Bringing your Range Game to the Course..

Fore Iron

Right, enough Tiger bashing. Time for something more serious!

I would really appreciate if anyone could give me some advice or help with something that is killing me lately. Bob Rotella is grand to read but it's just not working for me when it comes to this:

I am a category 1 handicap and generally struggle with inconsistency but find my short game and putting generally save the day. I have been working hard on my game over the winter. Over the past few weeks my ball striking has been better than at any time in the past. I really feel like eveything is coming together and that I really don't have much wrong going on in my swing. But the problem is I go to the range and more or less flush it every session. This afternoon I hit 100 balls and honestly I would say 4 or 5 of them were not great but I basically hit 95 balls just beautifully. Fade, draw, low, high whenever I wanted. I always felt that the 3 iron was a great indicator of how you are swinging as any timing issues usually leave you hitting horrible shots with the 3 iron. Today the 3 iron felt like a wedge. Whatever I wanted it to do, I could pull it off. It's such a great feeling!!

But, I just seem to never be able to bring that confidence and thoughtless golf to the course. I don't play badly, and in fact am playing better than in the past, but the ball striking is never as good and I can recognise that my confidence is not the same on the course.

A perfect example is with my driver. I always struggled with a slice with the driver. Drawing the ball off the tee was miles away from my capability. but lately at the range I'm hitting laser straight drives and have found myself able to hit nice little draws when I want to also. But on the course, it's almost as though the draw seems like too risky a shot to try. I can feel myself focusing too hard just to hit the driver straight and that tension leads to all kinds of things.

So, does anyone have any drills or routines or advice they use to try to develop that "range felling" on the course? I really feel like I could hack a good bit of my handicap this year if I can get this sorted.

Thanks!!!

oceanfish2008

Fore Iron wrote: »

Right, enough Tiger bashing. Time for something more serious!

I would really appreciate if anyone could give me some advice or help with something that is killing me lately. Bob Rotella is grand to read but it's just not working for me when it comes to this:

I am a category 1 handicap and generally struggle with inconsistency but find my short game and putting generally save the day. I have been working hard on my game over the winter. Over the past few weeks my ball striking has been better than at any time in the past. I really feel like eveything is coming together and that I really don't have much wrong going on in my swing. But the problem is I go to the range and more or less flush it every session. This afternoon I hit 100 balls and honestly I would say 4 or 5 of them were not great but I basically hit 95 balls just beautifully. Fade, draw, low, high whenever I wanted. I always felt that the 3 iron was a great indicator of how you are swinging as any timing issues usually leave you hitting horrible shots with the 3 iron. Today the 3 iron felt like a wedge. Whatever I wanted it to do, I could pull it off. It's such a great feeling!!

But, I just seem to never be able to bring that confidence and thoughtless golf to the course. I don't play badly, and in fact am playing better than in the past, but the ball striking is never as good and I can recognise that my confidence is not the same on the course.

A perfect example is with my driver. I always struggled with a slice with the driver. Drawing the ball off the tee was miles away from my capability. but lately at the range I'm hitting laser straight drives and have found myself able to hit nice little draws when I want to also. But on the course, it's almost as though the draw seems like too risky a shot to try. I can feel myself focusing too hard just to hit the driver straight and that tension leads to all kinds of things.

So, does anyone have any drills or routines or advice they use to try to develop that "range felling" on the course? I really feel like I could hack a good bit of my handicap this year if I can get this sorted.

Thanks!!!

Was a category 1 golfer myself in the recent past and had this problem, in fact still do since I started playing again. I've gone for lessons and been laughed at by the pro and told I didn't need a lesson, my ball striking was fine. Out on the course then and its not the same. At least not as consistent. I think its a confidence issue on the course.

