Taking the range to the course

[Ranchobob]

I'm getting to the edge here. Years ago I got so frustrated that I stuck my sticks in the garage and walked away for a few years.

 

Lately.......I'm almost there again.

 

At the range I'm pretty good. Not PGA good, but low double digit/high single digit quality. My real index is 12, but I'm better than that at the range.

 

Put me on a course and it's a train wreck. Pulls. Hooks. Pull hooks. Push fades. Tops. Chunks....

 

I mean, f*^# me to tears. IT took my computer today, so I snuck out to golf.

 

Walked off after 9 and if I hadn't been playing with some other guys I'd have walked (stalked) off before that.

 

Suggestions? Thoughts?

 

Mods, if this isn't the appropriate place, feel free to drop kick it somewhere appropriate.

[savoyspecial13]

Just a guess but somethings telling me youre getting on the course and trying to steer the ball around; alignment and aiming problems (body vs brain).
Courses have shapes, elevations, hazards and uneven lyes hence, consequences...vs the range. Heres what I would look at if it were me...
1) Discipline yourself to visually replicate these on the range.
2) Learn to properly align/aim at awkward feeling targets.
3) You may have to simply play more vs range time.
4) Is your short game and putting worse than a 12 hc thus, washing it out?

[avguy]

Rancho...I share your range to course play misery, most of my golfing life! It really is no mechanical swing issue at all on the range. In fact, I enjoy hitting every club in my bag, I recall distances just for my own gap knowledges, and sometimes humor myself and compare those to listed PGA and even LPGA Tour Players. (Being about a 20, my distances look alot like a Yani Tseng.)

What's frustrating for me, I have no fear on the range. But put me in course play, especially a crowded one, and just enough nerves ruin the game. It really ends up being that [b]added tension[/b], taking away the fun (damn, it's just a game!), and literally collapsing my swing into a brutal effort to pound the ball down a fairway or at an accessible green given my known gaps from the range. Strangely, my putting game does not suffer in course play.

For me, I am working on getting my whole swing plan more solidly based from my core/pivot. While I am a fitness freak, a sleak 148lb. dude, my arms are gonna need to back off more out on the courses. I am trying to more emphasize the lateral shift to front foot and turn of hips as the driver, shoulders then arms going along for the 'tilted ride'. It has worked for actually more power on the range, but a negative side effect has been a very sore front (left) forearm into elbow area.

I did change out one set of irons from steel TT DL XP300s into Recoil 110 F4 graphite just in case the clubs were part or more the culprit. Chances are, this newer feel in my swing and drive thru the ball is more the cause, but in theory, it seems like it should produce a more tension-proofed result.

If the arms/hands prior were too dominant, the manipulation of the club may have been overly exacerbated into the ball b4 - and shanks, thins/tops, and fat oil well diggers were happening. I am hoping the arm pain will subside enough to get on a course again in 2-3weeks, but the friendly range is where I will be working most to ingrain this feel & method in the meantime. The range player in me would smoke my current course player with no mercy whatsover.

[Ranchobob]

[quote name='avguy' timestamp='1396442029' post='9001709']
Rancho...I share your range to course play misery, most of my golfing life! It really is no mechanical swing issue at all on the range. In fact, I enjoy hitting every club in my bag, I recall distances just for my own gap knowledges, and sometimes humor myself and compare those to listed PGA and even LPGA Tour Players. (Being about a 20, my distances look alot like a Yani Tseng.)[/quote]

Yep, that's probably about right. I will watch the PGA, but much prefer the LPGA player's swings. If I had to pick between emulating Tiger taking a mighty slash at the ball and Paula Creamer or Lydia Ko flowing through it, well, I know which would help me more.

[quote name='avguy' timestamp='1396442029' post='9001709']What's frustrating for me, I have no fear on the range. But put me in course play, especially a crowded one, and just enough nerves ruin the game. It really ends up being that [b]added tension[/b], taking away the fun (damn, it's just a game!), and literally collapsing my swing into a brutal effort to pound the ball down a fairway or at an accessible green given my known gaps from the range. Strangely, my putting game does not suffer in course play.

For me, I am working on getting my whole swing plan more solidly based from my core/pivot. While I am a fitness freak, a sleak 148lb. dude, my arms are gonna need to back off more out on the courses. I am trying to more emphasize the lateral shift to front foot and turn of hips as the driver, shoulders then arms going along for the 'tilted ride'. It has worked for actually more power on the range, but a negative side effect has been a very sore front (left) forearm into elbow area.

