Great shots at the range, but cant transfer to the course

[mrprovisional]

Recently, I hit the driving range and actually took vid of my driver, iron, and hybrid swings. Alot of my shots were amazing at the range. My driver distances were up to 200+ yards for a beginner with little slicing or hooks. My Irons and hybrids were also on the money. Today, I went to a course thinking after my practice at the range would transfer. I guessed wrong. Only one driver shot out of the whole course was respectable. Irons were so so and my hybrids shots resulted to alot of topping. Maybe I get intimidated at an actual course, but can anyone explain this?

[ArrrrJay]

a couple points that might help.

When you are at the range, practice all your shots with a deliberate setup routine, and with a very specific target in mind. Do the same at the course, don't try to hit the fairway, try to hit the spot 4 feet to the left of the middle of the fairway.

Nerves on the course can effect your tempo. make sure you pay attention to your tempo and pace while practicing and playing. I have a few friends that start rushing badly on the course, and it causes many many problems.

[Uber$winG]

Put quite simply, playing on the course is not the same thing as practicing at the range.

You need to create the same kind of intensity at the range that you will encounter at play on the course.

Don’t just dump a bucket of balls in front of you and smack away. Place the balls out of sight (behind your bag or what have you). Take that one ball and focus on a target – THE TARGET - and make one good swing. Practice your whole routine before you swing. Make yourself believe that you are on the course.

[mrprovisional]

What I started doing was actually pretending that Im at the course. For example, driving the ball first and using my irons pretending to lay up my shots on the green. Is that a good start?

[Fat Slice]

Not to be a smartass, but why not get on the course and pretend you are at the range if you are killing balls at the range?

[mrprovisional]

/\ to be honest, I do prefer the course than the range, but when funds are low. I go the the range just to get some practice in. Although, there is a county course near by that only cost me $9 for a par 60 18 hole course after 1pm. So I try to go there and get my practice in at a decent size course. The greens are the slowest, but the condition of the course is not bad at all.

Back to the "smartass" answer (JK), I get intimidated very easily when im on a course than the range because of the possibilities of screwing up the shots are more common. My purpose for this thread is to get some ideas on what others have gone through and what they did to overcome that fear.

[dmb3428]

i kinda have this same problem though i think it's a mental thing with me, i dont settle down till about the 4th hole. I say get used to going to the course if you dont get to go often like me.

[Uber$winG]

I know this is cliché – but golf is more about controlling your emotions than perfecting you swing.

You can’t play with fear on the golf course. You can’t feel intimidated on the golf course, and you certainly shouldn’t think about screwing up a shot on the golf course – if you let these emotive elements seep into your head while you are playing a round you are dead and done.

[Adumb]

The driving range masks the results you would see on an actual course sometimes. At a range there is no fairway. Say you slice or hook just a bit at the range. It seems like "just a bit" but if you take that same drive to a course where the grass is cut shorter and you are aiming for a fairway, the result will be a textbook slice that either flys out of the picture or bounces and rolls out of a fairway. When I go to the range, I aim for flags. Instead of just trying to bomb a bunch of balls, I take it easy and analyze my swing every time. I play the course now a lot and rarely hit the range. It really helped me get rid of the sense of pressure that I had in the past when I came down from the range and stepped on the course.

[newbiegolfer]

I have the same exact problem.

I hit my irons really well at the range, and then when I go to a real course, a lot of them become fat shots. Then I realized that the soft mats at the range hides all your fat shots, I just hit as hard as I can when I am at the range, when I hit it fat, the bounce and the soft mat makes a perfect combination.

Not sure if this is the case for you, I have yet to find any solutions =(

[mrprovisional]

That I realized a while ago. For example, I would hit a fat shot and it would still sky rocket more than I expected. Being that I only started playing this year and my best round was a 107. Im still pretty happy with that. Also, I shot my first birdie this year so I was stoked. Somehow, I gotta just overcome my fear of being at an actual course because this is something that Im not use to but I would love to keep playing this sport

[andef]

Try to make your practice at the range just like your shots in a round. Concentrate on routine and try to put pressure on yourself like when on the course.
Also don't be a range champ, spend more time on the course than you do on the range.

[enduro]

Don't feel bad, this happens to everyone. It's just the degree to which it happens.

On the range there is no consequence to a bad shot so you don't tense up and let nerves get to you. There's always another ball.

My best advice is to swing easy when you're playing. You may be swinging harder than you think. To try and ease the mind think of a bad shot as an opportunity to make a great shot no your next swing. It's corny, I know, but it may help.

One thing I discovered about myself was when I couldn't see the flag (par 5's, in the trees) I shot really well. If I hit a bomb on to the fairway very often my next shot would suck. You see that flag and you just swing out of your mind trying to get the ball there resulting in a terrible shot when really a easy swing and the right club would suffice. I've actually hit most of my most memorable good shots out of trees and off of tee's that didn't have the green in sight.

[Zeph]

I often swing faster and harder on the course. If I start doing this, I make a point focusing on a short, slow, controlled swing.

[EGS]

/

I think you have answered your own question. Golf is just like any other sport. Practice does not translate to game day unless you are mentally prepared. Execution is everything in this sport.

My best advice is to create mental consequences for your bad hits on the range. Create mini games and tests for yourself when practicing and if you fail, you should be upset with your performance. Good luck.

[thegambler]

At least you're good at the range. I can't seem to get either in line.

[Brent]

I am having this probably as well. This is my first season golfing, so I guess I can't expect anything amazing, but I do so much better at the driving range than I do at the course. My instructor told me that I really don't need more lessons because I am swinging so well, but as soon as I get to the course, I put dents in half the trees. I think may'be I tend to abandon my form on the course, and I am going to really start putting technique as my #1 priority.

[enduro]

I am having this probably as well. This is my first season golfing, so I guess I can't expect anything amazing, but I do so much better at the driving range than I do at the course. My instructor told me that I really don't need more lessons because I am swinging so well, but as soon as I get to the course, I put dents in half the trees. I think may'be I tend to abandon my form on the course, and I am going to really start putting technique as my #1 priority.

Ask you instructor to golf with you sometime. It will probably cost you more but any instructor worth a dime will do it, at least for a few holes. I bought 2 hours of time off mine once to play 9 holes. He cut me a deal so it was pretty cool. It was helpful.