What's the craziest thing you've seen at the range?

[jportz]

Weird swing drills or anything else worthy of posting.

As we all know, golfers will try just about ANYTHING if they think it will help their swing. What's the craziest thing you've seen someone doing?

I saw a guy who made these 2 bars with pads on the end of them. One would stick in the ground behind him and rest against his butt and the other would stick in the ground way out in front of him and rest against his forehead. Then he would hit balls.....actually, it's probably a good drill but it sure looked crazy when he did it.

I'm sure you guys have got some good ones....heck, I might even try some of them if they sound crazy enough to work :crazy:

[peteman29]

A guy hitting balls with a golf ball under his right foot (he was right handed). I though it was so weird so I did a bit of searching on the net and found out it was a way to help with weight transfer.

[Sakman]

I really hope this wasn't a drill, but I once saw some guys driver fly about 15 yards down the range after trying to give it a good rip. The best part about the entire situation was his comment afterwards...

 

"And that's the reason I'm not quitting my day job anytime soon!"

[CRutherford]

I saw a guy one time who was a fairly good right handed player, but decided to try out a set of left handed clubs at the range one day...

[jportz]

 

I can picture the guy slinging his club and the comment was priceless.

 

I'll tell you a good one that reminded me of...you know of the drill where you tee up 10 balls in a line and then hit them all one after the other? It's supposed to help build rythm and timing.

 

Well that's all good if you can actually HIT 10 halfway decent shots. I saw a guy, who must of been about a 36 handicap, trying that drill and it was so funny. Of course everyone is watching him because he's got all these balls teed up...then he let the carnage begin....topped shot, pop up, duck hook, banana slice, whiff, pop fly, ground ball, etc etc...and he saved the best for last....he hits it right off the heel and it goes straight back between his legs. Then this was the best part....

 

He stands there for a second with his head down, huffing and puffing from his 10 swipes....it's like a dramatic pause in a movie...just long enough to get everyone's attention. Then he looses it...he starts going crazy, smashing all his tees in the ground...cussing and grunting, just jackhammering his driver into the ground and swinging wildly at any tee on the ground in the area...then when he's done with that he whirls around like an Olympic Hammer thrower and throws his club down the range.....I was actually impressed at how far it went, at least 75 yards. Then he kicks his golf bag over and walks away.

 

I guess he came back out later and got his clubs but I couldn't even practice anymore after that spectacle. To this day, that is the best tantrum I've ever seen and also the hardest I've ever laughed on a golf course.

 

IT WAS AWESOME!

[Big D McGee]

I always wonder why people like that just don't get lessons? Golf is supposed to be fun. If it's that frustrating, take up fishing or something. Jeebus!

[Sam-Tee-Time]

I saw a pro (at the range at the EDS Byron Nelson) with a fairly large inflatable ball between his knees, making normal swings. I think this is supposed to keep your lower body more stable.

[taylormadefan]

I saw a guy one time who was a fairly good right handed player, but decided to try out a set of left handed clubs at the range one day...

 

Vijay does this a lot and he's freakishly good from the other side of the plate. This is really good for evening out the muscles in your back to keep them from getting too dominant on one side which can lead to back and shoulder problems as one lat starts pulling too much since it's stronger and larger than the other. Symmetry in your body is a good thing. :crazy:

 

One of the weirdest drills I saw was someone hitting golf balls from their knees. I didn't see the point of it, you're so flat that you're hitting snap hook after snap hook. The funny thing is the guy and I go to the same teacher . . .

 

Funniest was a guy using the inside approach, well he came over the top and true to form the inside approach game him instant feed back and the foam cover snapped off. The only problem was it went flying about 50 yards down the range. He kind of stood there for a few seconds and then sheepishly ran out to retrive his training aid. I had to go get a drink of water to disguise my laughter. I try to never laugh at anyone on the range, because I've been there myself, but this was too much. :crazy:

[crew_138]

Funniest was a guy using the inside approach, well he came over the top and true to form the inside approach game him instant feed back and the foam cover snapped off. The only problem was it went flying about 50 yards down the range. He kind of stood there for a few seconds and then sheepishly ran out to retrive his training aid. I had to go get a drink of water to disguise my laughter. I try to never laugh at anyone on the range, because I've been there myself, but this was too much.