I did change out one set of irons from steel TT DL XP300s into Recoil 110 F4 graphite just in case the clubs were part or more the culprit. Chances are, this newer feel in my swing and drive thru the ball is more the cause, but in theory, it seems like it should produce a more tension-proofed result.[/quote]

No fear on the range. Exactly. There's no penalty. "Whoops, just push-faded that one over the net." Rake another one over. At the range--especially on mats--I have a ball with my three wood aiming over the net and drawing the ball back into the range. Great fun. Can't execute that shot on the course.

I think--think--that a lot of my issue is tempo. I think I'm a lot quicker on the course than at the range and that doesn't help at all. I think that might be my swing thought for my next round.

[quote name='avguy' timestamp='1396442029' post='9001709']If the arms/hands prior were too dominant, the manipulation of the club may have been overly exacerbated into the ball b4 - and shanks, thins/tops, and fat oil well diggers were happening. I am hoping the arm pain will subside enough to get on a course again in 2-3weeks, but the [color=#ff0000]friendly range [/color]is where I will be working most to ingrain this feel & method in the meantime. The range player in me would smoke my current course player with no mercy whatsover.
[/quote]

Funny, I read pretty fast and at first read that as "friendly rape," which is not quite how I felt on the course yesterday......

[GaryRead]

I suffer the same contrast in quality between range and course golf. I got really fed up too but the last time I played I did something different to my pre shot routine that literally took 5-6 shots off my recent average scoring.

On the range I realised that once I'd picked a target or laid my stick on the ground and lined up, I rarely looked back and forth between ball and target.

So my last round on Sunday just gone before every shot I would pick my aiming spot a few few in front if the ball and set up to that.

Once I'd adopted a stance I did not look at the target at all. I simply picked a spot between the ball and target to line up to and didn't look Duden the target line again until my follow through. It allowed me to trust my aim and be more focused on the ball and the execution. It felt like it feels when you hit ball after ball on the range without a care where it's going. I trusted my setup and it paid off

I had the best ball striking round in months so it's a suggestion that's worth trying for half a round

[TB07]

If your good on the range then you need to simulate playing golf on the range. Pick a new club, target, and distance for every shot. Then your practice becomes similar to how you play.

[Parker0065]

In one word: FEAR!

As others mentioned there's no real pressure or penalty on the range. Playing golf shots and putting yourself under pressure when practicing is a step forward in helping this but bottom line is you have to "face your fear boy" as they said on Talladega Night's. You gotta get in the car with that Cougar and drive,lol!

All joking aside, when you get on the golf course you have to focus on "the target" and what your trying to accomplish picturing the shot. When I stand on the tee I know where the hazards are, but, "I Don't See Them" if you know what I mean. I only see my target and the picture in my mind of my desired shot shape. Then you have to "Let Go" and let it fly without consequence! Sorry, sounds like a bunch of empty words but it holds true. If you let your mind wonder it will find places you don't want to be!

[IrishGolfer14]

I feel like everyone has already done a pretty good job answering this, but one thing that I also found has helped is a consistent pre-shot routine. I used to take a few practice swings until one felt perfect, then step up to the ball, pause out of fear of mis-hitting it, and then swing and usually mis-hit the ball. I've found that having a short and consistent pre-shot routine has really helped me make more consistent contact. Also, I no longer take full out practice swings, instead I take one really easy swing which I feel helps me slow down my tempo on my actual shot.

[kekoa]

Rob, I'm with you except I'm very close to tour level on the range. yah, I said it. Take me to the course and I can only shoot low 80's. A few months back, I hovered between 72-76 and now can't even sniff it.

I do relate to the 'fear' message above. All it takes is a few errant shots and bad thoughts sneak into one's head. Mix in the two way miss and you may as well pack it up.

[Ri_Redneck]

On the range, Always hit to a SPECIFIC target with the goal of each shot being to HIT the target. Better yet, bring someone to be witness and pay them a buck each time your off target by an agreed distance!

Next time you want to play that draw, go to the edge of the range so that you have to start the draw along the netting. Same for a fade.

As mentioned above, make sure your pre-shot routine and shot execution is the same on the range and on the course. I rarely look downrange unless I'm working the ball, and then just for alignment reasons.

