Hitting at the range -----> course

[abraxas]

so i dont really know how to explain this....

when i practice hitting my driver at the range its pretty decent. i dont try to smash it but rather just making solid contact. i mean dont get me wrong i have some huge slices here and there. but at least i get the ball in the air most of the time.

BUT when it comes to teeing off on the course i have this problem of constantly hitting the ball low and to the left, almost like a grounder (no lift!!!). im not the type to really get nervous or try to hit it harder b/c people are watching - i just like having fun out there, at least for now.

so what can explain the big difference in getting the ball UP in the air from the range and outside?

different posture b/c the grass is softer and uneven?
tendency to lift my head up since its outdoors?
i dont know.... please help me!

[DocWu1948]

True, a tee box is not the flat controlled situation of a rubber tee on a range mat. Often the ball will be a little higher or lower. You can compensate by estimating any difference and setting the tee height .... LOL.... Nahh, I can go to an outdoor range on uneven ground, and hit 40 driver shots and never ever get that low punch to the left, but I might do it twice at the course. The answer is that we high HDCPers overswing when there is pressure. We wanna show our friends how far we can it it. It's just a mind thing.

Last Fall I read some article about Tommy Armour III. He was having a bad day and Freddie Couples said as he strolled behind him (I can imagine his nonchalant manner) , "Tempo, Tommy, Tempo." I am trying to keep that in my mind.

For proof, get to an outdoor range. Try to hit your driver at a slightly faster tempo than you swing a wedge. If your angle and hands are right, the ball will still move out there, and hopefully, that will give you less cause to overswing.

[Kingfisher]

Are you teeing the ball up exactly the same height on the course as you do on the range?

[abraxas]

yea, i have a feeling my driver tempo is slightly different on the course
but at the range i try all different things but the ball still gets up

in terms of tee height i try to get it the same height so not sure if its that
could moving my head up early or laterally be a big factor in these grounders?

[clearwaterms]

If you watch the Haney project, they have a section called bringing it to the course. It is that mental barrier of relaxing and hitting the shot you are capable of when it counts. At the range its easy to forget a bad swing so you tend to not overanalyze things.

I have been told by several people that I have the swing of a 10 handicap but I have the score of a 21 handicap. The reason isn't because of my short game, its my inability to take that same mental attitude form the range to the course.

[Rebel_Golfer]

I was JUST about to start a similar thread and found this one. As someone else pointed out... "taking it to the course" is the key. I just watched episode 5 of the Haney Project where they talked about that during Ray Romano's grades.

I just don't understand it. I mean, I guess it's all mental but, how do you fix THAT? The past 2 times at the range (including today) I was truly SMASHING my 3W. I mean, just puring it off the mat AND the grass. Maybe 3 bad shots out of 20 or 25. On the course, I literally will not take that club out of the bag for anything because it isn't just a matter of mishitting it slightly, oh no, I will literally completely WHIFF on it. The first round this year, I tried to hit it on a par 5 and the ball shot dead right at damn near a 90° angle to the right. How can you miss the ball THAT badly?? LOL... such a frustrating situation.

I am really starting to understand how mental this game really is. Yes, I've heard it before and yes, I know it's a big part. I just never realized how big a part it plays. That really has to be my focus going forward this year, I think. Working on the mental aspect and "taking it to the course..."