 

 

I have done the same thing... lol. Luckely, I was just with a couple of buddies...

 

Which brings me to this guy a the local course on the practice area with a camera set up behind him... he looked very professional but he stood there and banana sliced every ball in his shag bag. He came close to hitting some cars in the parking lot. He looked very upset and frustrated... I wanted to help him out but I didn't think he would like a stranger giving him a lesson... I wanted to give him my old inside approach

[unomizuno]

"IT WAS AWESOME!"

 

:crazy:

 

Well told!

 

[tarik]

A few years ago there we a bunch of kids trying to hit the ball picker, when one kid decided to hit a driver at it from about 30 yards away. He ended up hitting a pillar on the cage only to have the ball shoot back and hit him and nail him in the knee. It gave him a pretty good charley horse. Probably the funniest thing I have ever seen at a course.

[spk74]

the other day, a lawyer (which I learned through evesdropping) shows up with a complete nike bag. He's being a little loud on his cell phone, talking work. Once that is over he puts on his shoes, puts on his glove and then takes about 5 practice swings with his driver. puts that back in the bag...then pulls out some dental floss. and proceeds to floss every tooth.

 

"much better" he whispers to himself.

 

I laughed a little and I think he heard me.

[unomizuno]

At a local range that used to be a double decker (the second deck was closed and never used for various reasons), a high school with a rental club swings and loses it...the driver shaft catches the corner of the second deck and the head carries it on up and back onto the upper deck.

 

My own story includes old balls set out by my neighbor for the trash to pick up (he's 70 years old)

I take the balls to the range to hit them...some of them were so old they couldn't have had much more than 150 dimples on them. I was a little nervous that the range owner wouldn't appreciate someone adding junk balls to his collection, so I kept an eye out for who was looking as I hit them. The fourth or fifth ball I hit was SO old, it simply exploded into about 20 or 30 pieces on impact. Oh well.

[tylerbrowder8-4]

most drills are going to look weird

 

but you had to say other weird things so im going to tell my story

 

guy in his 40's was hitting range balls and he would swing so hard he would fart and we looked at him and he acted like it wasent even him ... did it a few times but still was acting like nuthing happend even tho my friends and i couldnt stop laughin cuz the 2nd time we swore he sharted haha

[Hop&Stop]

Two things. Neither of which are technically drills to improve one's swing, but still hilarious nonetheless.

 

1. This lefty one time walked in to the pro shop and then walked out with a brand new r580 (when they were just released). The guy stepped up on the tee next to me, took a few professional looking waggles, and then swung and missed. Then, he tried again and topped the ball about 25 yards down the range. The next three swings had the same result. :fool:

 

2. The driving range I go to has two decks. I was on the lower deck once and I was going through my pre-shot routine when I hear this loud crash from the deck above me. I look and then see a driver fall to the ground from the deck above. I casually walk out and pick it up. I turned around and saw the guy standing there. I simply replied "Did you lose something?" :crazy: :crazy:

 

I don't know about you guys, but the driving range can be a place for improvement, as well as entertainment. :cheesy:

[acrazygolfer]

A hacker was teaching his girlfriend how to hit and she struck him in the back of the head and we'd to call 911.

[jportz]

Are you talking about "Release Grips"? They're shaped skinny at the top and fatter at the bottom?

 

Those are real grips...I've never tried them but a lot of people like them and some pro's actually build up the bottom part of their grips to acheive the same results.

[ram01002]

Guy brings his girlfirned to the driving range - - pulls out pitching wedge and advances the ball 10 feet. With a serious look on his face, he says, "This club is supposed to go the shortest."

[lidomkj]

Funny story that happened to me at home, not at the range. I was in the backyard videotaping my swing. One minute you see the club, next minute you don't. Video running the entire time....I am standing there looking like an idot trying to figure out what happened. When it was replayed, it looked like a camera trick since you do not even see the club flying away. I was about 13 at the time and my dad kept yelling at me to loosen my grip, well I loosened it. It slipped out of my hands, flew over 3 houses and landed in the middle of the street. Once I finally figured out where the club went, I go to get it and a car runs the thing over.