We tend to forget the trouble on the range (because there isn't any!!) but it beats us up when we get on the course. You have to forget the trouble and just play the shot. I know it's lame, but watch The Greatest Game Ever Played. At one point, Vardon is visualizing a shot and as he does it, all the stuff to the side and the crowd disappear. THAT'S what you have to do on the course. I do it by playing my shot quickly before I can start thinking about it. Notice I didn't say play quickly, this is typically impossible where I play. But, once you've made up your mind and the time has come, set up to the ball and pull the trigger before you can think of all the other stuff.

BT

[alittleoverpar]

[quote name='TB07' timestamp='1396460854' post='9004171']
If your good on the range then you need to simulate playing golf on the range. Pick a new club, target, and distance for every shot. Then your practice becomes similar to how you play.
[/quote]

+1 on this.

When you are on the range mimic playing your course. Play hole by hole and pick targets on the range that represent the holes on your course. You may find that your "range game" is not a good as you think....or better yet you may find that when you are on the course you feel more comfortable because you've simulated that shot on the range.

[TheCityGame]

[size=4]It's very easy on the range to get into a groove. [/size]

That's why you think you're good. You tee a ball up, maybe [b]hit it a little crappy and lose it a bit right[/b]. "Oh, yeah", you say to yourself. "I gotta remember to start my downswing doing such-and-such, and there was that grip feel I was working on last time." Tee the next one up, make an adjustment, and you're closer. Get the next one up and its on target. Now, you've kind of got a feel going, you tee the next one up, go after and crush it right at your target. Your grip is right. Your feet are right. Your timing is right on. You've made the compensations for your mistakes. "Oh, that's how I crush one straight. Now, if I come a little more from the inside, I can get it to draw. If I hold it off a little from that, I can hit a nice fade." Boom, all of a sudden you're a 3 handicapper on the range. Congratulations.

You get to the course, and you [b]hit it a little crappy and lose it a bit right.[/b]

If we knew how to solve this, half of us would be scratch. There's still a half out there who can't hit a ball at the range to save their life. At least you're not one of them.

It MIGHT help to keep switching up targets and clubs. That's the habit I've tried to get into. . .playing golf on the range, not playing golf swing on the range. No matter how hard you want to.

The SIREN who pulls you away from that disciplined behavior is the desire to be in the groove, because it's so sweet to be there. You want to get to that groove and say, "if I stay here long enough. . . if I memorize these feels. . .if I train my muscles right. . .then I can bring this beautiful game to the course."

Then you crash on the rocks.

[Itsjustagame]

+1.
After you hit a few range balls you can groove a swing that works that day- even though its probably not the swing you will have the next day or on the course.
That same swing doesn't show up on the golf course because you don't have the repetition you have on the range.
Combine this with the pressure of hitting a specific direction and distance and the two experiences are very different.
Work on it 2 ways.
One-as said above practice with a very specific purpose that involves distance and direction.
Two-play more golf on the course and less on the range.
I rarely go to the range, but I play a lot of golf.
If you can find a course that isn't very busy where you can play by yourself and hit multiple balls at real targets it will help.

[Hoot151]

[quote name='TheCityGame' timestamp='1396468296' post='9005141']
[size=4]It's very easy on the range to get into a groove. [/size]

That's why you think you're good. You tee a ball up, maybe [b]hit it a little crappy and lose it a bit right[/b]. "Oh, yeah", you say to yourself. "I gotta remember to start my downswing doing such-and-such, and there was that grip feel I was working on last time." Tee the next one up, make an adjustment, and you're closer. Get the next one up and its on target. Now, you've kind of got a feel going, you tee the next one up, go after and crush it right at your target. Your grip is right. Your feet are right. Your timing is right on. You've made the compensations for your mistakes. "Oh, that's how I crush one straight. Now, if I come a little more from the inside, I can get it to draw. If I hold it off a little from that, I can hit a nice fade." Boom, all of a sudden you're a 3 handicapper on the range. Congratulations.

You get to the course, and you [b]hit it a little crappy and lose it a bit right.[/b]

If we knew how to solve this, half of us would be scratch. There's still a half out there who can't hit a ball at the range to save their life. At least you're not one of them.

It MIGHT help to keep switching up targets and clubs. That's the habit I've tried to get into. . .playing golf on the range, not playing golf swing on the range. No matter how hard you want to.

The SIREN who pulls you away from that disciplined behavior is the desire to be in the groove, because it's so sweet to be there. You want to get to that groove and say, "if I stay here long enough. . . if I memorize these feels. . .if I train my muscles right. . .then I can bring this beautiful game to the course."

Then you crash on the rocks.
[/quote]

Great post.