Range to Course

Hacker111

I have had a running problem for the past few years.

When I'm at the range I am hitting my irons really well, good connections, nice flight, finishing with balance, peppering the marker I'm aiming at with reasonable frequency for an 11 handicap. Leave with super confidence.

However, when I go to the course it changes. I'm not putting the same swing on the ball, flight/connection is all over the place and I have no balance...walking after ball etc. Leave with zero confidence.

Has anyone else had similar problems or advice for me??


Cheers

Tones69

A lot more thoughts on the golf course, hazards, if the ball is below or above your feet, thinking on how bad u played the last hole, thinking mechanically about your swing mid-round etc etc, a lot of diff things, think we all are like that to an extent, plus on a range if you hit one bad one its ok, do that on the course and that could lead to a 7 or 8 on the hole which could piss you off and mess up your round. Only advice is keep your mind focused on each shot, and forget about the last one, take your time on course

EDIT: Get a few of bob rotellas books, might help u a little bit, love them!

golfnut1

Hacker111 wrote: »

I have had a running problem for the past few years.

When I'm at the range I am hitting my irons really well, good connections, nice flight, finishing with balance, peppering the marker I'm aiming at with reasonable frequency for an 11 handicap. Leave with super confidence.

However, when I go to the course it changes. I'm not putting the same swing on the ball, flight/connection is all over the place and I have no balance...walking after ball etc. Leave with zero confidence.

Has anyone else had similar problems or advice for me??


Cheers

It's very easy to find a good tempo at the range and its also very easy to "let it go" or "let it flow" as no shot really matters. Golf is different as in so far as it all target focused and every shot adds to your score.
The positive is if you can do it at the range you are capable of bringing to the course.
The best way to do this imo is hit a few wedges before your round focusing only on tempo and your finish take this feeling to the tee.
Another difference between range and golf is your intensity. On a scale of one to ten you need to keep yourself at a 6 or 7 to play your best golf anything over that and you tend to get quick (bad tempo) or steer the ball (not letting it go). Monitor your intensity next time you play especially on the back nine with a score going.
Simple being conscious of this can help maintain calmness. Deliberate deep breaths at these times can can reduce tension and promote good tempo.

Tones69

Also a well known fact, amost amateurs take very very little time over any shot, no shot visualisation, no practice swing/setup etc, all leads to inconsistent shots

GreeBo

What golfnut said, at the range hit each shot like you would on the course. dont just pull another ball over and hit it "in the direction of a target".
Stand behind it, practice swing, all the stuff you do on the course.
The biggest danger on the range is building up a rhythm that you just cannot do on the course. Even a monkey can hit a ball after swinging at it for an hour solidly.

/edit
Are you any better when playing a practice/non competitive round on the course?

Mr. Larson

Greebo alluded to it there but what about playing 5 or 6 holes instead of hitting the range? The range destroys my game personally unless I have at least a 4 day gap between range and course I'm guaranteed to be all over the shop on the golf course. Some of the most significant swing revolutions I have made have been on my own on the course playing 4 or 5 holes in the evening. Can't explain why but it's just a suggestion. Assume you have read and practiced all of the Rotella stuff about no swing thoughts and trust etc.?

hades

Are you allowed to play the course before a competition? At my club its very possible to play 17 and 18, before starting your round proper. And since i play at around 8am, there's not going to be anyone on them at that point in the day.

Russman

hades wrote: »

Are you allowed to play the course before a competition? At my club its very possible to play 17 and 18, before starting your round proper. And since i play at around 8am, there's not going to be anyone on them at that point in the day.

Seriously ??
You know thats against the rules unless you're playing matchplay ?

foxyboxer

Pre Shot Routine

On the range.
On the course.

There is another psychological factor here too.
When you're on the range you establish a good rhythm.

However, when you get on the course, you are playing with people sho you know are watching you hit, you are subconciously thinking "Don't screw up"
If you've played a round on your own, you might notice that you've played much better than when playing with a group.

I guess the only remedy would be to work on developing a feeling of indifference. By going through your routine, pikcing a target and making a shot and accepting wherever it goes.