A few pointers that might help:

Look at your rhythm and tempo during a round. Anxiety with a card in hand can lead to your rhythm going out of kilter and your natural tempo speeding up. (it does for me). Just keep it smooth on every shot (especially on a windy day)

You kind of hit on it in your earlier post when you mentioned 'thoughtlessness'. As Rotella says leave the swing thoughts at home when your on the course. I know its not easy, but clear your mind completely over every shot. Its something you have to work on during a round. Eventually you will play effortlessly and start putting a few good holes together, then a nine, then a round and your confidence will grow. As you become more confident it will seem effortless and your scores will improve again. Its a self perpetuating scenario but you have to work at it. IMO the only way to get 'In the Zone' is to clear your mind.

Hope this makes sense and is of help

Fore Iron

Thanks for the reply!

The tempo speeding up is exactly what happens to me on occasion too. Sometimes it will take me 9 holes to realise it, then I'll slow down and things improve. But they still never seem to get as good as the range.

I think the clearing the mind thing is my main issue. Even at the range I still have swing thoughts when I'm hitting the ball well, but that's all that's in my mind. On the course, I guess I'm thinking about all kinds of other stuff at the same time. Whether it's my score or the wind or trying to make good contact or avoiding trouble or whatever.

Do you or did you have any technique you used to help you?

dvemail

On the range there is definetly much less for you to think about. I know for me when im at the range my only thoughts are about striking it well and hitting it straight. And i wouldnt be beating myself up if i slice or hook it.

On the course while i still want to hit it straight and true, im also concious about trying to not hit it into the trees/water or a bunker. Its added pressure and can make your swing a bit more tense and therefore not playing aswell.
I know its tough but if you could try and bring your range thoughts to the course and see how ya get on.

Fore Iron

dvemail thanks for the input.

The range definitely leaves you more forgiving about bad shots since you know you can always just pull up another ball and try again. That feeling of no pressure or worry has got to be the ultimate goal on the course.

It's not something I've thought about actually, but next time I'm on the range, I'll try to pay attention to how my brain is working there, then see if I can get that same feeling on the course. Really all I've done in the past is just try to be relaxed on the course, without trying to specifically recreate that range attitude. It seems obvious now! Got to be worth a go....

Thanks guys, this is exactly the kind of stuff I was after!

f22

Have to agree with the rhythm and tempo. I have been so inconsistent it's ridiculous, going from shooting 6 birdies in a round to an 89 the next round.

The secret for me is a smooth even takeaway, giving me time to make a proper turn and keep my timing. It's taken a good pro and hard work to get it to the course for me but it's getting there. If I get agitated I get quick, and that's the root of alot of problems.

Russman

You wouldn't be alone with a dilemma like this. I'd say 99% of golfers hit it much better at the range than on the course. Its easy at the range, no trouble to think of, the security of another ball to hit, nothing on the line etc etc.

The trick, as people have said above, really is to try to get as close to being that relaxed as possible on the course or at least to play without thinking of the swing. Easier said than done.

A few years ago I had drifted out a few shots and really couldn't hit it at all, had myself all tied up in knots. What I did was go and hit a few bags of balls using only a pitching wedge just trying to relax and find my swing again. By forgetting about swing thoughts and just playing, I went from 6 to 3 in about 4 weeks and had the best season I ever had for the remaining 3 months of that summer.

You're obviously at a good level already and clearly have the technique, just go out and trust yourself and don't try to steer the ball. No difference in hitting it out of bounds while trying to poke it down the fairway and getting tight, or hitting it out of bounds making a free, flowing swing at it, and who knows, with the free flowing swing I'll bet you see it flying down the middle more often than not.

My tuppence worth anyway.....

Fore Iron

Russman wrote: »

You wouldn't be alone with a dilemma like this. I'd say 99% of golfers hit it much better at the range than on the course. Its easy at the range, no trouble to think of, the security of another ball to hit, nothing on the line etc etc.

The trick, as people have said above, really is to try to get as close to being that relaxed as possible on the course or at least to play without thinking of the swing. Easier said than done.

A few years ago I had drifted out a few shots and really couldn't hit it at all, had myself all tied up in knots. What I did was go and hit a few bags of balls using only a pitching wedge just trying to relax and find my swing again. By forgetting about swing thoughts and just playing, I went from 6 to 3 in about 4 weeks and had the best season I ever had for the remaining 3 months of that summer.