 

Second story, my buddy just reshafted his driver and 2 fairway woods one week earlier. We go to the range and after hitting a few balls, he proceeds to launch the driver head about 50 yards down the range after it snaps off. We laugh and tool on him some. After he gets the head, proceeds to hit his 3 wood. Same thing happens, and again, laugh and tool on him. Third time is the charm, hits his 5 wood, by now, everyone at the range is watching him. He hits a great shot, holds his pro finish and feeling great about hitting an awesome shot with all eyes on him....and the head falls off the shaft and starts clanking around on the cement. He is left standing there in this great pose holding a shaft. Everyone and I mean everyone was laughing hysterically! Obviously, did reshaft properly.

[jportz]

Sorry man, i still don't get it....was he playing cross-handed? Grips are universal...made for both lefty and righty....with the exception them being training grips. Was he using training grips?

 

Sorry to make this so hard....I can't get a mental image of your story.

[slicefixer]

Wow......where to start......

 

Saw a guy shank a ball and hit his video camera.....

 

Had a lady toe/shank a wood in a clinic last year and it ricochet'd off of this one ladies butt and then flew DEAD between my legs while I was in the middle of my incredible 12" vertical leap.......

 

Had a guy in Las Cruces, NM knock me O U T cold with the clubhead during his backswing.......I was down and behind him trying to stabilize his legs in a PRACTICE SWING.......

 

Saw a guy hit a ball BACKWARDS........hit it so fat that he caught it on the throughswing AGAIN......

 

Saw a guy shank one into a "shankboard" and it ricochet'd back across and hit the other shankboard..........like a pinball.......

 

Saw a guy take a mighty cut.......miss the ball......and then let go of the club and it went 50' up in the air.......then probably 10 stations worth of people scrambled to keep from getting hit......looked exactly like somebody yelled "GRENADE"......LOL

 

Had my clubs down on the tee one night hitting balls......FULL tee line of people practicing.....one of my beginner students slipped up to BS......unknown to me he decided to "borrow" my brand new driver.......Titleist 975D.....hit it a few times......put it back.......I pulled it out the next day to hit my first drive and it looked like somebody had taken a hammer to the top of the head.......LOL....(wan't too funny that day)

 

I was playing in a Hogan Tour event in 90'.......range was roped into stations........turf was pretty mangled so I got fairly close to the rope........too close evidently as I hung the rope on my throughswing and stopped about 50 guy's in various stages of their golf swings......amazing nobody got hurt........LOL

 

:stop: :D

[taylormadefan]

LOL, this thred's the best part of being stuck so late at the lab. Some great stories in here.

 

I remembered another good one. Probably happened to a lot of you guys.

 

My girlfriend and I were at a driving range in Dallas where a machine dispenses range balls via a token and you stick a bucket underneath the spout to catch the balls if that makes any sense. Like this thing:

 

My girl played varsity golf in high school, so she knows what she's doing, but obviously not when it comes to these machines because as I was filling up my bucket I saw a flood of range balls come pouring out of the machine and spilling EVERYWHERE. I was on the ground, I was laughing so hard. I don't think I've ever seen her that embarassed.

[jportz]

I figured you'd have some good one's Slicefixer.......30 or 40 years of teaching golf has to yield some amazing stories. :stop:

 

Yesterday at the range I saw a guy step up to the # 1 tee box.....I saw him teeing up on the Black Tees (the tips) so I took notice. Since I didn't recognize him as a regular I stopped to watch him hit (you know, always sizing up the competition) and since I don't even normally play the black tees I figured this guy must be a good player. Well after hitting two OB right banana slices and then topping the 3rd about 15 yards he grabbed his bag and walked up two sets of tees to the White Tees (about 40 yards closer) to try again.

 

Not super funny but it was like I could see what he was thinking...it was like some invisible marshal walked up and told him to play the white tees.

 

It's been raining like crazy the past few weeks here in Cali.....so the ground is super saturated. This guy next to was hitting balls...probably a 15 or 20 handicapper but he swung as hard as he could on every shot. He's hitting balls toward the 150 sign and his buddy asks him what club he's using and he says "a smooth 8 but I normally hit a PW that far"......the next thing I hear is this loud juicy thump/splat noise and then I hear somebody laughing. I turn around and the guy is covered from head to toe in mud....it's all over his face and his buddy is doubled over laughing at him. One thing I've learned about playing on wet turf....you have to hit the ball first or you'll need a shower. It was great....although I can't say it's never happened to me. :D

[greenmachine0227]

Neither of these are really training aids, but are funny stories none the least.