Hard to be indifferent though if you top it 50 yards off the tee! :eek:

k.p.h

Tones69 wrote: »

Also a well known fact, amost amateurs take very very little time have poor concentration over any shot, no shot visualisation, no practice swing/setup etc, all leads to inconsistent shots

Slight correction on your post Tones, your dead right but it's not time spent that's the answer but rather time well spent. Concentration and focus are good, 5 min with random racing thoughts are bad..

Hacker I hit the range less frequently since I started getting lessons at the end of last season, I was in a similar situation to yourself. Range hero, course zero. The reason behind this was anyone can get into a groove at the range no matter how poor a swing. All I was doing was grooving a crap swing that would let me down once I got on the course.

It took me a while to cop what was going on, looking back now I really wish I had not spent all that time belting balls. Firstly it was a waste of time but even worse is the fact that I just made it harder for myself to groove a good swing with all my bad habits.

When I hit the range now if I'm hitting them well I know something is wrong. I'm a high enough handicapper so when I'm at the range I have to be working on something that feels unnatural or unusual, this will lead to me hitting bad shots but I really feel it's a case of you have to get worse to get better.

My range sessions usually start with laying two clubs down and aligning them with my target for the day, I usually hit about 10-15 balls to get a feel for the line. I check my setup and make sure feet, hips and shoulders are all square. At the moment I am finding that my left foot creeps ever so slowly towards the ball so I usually concentrate on getting that nice and square.

Next I hit about 20 balls while concentrating on my grip, my grip is always tending on the strong side and creeping into my palms. This is where I start hitting the ball poorly. Switching it back to neutral inevitably means I will start leaking them right, but after a few balls I get used to it and start to straighten them out a bit.

When I am well into the session and have the basics back in order I will start into whatever part of the swing I am working on with my pro, this has consistently been releasing properly and trying to stop the dreaded early extension. From here on in I am generally hitting the ball very inconsistently. I am rehearsing the move and making sure to hit the ball in the manner I want, it's not my natural move so my ball flight is very inconsistent and a lot of shots are very poor .

Finally I forget all of the above and lace the last few balls down the range and try to end my session with a nice short iron at a pin, I sometimes leave a couple of balls if I hit a peach and I feel I am not going to top it, I think it's good for the confidence to leave with a good shot.

Anyway the reason I have told you about my range session is to contrast that with what I do when I get to the course and I am playing a competitive round.
I pick my line, look at my target and see the shot, eyes on the back of the ball and let go. It's an extremely different approach and it's really just because you can't be mechanical on the course . Any more than one swing though on the course is just going to cause issues. If my grip is strong that's just the way it is and I won't fix it until the next practice session, the same with any other faults.

I get the feeling that you, like me and many others are too mechanical on the course and let it fly at the range. And truth be told that the wrong way around. You should optimize your range time by being very mechanical and trying to groove a better swing, if you don't know what to work on you need to see a pro and find off from him/her. When you get to the course forget all about that and just let fly with aggressive shots to conservative targets (one of the best bits of golfing advice ever..!)

BoardsMember

You need Dave Alred

Hacker111

Tones69 wrote: »

A lot more thoughts on the golf course, hazards, if the ball is below or above your feet, thinking on how bad u played the last hole, thinking mechanically about your swing mid-round etc etc, a lot of diff things, think we all are like that to an extent, plus on a range if you hit one bad one its ok, do that on the course and that could lead to a 7 or 8 on the hole which could piss you off and mess up your round. Only advice is keep your mind focused on each shot, and forget about the last one, take your time on course

EDIT: Get a few of bob rotellas books, might help u a little bit, love them!

Have all his books..... a bad hole or shot does annoy me...hard to build that 30 ft wall behind you!

Hacker111

golfnut1 wrote: »

It's very easy to find a good tempo at the range and its also very easy to "let it go" or "let it flow" as no shot really matters. Golf is different as in so far as it all target focused and every shot adds to your score.
The positive is if you can do it at the range you are capable of bringing to the course.
The best way to do this imo is hit a few wedges before your round focusing only on tempo and your finish take this feeling to the tee.
Another difference between range and golf is your intensity. On a scale of one to ten you need to keep yourself at a 6 or 7 to play your best golf anything over that and you tend to get quick (bad tempo) or steer the ball (not letting it go). Monitor your intensity next time you play especially on the back nine with a score going.
Simple being conscious of this can help maintain calmness. Deliberate deep breaths at these times can can reduce tension and promote good tempo.

