Why after around 60 shots i start to hit bad? (At Driving Range)

[akammerer]

Does this problem occur for anyone else? I was at the driving range today and hit like 200 balls because there was a lot of buckets people didnt finish off well i went to the driving range yesterday too and for some reason i keep having this problem that after i hit a decent amount of shots my grip and hands and overall swing starts to feel very awkward and i start to hit very bad. I dont understand why this is and it doesnt usually happen on a course but its annoying even though its at the range what happens is i cant square the club up right and when i bring my club in the backswing it just feels really awkward and not correct. I mean im guessing this is because its so many balls one after another and lack of focus but i mean is there any other reasons and does this regulary happen with people?

Edited October 4, 2015 by akammerer

[SavvySwede]

1. Lack of focus

2. Fatique

3. Accumulation of too many swing thoughts

[JP golf]

Practice with a purpose.  It might be due to the rapid fire hitting just to be hitting.  What are you focusing on when your hitting?  Are you taking full swings, working on drills?  Have a priority when you practice within certain aspects of your game.

At the range, I'll step off the ball and actually go through a pre-shot routine depending on what I'm working on.  I don't really have this issue and if I start getting tired, or it's really hot out or something I may move to working on partial wedges with what feels like a "half swing".

I'm sure you can get around it-

1. Lack of focus

2. Fatique

3. Accumulation of too many swing thoughts

Yep this could be it! 

[Hardspoon]

Since others have stated the obvious (that you're probably practicing wrong), I'll state the very obvious: 200 shots is a lot. That's probably at least four full rounds worth of full swings. 

200 balls would take me about 4-5 hours at the range.

[Lihu]

It takes getting used to hitting lots of balls.

Fatigue is the main thing.

You should stop as soon an you start hitting bad shots.

[trey3d]

How did you prepare before practice? Did you eat properly? Hydrate before and during? Any stretching? All of these will make a huge difference. Also as said here rest between each shot.

[Mr. Desmond]

1. Lack of focus

2. Fatique

3. Accumulation of too many swing thoughts

That's why - great post.

 

Now the question is what are you doing - 60 balls is about a bag. You're beating too many balls if you are beating 200.

Are you in decent shape? workout? Had breakfast or do you go hungry to the range? Drinking water? The lack of any one of these can lead to early fatigue.

Before I go to the range, I spend 25 minutes stretching and doing some inside work with a club and exercise bands.

At the range, I think about my primary issues and working on them. I may have written them down in iPhone notes beforehand.

I will start with basic motion - a little more than a chip, working slowly withe a sand wedge, then I will go with a 9-3 motion with a sand wedge, working on my issues.

Then I will work on one issue at a time and not focus on the result of the shot - using a gap or sand wedge, and not going fast - I am working on acquiring good habits.

After about 7-10 swings of drills, I will stop thinking on one shot and hit it - not balls out, just taking more of a full swing to feel what is occurring.

Haven't used much energy because I've only used a sand wedge, taking practice swings between shots, getting some water, taking a break, cleaning a club to rest and think. Eating an apple or a snack.

I won't go through the entire bag - as I am working on issues. During the session, I might see if I can still hit a 5i once or twice, a long hybrid, and before I spend too much energy, I will hit driver. Punch several, hit a few, hit a wedge, hit a driver.

Then I will go back to drills with my wedges, maybe hit PW and 9i.

After about 60 balls, I will go over to the short game area as a break from full swing, and hit chips, pitches, specialty shots, and then go back and do more drills.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Mr. Desmond

[DrvFrShow]

Can I make a suggestion? Well I will anyway. Set yourself up for success, not failure.

1. When you go to the range work on your priority piece. Warm up, stretch.

2. Have a series of drills that you do to work on your priority piece. I do sets of five balls and take a little break in between each set to think about what I was doing. I'll do four sets of these per club, but break them into groups of two sets. I take frequent  breaks. My range has 100 ball large buckets, and I'll work five clubs. Right now I'm working my LW, SW, PW, 8i, and 6i. Priority piece only.

3. I start with my PW > 8i > 6i > SW > LW, then repeat it.

4. When I hit my last ball in the each set that set is over. No matter what the shot looked like. When I hit the last ball in the series with the club that part of the drill is over. It's done. Gone. It doesn't matter if I hit a great shot or duffed it. Move on. Last ball of the bucket: it's over. Pick up the clubs and go home, or if the green is in good shape and you still want to futz around, putt. Then go home.

But your drill is over. Done. Let it go. Don't go and hunt for an extra ball if you screwed up one. You don't get a mulligan on the course. You have to learn to let it go.

So if you have a bucket of 60 balls, divide your practice for 60 balls. You can do a decent practice with that number of balls. When your bucket is empty it's over. You're done.

Hitting balls is hard work. Maybe you're not ready to hit 200 balls yet? If you want to hit more, you need to work your way up to it. It's a repetitive motion. Playing golf is not. Do you follow me? I have to limit myself to 100 balls now and no more daily practice - every other day now and weight training in between due to injuries. So I have to be smarter about how I practice.

