated with breaking through the scoring barrier...you have to beat that demon on the course and become comfortable with it.  The range can help improve your technique but that doesn't mean much in a pressure situation when you can't feel your hands.  The only way to be able to feel your hands in that scenario is through conquering that scenario on the course and gaining the confidence that you can do it again because you have done it before.

 

Also yes, I am saying there is minimal difference in ball striking ability between a 3-4 handicap country club player and a scratch country club player.  Where there is a difference is in both the confidence of a scratch player to pull a shot off in a given scenario, or play conservative to eliminate damage when needed, and perhaps the over-confidence in a 3-4 handicap where they chose a shot that creates the error where they lose strokes, (scenarios where they make double bogey their worst score vs bogey).  The scratch player has been through the scoring barriers and as such is comfortable in more scenarios on the course.

Very well said.  The only thing that I can say is that you are talking about you and what it takes for you and most folks with your level of talent to get to scratch.  This could be different for someone else who is more talented and also possibly does not feel pressure the way that you do and of course most of us do.  So, I would say that it is possible for a 3 or 4 handicapper to be less accomplished at ball striking than a typical scratch player and a year on the range could take care of that problem.  As almost everyone has mentioned this scenario or similar is one that is most unlikely but I believe that it is possible 

 

[Krt22]

11 minutes ago, Nels55 said:

Very well said.  The only thing that I can say is that you are talking about you and what it takes for you and most folks with your level of talent to get to scratch.  This could be different for someone else who is more talented and also possibly does not feel pressure the way that you do and of course most of us do.  So, I would say that it is possible for a 3 or 4 handicapper to be less accomplished at ball striking than a typical scratch player and a year on the range could take care of that problem.  As almost everyone has mentioned this scenario or similar is one that is most unlikely but I believe that it is possible 

 

Now we are entering fantasy land if you think someone can get to scratch level ball striking with 3-4 hours on the range and then get to better than PGA tour level mental game to repeat that swing on the course. Especially considering this would be a player who has the mind set  "I want to get to scratch, I practice all week, only play 18 holes once a month, I better make this count"

 

 Even tour players who play 4-5+ times a week have much wider dispersion patterns on the course relative to the range.  It's a lot more than just perceived "pressure", it's about effectively managing multiple variables, managing expectations, and recovering when you do miss.

[getitdaily]

32 minutes ago, Ty_Webb said:

6s miss a lot of greens with mid-irons. It's not clear from the picture that there is any OB or penalty areas. Laying back is a pretty sure way to make bogey. Being aggressive off the tee if it's wide enough and it sure looks pretty wide at 275 is probably the better play. Couple that with that three wood isn't often much straighter than driver anyway and playing a lot of 3 woods is a good way to score poorly. 

 

I have a couple of friends who I play with fairly frequently. They're 5.5 and 7.7 I think right now. They hit it reasonably well off the tee, hit the odd really bad iron shot, but for the most part hit it okay, one of them chips so so and putts poorly, the other chips poorly and putts so so. Their long games are both of theirs strengths, but they're a long way from scratch level. They occasionally hit it reasonably close - like 15 feet from 160, but not particularly often. They miss greens frequently. I'd never tell either of them that they'd be better off laying back off the tee with three wood. They are 100% better off getting it as close as they can. Both of them would play that par 4 the same way I would. Driver at the bunker, unless the wind is hurting and then driver left of it.

If a 6 plays like a 3 with the driver then give it a go. But for most 6s, driver on that hole brings in 6 or 7. That's not a birdie hole for a 6, imo. It's a hole that bogey is a decent score but you don't want 6 or 7. 

[Nels55]

19 minutes ago, Krt22 said:

Now we are entering fantasy land if you think someone can get to scratch level ball striking with 3-4 hours on the range and then get to better than PGA tour level mental game to repeat that swing on the course. Especially considering this would be a player who has the mind set  "I want to get to scratch, I practice all week, only play 18 holes once a month, I better make this count"

 

 Even tour players who play 4-5+ times a week have much wider dispersion patterns on the course relative to the range.  It's a lot more than just perceived "pressure", it's about effectively managing multiple variables, managing expectations, and recovering when you do miss.

 

I agree and I was simply pointing out a few scenarios that are in line with your statement that 'nothing is impossible'.

1 hour ago, Krt22 said:

But you are right, nothing is impossible, but certain things are highly improbable and this is one of those cases. The gap between a 3-4 and scratch is much larger than some people realize, I just don't think 3-4 hrs of practice with very little course time is enough to close that gap

 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Nels55
typo

[Krt22]

You are right, 3 sigma from the mean is still technically not "impossible", but in practice it is essentially 0.

[Nels55]

I guess that one possibility for this to happen that may actually have occurred at some point would be a really young player in a place where you can't play in the winter time who happened to end the year as 3 or 4 handicap and then practices all winter and comes out the next spring as is scratch or better really quickly.  Hmmm, I suppose that the same could happen with a mature beginning player who is super talented and would be scratch in a year anyway. 