You're obviously at a good level already and clearly have the technique, just go out and trust yourself and don't try to steer the ball. No difference in hitting it out of bounds while trying to poke it down the fairway and getting tight, or hitting it out of bounds making a free, flowing swing at it, and who knows, with the free flowing swing I'll bet you see it flying down the middle more often than not.

My tuppence worth anyway.....

You know that one qoute I'll keep to remind me to loosen up on the course. That's a fantastic thought! Never ever thought of it in those terms at all. I wonder how many times a careful steering swing has put me in a bunker or water hazard or long grass. If a free flowing, carefree swing can do the same thing, why try to be careful in the first place! kinda backwards logic. I like it!

When it comes to the tempo and rythm issue, I've realised over the past few weeks, that if I swing too hard and quick, my follow through recoils back to shoulder or hip height. If I try to hold my follow through at the top, I can only do it if I've slowed the whole swing down. Works as a handy indication of whether my tempo is usable or not and during a practice swing that's the one thing I rehearse - swinging to a high follow through finish and holding it there.

oceanfish2008

As F22 says above a pre-shot technique that helps my rhythm is a one piece slow takeaway i.e a waggle without cocking the wrists. Doing this before pulling the trigger helps me.

As regards having a free flowing swing - Have a look at Rory McIlroys - free-flowing or what?

If you set your stall out before you go out and say to yourself, I don't care about the score I'm going to swing freely from 1-18 regardless.

Fore Iron

Oh well.

Haven't played this week but was at the range today and no doubt only because I have decided I was hitting it flush every time, I couldn't hit the ball to save my life!!

Now it seems I've brought my course game to the range! Noooo! It's not fair!

Before I knew it, I was standing over each range ball trying really hard to hit it well. At least I'm learning to understand just how much the brain plays a role in this game!

Despite it all I think I'm getting a better idea of what my problem is. Thanks for the help everyone......

One thing I have read recently was very interesting. It says that in other sports where you have very little time to prepare to hit a ball such as tennis or squash or even badminton, you play your best when you simply react to the object or target without thought. In golf the problem is that you have too much time to prepare for each shot and you tend to get over technical and think too much as a result. If you can learn to simply react to the ball or target then you can play much more consistently. That doesn't mean just run up to it and hit although it worked in movies!

It was an interesting read but gave no indication of how you should delevop that skill or feeling. One to have a think about me thinks.......

coddlesangers

You may need to trick yourself quite a bit. A nice mental trick I do, is to "pretend" I am someone else - particularly helpful to "pretend" you are Freddy Couples for example if you want to lengthen your swing and remove tension - you may want to consider pretending you are still on the range, but the principle remains the same, which is to distract your conscious brain from overwhelming you with instructions and chatter. Giving it something complex to do, like imitate Freddy (that works for me), can be a fantastic way to do it. You need to have a fair degree of trust to do this with a card in your hand, but give it a shot.

TheGrump

coddlesangers wrote: »

You may need to trick yourself quite a bit. A nice mental trick I do, is to "pretend" I am someone else - particularly helpful to "pretend" you are Freddy Couples for example if you want to lengthen your swing and remove tension - you may want to consider pretending you are still on the range, but the principle remains the same, which is to distract your conscious brain from overwhelming you with instructions and chatter. Giving it something complex to do, like imitate Freddy (that works for me), can be a fantastic way to do it. You need to have a fair degree of trust to do this with a card in your hand, but give it a shot.

I AM TIGER WOODS

Fore Iron

TheGrump wrote: »

I AM TIGER WOODS

The way things have been going for him lately, that might be a better strategy to try in the nightclub than on the golf course!

coddlesangers

It has to be someone who has a trait you are particularly trying to emulate. Tiger's swing is not all that reproducible, relying as it does on enormous torque and his physical attributes. For me, its about tempo, so Ernie, Freddy, Rory.

Tiger in the nightclub would be too easy, just hand over a bucket load of cash to a skank, job done.