There have been a time when my tray had like 20 balls in it. My goal was to hit 10 good shots in a row. I did it. I had 8 balls left. I put my club in the bag and left. I accomplished my goal. The drill was over.

 

[Lihu]

Wanted to add to what Trey3d and DrvFrshow stated, tou need to rest 15-30 seconds between shots.

Your body needs about that long to eliminate the lactic acid buildup, it helps to shake it off as well or you could be a little sore the next day.

[natureboy]

1. Lack of focus

2. Fatique

3. Accumulation of too many swing thoughts

Well said. I was going to add my own error which is after I hit some good shots, I will then mentally 'go for more' often leading to several bad swings in a row. That probably would fall under number one and it often leads to reaching number two more quickly due to poor technique and interfering muscle tension.

It takes getting used to hitting lots of balls.

Fatigue is the main thing.

You should stop as soon an you start hitting bad shots.

I can see that approach, but I have sometimes found it helpful to 'push through' to at least end with one or two decent shots that 'felt right' like earlier in the set. My thinking is that in a round, if I am physically or mentally tired, I can't just walk away from the shot I need to hit and some of that effort to focus / refocus on the range may carry through helpfully.

[mvmac]

1. Lack of focus

2. Fatique

3. Accumulation of too many swing thoughts

Practice with a purpose.  It might be due to the rapid fire hitting just to be hitting.  What are you focusing on when your hitting?  Are you taking full swings, working on drills?  Have a priority when you practice within certain aspects of your game.

Yeah good posts guys. 

@akammerer why the heck are you hitting 200 balls when you practice? 

Check this out.
http://thesandtrap.com/forums/topic/54840-simple-specific-slow-short-and-success-the-five-ss-of-great-practice/

Edited October 5, 2015 by mvmac

[Lihu]

I can see that approach, but I have sometimes found it helpful to 'push through' to at least end with one or two decent shots that 'felt right' like earlier in the set. My thinking is that in a round, if I am physically or mentally tired, I can't just walk away from the shot I need to hit and some of that effort to focus / refocus on the range may carry through helpfully.

Yeah, I understand what you are thinking, and just wanted to add that the main reason I hit more and more balls is so that I don't get tired towards the end of my rounds. At this point, I hit 30-80 balls attempting to employ the 5S methodology, but hit a lot more balls and stop before my fatigue makes me do stuff that undoes what I did in the beginning of each session.

If you really get to 200 balls without undue fatigue, then your rounds should be pretty easy and you first shot is more or less like your last.

Some people like to only practice 5S,then workout at a gym or something.

If you have unlimited balls it seems a decent way to develop strength and endurance, but you just need to avoid undoing the good practice.

[Braivo]

Since others have stated the obvious (that you're probably practicing wrong), I'll state the very obvious: 200 shots is a lot. That's probably at least four full rounds worth of full swings. 

200 balls would take me about 4-5 hours at the range.

I hit 200 balls a few weeks back and I was sore for days. How many full swings do you take in a round of golf? Maybe 40? 200 is even more than needed to prepare yourself for a weekend of 36-36. 

I tried to push through and things just got worse. 

I went to the TST outing a few days later and hit another 50+ shots on the range before the 1 club scramble. Too much swinging, not enough recovery. 

[Lihu]

It's not really effective to "practice" for more than an hour or so per day. Most people can't even learn for more than 15-25 minutes.

So, hitting 200 balls or more per day is just for exercise and building up endurance, as long as you don't mess up your swing doing it. . .

[Gator Hazard]

I notice this with my driver when I play.  Regardless of a good start to the round or not, I usually get some good drives out there (for me anyway) but do notice that by around the 13th hole or so my driving goes to crap.  I don't know if it is just fatigue or what (by this time I probably have swung at the ball with the intention to hit it around 70 times or so) but it has happened in each of my rounds.  Not every club but especially the driver off of a tee.  200 balls does sound like a whole lot.  

[mvmac]

So, hitting 200 balls or more per day is just for exercise and building up endurance, as long as you don't mess up your swing doing it. . .

Right and golfers have to be careful not to get into "rapid fire" mode because they just end up ingraining their bad habits.

[rkim291968]

The important thing is when you start hitting bad, stop!  Go home or work on your short game.   Like the OP, I will start hitting bad after a while.  That's the time to pack it in.

Some ranges offer all you can hit range ball deal.  I actually know someone close who hit so many balls and injuring his back for it.  He no longer plays golf. 

Edited October 7, 2015 by rkim291968

[ncarlsongolf]

It's not really effective to "practice" for more than an hour or so per day. Most people can't even learn for more than 15-25 minutes.

So, hitting 200 balls or more per day is just for exercise and building up endurance, as long as you don't mess up your swing doing it. . .

I think if you get to the practice facility with a goal to accomplish in mind, you take an inventory of how you've done after 30-60-90 balls.  If it hasn't worked by then it is not going to that day, if you continue to hit balls you are starting to ingrain the wrong technique which is going to be far more harmful than helpful