 

I don't believe that either of those scenarios are in line with the OP's question though.  I wonder if the OP is planning to try to pull this off?

[otto6457]

"Scratch" in this thread is pretty nebulous.  Being "scratch" on paper and playing with your buddies at your home course where you play 100% of your golf is not the same as playing in a tournament, or in a money game, on a different course. A "scratch" that can travel with that game is a lot different that your typical glamor GHIN "scratch" golfer.

[Soloman1]

This is not too hard to settle.

 

Someone (Original Poster?) please do it and let's see the results.

[RCGA]

27 minutes ago, otto6457 said:

"Scratch" in this thread is pretty nebulous.  Being "scratch" on paper and playing with your buddies at your home course where you play 100% of your golf is not the same as playing in a tournament, or in a money game, on a different course. A "scratch" that can travel with that game is a lot different that your typical glamor GHIN "scratch" golfer.

 

Isn't this true of any handicap, though? 

Edited June 25, 2021 by RCGA

[North Butte]

19 minutes ago, RCGA said:

 

Isn't this true of any handicap, though? 

I'm a 15hcp playing at my home course with my usual group of cronies. But I'd play like a 15hcp if I got invited to play Augusta National with the Pope or if I were sent out with one chance to break 80 for a million bucks. A hack is gonna hack, you might say. There's no real pressure because I know what I am and that my game stinks. 

 

I don't think that scales down to the scratch level. I've been told by too many scratch to plus-handicap to pro level golfers that doing it with nothing on the line is way easier than doing it for serious stakes. 

 

P.S. I guess there's one more level of "no pressure" that applies even to hackers. It's when you're literally not even keeping score.

 

I went out for nine holes the other day with no reason other than to get a little exercise and fresh air. No warmup, no shooting yardages, no nothing. Well heck, I made a couple birdies, a couple great up and downs for par, the one time I hit it in the woods I got back in play and ended up with a tap-in bogey. Someone watching might have thought I was a scratch golfer just based on those 9 holes of "don't give a darn" golf.

 

But that sort of thing never lasts for even 18 holes and it isn't going to happen when I care about the result. So I guess I'm saying yeah, maybe someone could spend months or years hitting practice balls then go out by himself and do a convincing imitation of scratch golf for nine holes. Once in a while. But that's not the sort of thing that happens often enough to actually get a 0.0 handicap index.

Edited June 25, 2021 by North Butte

[DShepley]

2 hours ago, Krt22 said:

Now we are entering fantasy land if you think someone can get to scratch level ball striking with 3-4 hours on the range and then get to better than PGA tour level mental game to repeat that swing on the course. Especially considering this would be a player who has the mind set  "I want to get to scratch, I practice all week, only play 18 holes once a month, I better make this count"

 

 Even tour players who play 4-5+ times a week have much wider dispersion patterns on the course relative to the range.  It's a lot more than just perceived "pressure", it's about effectively managing multiple variables, managing expectations, and recovering when you do miss.

Exactly!  The driving range is a great place to improve technique which will help you get closer to your goals, BUT, it will only get you so far.  It's learning through the scenarios on the course that fill the void.  I mean it could be possible but I think it's highly unlikely because, if the goal is to get to scratch, there is already pressure built in that will rear it's head as a scoring barrier when the chance arises.  

[DShepley]

3 hours ago, Lincoln_Arcadia said:

 

Possibly why there are different opinions on this matter is that some of us don’t feel any extra or less pressure playing on the course or simply hitting balls on the range whilst some do?

 

Unless you land in deep rough, there shouldn’t be any extra burden hitting on the course for money or hitting balls on a range. Both require some thought, unless banging ball after ball without any purpose nor aim?

 

 

I don't agree.  Even the pros find themselves confronted with mental barriers in given situations like for instance trying to close out a win for the first time.  They are the VERY BEST players in the world, like 10 strokes on average per round better than probably the best country club player any of us know and they feel it.  So to think that an amateur who has a goal to get to scratch isn't going to feel pressure when they are near it seems a silly thought to me.

[getitdaily]

9 minutes ago, DShepley said:

Exactly!  The driving range is a great place to improve technique which will help you get closer to your goals, BUT, it will only get you so far.  It's learning through the scenarios on the course that fill the void.  I mean it could be possible but I think it's highly unlikely because, if the goal is to get to scratch, there is already pressure built in that will rear it's head as a scoring barrier when the chance arises.  

Unless you've been there, one cannot understand the scoring barrier associated with breaking par...which is just about required to become scratch, at certain distances.

[DShepley]

9 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

Unless you've been there, one cannot understand the scoring barrier associated with breaking par...which is just about required to become scratch, at certain distances.

100% agree. I've been there, got to a plus for a short while in my late 20s. Those scenarios also help you hold onto the mindset that you should be better when you find yourself mid-40s with kids and only play a couple times per week. You know, you feel like you have zero game but still manage to keep the index sub 5.  My whole point is that the scoring barriers are real and no amount of range practice makes them go away. It's similar for all the barriers, 100, 90, 80, 70 but....it's progressively harder to do because the lower you go, the fewer mistakes you can make.