1. A year or so ago I noticed a gentleman who began coming out to the range. It's an all mat range, but he insisted on hitting off the grass. After almost every swing he would start mumbling to himself about how bad the previous swing was. I've seen him get so upset that he takes an over the head swing with the club and sticks it in the ground. He also starts cussing at himself and the ball. I have to go into the proshop whenever he shows up so that I'm not laughing at him where he can see me. He told another guy at the club that it helped him relieve stress, so I guess if it works, why not.

2. Yesterday I was out on the range talking with the former pro at my course. It was the two of us, an older man (also a pro) and two kids at the far end of the range. The kids, who were new to the game, were making these incredibly hard swings at the ball and hitting it almost no where. As the pro and I began talking, we heard a loud crash from the other end of the range. We looked over and saw that the kid had swung so hard that the club had slipped out of the kids hands, hit the cieling of the range, and was no sitting 10 ft. behind him. In his hands he held the grip. That was the first time I'd ever seen a club shaft fly straight out off the grip.

[Ducky]

He stands there for a second with his head down, huffing and puffing from his 10 swipes....it's like a dramatic pause in a movie...just long enough to get everyone's attention. Then he looses it...he starts going crazy, smashing all his tees in the ground...cussing and grunting, just jackhammering his driver into the ground and swinging wildly at any tee on the ground in the area...then when he's done with that he whirls around like an Olympic Hammer thrower and throws his club down the range.....I was actually impressed at how far it went, at least 75 yards. Then he kicks his golf bag over and walks away.

Haha!

 

:help:

 

I pissed myself laughing just reading about it, I don't know how you would have coped!

[sladevol]

When I lived in Texas, I once saw this guy come out to the range lay down two clubs for alignment. He made a couple of practice swings, addressed the ball, waggled twice, and made a smooth swing. His practice routine would not have been memorable had he not been wearing old school basketball shorts and weight lifting gloves instead of golf gloves. The kicker was the self made cut of shirt that revealed his pasty white, hairy beer gut. The entire range was disgusted, yet could not look away. He just kept hitting balls oblivious to his grotesque appearance. I continue to be scared for life.

[Ken_In_CA]

LOL, this thred's the best part of being stuck so late at the lab. Some great stories in here.

 

I remembered another good one. Probably happened to a lot of you guys.

 

My girlfriend and I were at a driving range in Dallas where a machine dispenses range balls via a token and you stick a bucket underneath the spout to catch the balls if that makes any sense. Like this thing:

 

My girl played varsity golf in high school, so she knows what she's doing, but obviously not when it comes to these machines because as I was filling up my bucket I saw a flood of range balls come pouring out of the machine and spilling EVERYWHERE. I was on the ground, I was laughing so hard. I don't think I've ever seen her that embarassed.

 

 

I have to confess, that I did something simular. I put in ONE coin, which was SUPPOSED to yield a small bucket, which I appropriately put under the machine. Well needless to say, I got a large amount of golf balls, most of them bouncing around wildly, while I was frantically trying to catch them! :help: :wave:

[willplaysgolf]

Today at practice (for my high school) this kid is teeing off on number one. the tee box was pretty wet but i still dont know how he did this. hits his driver and takes a divot. everyone looks up and our someone said "where'd it go?" we look down and the ball is stuck in the divot. don't even know how that's possible. of course me being the jerk that i am i said "Can you teach me that shot?" :help:

[murph459]

I have actually seen a guy play crosshanded as referenced above. He plays righty, but holds the club lefty. He plays at a muni near me. It is unreal how well he hits the ball!!

[lowballhitter]

Our local range has the carts to collect the balls, but still employs kids who put on all the protection and pick up balls the cart misses.

 

One day this guy keeps trying to hit one of the kids, wherever he'd walk this guy would fire the range rocks.

 

Well after a while the kid tells this guy where to go - the guy hitting the balls abuses the kid, next thing you know the kid has ripped off his helmet and is running full speed to the hitting bays, like a batter who's copped it from a pitcher. The kid drags this guy on to the grass and they go for it. The kid is wearing work clothes, but the guy was wearing khaki sklacks and a white shirt - after the fight was broken up his clothes were trashed - I wonder how he explained to his wife...

 

Honey, "I just got beaten up by a skinny kid at the range"