I'll try wedge thing...intensity wise i'd say i'm 11!!

Hacker111

GreeBo wrote: »

What golfnut said, at the range hit each shot like you would on the course. dont just pull another ball over and hit it "in the direction of a target".
Stand behind it, practice swing, all the stuff you do on the course.
The biggest danger on the range is building up a rhythm that you just cannot do on the course. Even a monkey can hit a ball after swinging at it for an hour solidly.

/edit
Are you any better when playing a practice/non competitive round on the course?

i do mix it up on range....go through drills...pre shot routine etc....not just machine gun golf!

yep, much better on course on a casual day

Hacker111

Jabberwocky wrote: »

Greebo alluded to it there but what about playing 5 or 6 holes instead of hitting the range? The range destroys my game personally unless I have at least a 4 day gap between range and course I'm guaranteed to be all over the shop on the golf course. Some of the most significant swing revolutions I have made have been on my own on the course playing 4 or 5 holes in the evening. Can't explain why but it's just a suggestion. Assume you have read and practiced all of the Rotella stuff about no swing thoughts and trust etc.?

I have read all the books and try and limit swing thoughts on course...but I am a real tinkerer...always thinking about technique etc.... I think i need to read my Rotella books again!

The best part of my game is chipping..... I see the shot, where i want to land it, the roll etc...... I see them as fun/creative..... mmmmmmmm:rolleyes:

I like to play Saturday mornings early, most weeks... play back 9 in 2 hrs..messing around hitting a number of irons, drivers, chips etc..... just working on things and trying to build confidence

Hacker111

foxyboxer wrote: »

Pre Shot Routine

On the range.
On the course.

There is another psychological factor here too.
When you're on the range you establish a good rhythm.

However, when you get on the course, you are playing with people sho you know are watching you hit, you are subconciously thinking "Don't screw up"
If you've played a round on your own, you might notice that you've played much better than when playing with a group.

I guess the only remedy would be to work on developing a feeling of indifference. By going through your routine, pikcing a target and making a shot and accepting wherever it goes.

Hard to be indifferent though if you top it 50 yards off the tee! :eek:

read a good book called Silent Mind at Christmas.... i was indifferent for about 4 weeks...played better....must read it again

Hacker111

k.p.h wrote: »

Slight correction on your post Tones, your dead right but it's not time spent that's the answer but rather time well spent. Concentration and focus are good, 5 min with random racing thoughts are bad..

Hacker I hit the range less frequently since I started getting lessons at the end of last season, I was in a similar situation to yourself. Range hero, course zero. The reason behind this was anyone can get into a groove at the range no matter how poor a swing. All I was doing was grooving a crap swing that would let me down once I got on the course.

It took me a while to cop what was going on, looking back now I really wish I had not spent all that time belting balls. Firstly it was a waste of time but even worse is the fact that I just made it harder for myself to groove a good swing with all my bad habits.

When I hit the range now if I'm hitting them well I know something is wrong. I'm a high enough handicapper so when I'm at the range I have to be working on something that feels unnatural or unusual, this will lead to me hitting bad shots but I really feel it's a case of you have to get worse to get better.

My range sessions usually start with laying two clubs down and aligning them with my target for the day, I usually hit about 10-15 balls to get a feel for the line. I check my setup and make sure feet, hips and shoulders are all square. At the moment I am finding that my left foot creeps ever so slowly towards the ball so I usually concentrate on getting that nice and square.

Next I hit about 20 balls while concentrating on my grip, my grip is always tending on the strong side and creeping into my palms. This is where I start hitting the ball poorly. Switching it back to neutral inevitably means I will start leaking them right, but after a few balls I get used to it and start to straighten them out a bit.

When I am well into the session and have the basics back in order I will start into whatever part of the swing I am working on with my pro, this has consistently been releasing properly and trying to stop the dreaded early extension. From here on in I am generally hitting the ball very inconsistently. I am rehearsing the move and making sure to hit the ball in the manner I want, it's not my natural move so my ball flight is very inconsistent and a lot of shots are very poor .

