From Range to Golf Course

If you find your answer, bottle it and sell it--you'll make millions.

What I do on the range rarely follows me to the course.

Personally, I do everything I can to make the range shots more difficult.  I play little games and work slowly taking time between each shot.  I think it helps take the range game to the course more consistently.

I use the range in two different ways.

1. To practice my swing - this practice is usually very slow and deliberate where I'm working on a particular piece of my swing and involves a lot more practice swings compared to actually hitting the ball.  I typically won't hit more than 60 balls during these types of sessions.  Todays session is to make sure I complete my downswing and achieve the proper finish position.
   
2. To simulate a round  - If I'm playing a new course or just want to work on my overall game but can't make it to the course I'll bring up the course on swingbyswing and identify targets on the range that would represent my targets on the course.  When I hit the ball I approximate the location the ball would have landed on the screen to give me the distance remaining to the hole.  This practice is done slowly with breaks between each swing and using the same clubs I would during a round.  The goal is to practice hitting to targets with different clubs rather than just hitting the same club over and over.

In both cases I'll warm up by stretching and hitting about 10 balls, 5 with gap wedge and 5 with 7i.  Range work even on grass won't simulate the bad lies, rough, sand, etc but it can and should be more productive than just hitting the same club over and over without a purpose (which is what I see most people do on the range).

If you play at a course that doesn't have a range to warm up at, part of your practice at the range should include hitting driver or whatever club you'd tee up on the first hole so you're used to hitting that club cold.  If I'm playing a course without a range or don't have time to go to the range I'll typically hit a hybrid or other club I know I can hit without warm up.   I'm willing to give up 40 yards on my tee shot to ensure I don't end up OB or behind trees due to a big slice or pull hook with my driver.

Everyone has their best, average, and worst performance.  The trick is to expect your average, accept your worst, and be happy when you hit your best.

To answer your question, a couple of whiffle type balls can help.

Without a range, I will usually take an Orange Whip and warm up with it, and then use lob wedge, open it up, and hit about 10-15 balls that do not go far. LW is usually the heaviest iron/wedge in the bag.

I think it's a warm up and confidence issue. Some golfers are good to go without hitting balls, but are warmed up by loosening up. If you have a consistent repeatable swing, you are better off. Then it's about tempo.

I also find I get tense and anxious on the course. Like all the pressure is on because if my shot sucks I don't just slide up another ball from the basket and hit it again. When I am tense my swing completely falls apart and I can actually feel my whole body out of sequence and there is nothing I can do about it till the tension comes down. A small amount of alcohol can help this. If I can't hit a bucket of balls before a round I don't relax till the game is practically over. Seems getting your swing in a groove before going onto the course builds a tremendous amount of confidence. In short, I'd do anything you can to practice before your tee time because it sure helps me.

Playing with out hitting a few does have drawbacks, however sometimes the range is closed, we arrived a tad late, or when a course has no range.

First thing I'll do is stretching followed by slow swings. I'll then take an iron and make a few swings anywhere on grass, making the club thump the ground.

A couple of little chip shots before hand, around the tee box if time helps.

Then I'll take the driver and make several slow long swings, then several fast swings.

This is my usual warm up routine even before I hit at a range.

Club Rat

Be very careful on the range, you may not be hitting it as well as you think.  I used to think I was amazing on the range, and then couldn't bring it to the course.  It's really easy to forget the bad shots on the range as you just grab another ball and then hit it perfect.  If I pull 1 out of 15, 8i shots on the range, I will probably forget all about it, and then I tee up on number 2 par 3 and pull it and think "This never happens on the range".

I know keep a running total of my % of missed shots from the range to the course and it has helped greatly, I now that yes, a 6i will get me there, but there's a 30% chance I'll pull it into the thick stuff and a 20% chance I'll hit it fat.  Also gives me a bunch of focus on what to work on at the range.

You know the funny thing is you hear people say they hit it better on the range all the time. But when I am at the range all I see is a barrage of bad shots.

I see the same thing, and many of them from my own stall. I still can't figure out who did it, though. . .

LOL

^^this^^

Usually the range is with mats. You can hit behind the ball and still make decent shots on the range.

Anyway, FWIW, I used to "pretend" I am on the course and do everything I can to make a good swing. I also take a lot of time between the same club - maybe only hit one. Switch clubs etc...

Also make sure you hitting to a target.

What I like to do on the range is to try different things - extend my arms, shorter backswing, be relaxed, be more tense, grip pressure etc... Once I find something that works. I write it down. Then go back days/week later and try and do what I wrote down. If it works, great, otherwise, find something that works.

When I go on the course, it's at the point that if I have a problem -  a fix is in my "book" - actually in my notes on my phone.

I really think a large percentage of problems are due to bad tempo. I know this sounds stupid, but try and swing to a metronome. Find your swing tempo, then for fun, try it on the course. I think you may be amazed.

I've had this problem recently - been doing a fair amount of range hitting to get back into golf and when I played a few courses near me (where the climate is quite dry and during summer the fairways are pretty solid) everything seemed fine.

Went on vacation to somewhere much wetter where the fairways were much softer and boy was that a shock - I managed to pick a foot long divot with a wedge that went further than the ball - turns out I've picked up the habit of hitting a bit behind the ball and I guess bouncing through contact, especially on my wedges.  Need to practice more on grass.