Finally I forget all of the above and lace the last few balls down the range and try to end my session with a nice short iron at a pin, I sometimes leave a couple of balls if I hit a peach and I feel I am not going to top it, I think it's good for the confidence to leave with a good shot.

Anyway the reason I have told you about my range session is to contrast that with what I do when I get to the course and I am playing a competitive round.
I pick my line, look at my target and see the shot, eyes on the back of the ball and let go. It's an extremely different approach and it's really just because you can't be mechanical on the course . Any more than one swing though on the course is just going to cause issues. If my grip is strong that's just the way it is and I won't fix it until the next practice session, the same with any other faults.

I get the feeling that you, like me and many others are too mechanical on the course and let it fly at the range. And truth be told that the wrong way around. You should optimize your range time by being very mechanical and trying to groove a better swing, if you don't know what to work on you need to see a pro and find off from him/her. When you get to the course forget all about that and just let fly with aggressive shots to conservative targets (one of the best bits of golfing advice ever..!)

I hear you re being too mechanical..... I seem to forget my good technique and tempo on course...turn into this quick, choppy swing..... duffying irons and drop kicking drivers!!!! people always saying I swing too fast

ankles

HI Hacker. You're basically me. The range I'm probably a mid handicapper, on the course I rarely break 30 points. I'm out of holes off the tee. I grip too tight, sometimes halfway through the swing, and swing like I'm chopping a log. Give me something delicate round the green and I'm pretty decent. The two best rounds I ever played I had a twisted ankle on one and the flu on the other. I overswing and have a go at myself and generally hate the game, especially as I can see the good game in there somewhere. I don't need swing lessons I need mental lessons.

I'm going to bed now so I won't sleep, just mentally beat myself up again:(

fullstop

I'm the opposite if anything, can't focus on the range and after about 15-20 balls just end up hitting crap shots. It's easier to focus on a target on the course IMO

Hacker111

fullstop wrote: »

I'm the opposite if anything, can't focus on the range and after about 15-20 balls just end up hitting crap shots. It's easier to focus on a target on the course IMO

I love practice, sometimes I prefer practicing to playing so I can get better for next competition...... practice really improves my confidence.... nothing better than striping irons down the range purely

Hacker111

ankles wrote: »

HI Hacker. You're basically me. The range I'm probably a mid handicapper, on the course I rarely break 30 points. I'm out of holes off the tee. I grip too tight, sometimes halfway through the swing, and swing like I'm chopping a log. Give me something delicate round the green and I'm pretty decent. The two best rounds I ever played I had a twisted ankle on one and the flu on the other. I overswing and have a go at myself and generally hate the game, especially as I can see the good game in there somewhere. I don't need swing lessons I need mental lessons.

I'm going to bed now so I won't sleep, just mentally beat myself up again:(

Lol....... I hear you......

fullstop

Hacker111 wrote: »

nothing better than striping irons down the range purely

I'd prefer hitting one stone dead on the course than ripping it on the range.

Hacker111

fullstop wrote: »

I'd prefer hitting one stone dead on the course than ripping it on the range.

yeah but the way I see it is that if I cannot pure it on range I never will on the course....you need range to bring your game on at range to improve it on course too...... its trying to bed down a consistant swing on the range that works and then translate it to the course....somewhere between the range and the course I lose it!!!

Redzah

Hacker a word of advice for the range. Make sure u are constantly adjusting the targets; 10 6 irons to different targets at different angles is much more effective than 30 to the same target. Secondly, u should try and draw some of them and fade others, try hit them high and low, this all develops feel and helps you learn about your swing. Even if you cannot vary your shot type in this manner you should try so as to learn more about your swing. It will give u a better idea when u hit the course of the shot needed to succeed on each hole.

I also agree with all the others about pre shot routine at the range, step off each ball go through your routine, focus on the shot u want to hit and then smack away.

foxyboxer

"I suggest you get drunk....you always play better when you're wasted"

Tin Cup

link_2007

foxyboxer wrote: »

"I suggest you get drunk....you always play better when you're wasted"

Tin Cup

Both myself and the pool of puke I left in the rough on Monday afternoon can testify that this is incorrect.