great in mats(driving range), poor in course...why?

[Manu]

Hey, Ive been going to the driving range twice a week for the last year and my ball striking is getting pretty good. I now tend to hook the ball a bit with irons and fade with driver but over all hit them pretty straight. However when I play the course(about once a month) my shots suck!!! I dont get good contact and often hit slices with irons and massive slices with driver....why such a big change? Is it mental? Does it have to do with surface differences? Am I to worried about where the ball is going on the course and not finishing my swing? After last round I was so frustrated I was ready to give up...help me, advice to fight this frustration please!!!

[The Turlock Kid]

Hey, Ive been going to the driving range twice a week for the last year and my ball striking is getting pretty good. I now tend to hook the ball a bit with irons and fade with driver but over all hit them pretty straight. However when I play the course(about once a month) my shots suck!!! I dont get good contact and often hit slices with irons and massive slices with driver....why such a big change? Is it mental? Does it have to do with surface differences? Am I to worried about where the ball is going on the course and not finishing my swing? After last round I was so frustrated I was ready to give up...help me, advice to fight this frustration please!!!

Yeah, I did the same thing once. It screwed me up for a year. If you tend to hit fat on a mat, you'll never know it. If you have a slice or hook, same thing. Mats cause the ball to bouce up and make clean contact with the club. This obviously isn't like grass or dirt, which just gives way. I couldn't figure out why I couldn't stop chunking it all the time. Turns out I had ingrained a chunk into my swing when I played on mats because they hit better. Took me a while to hit normal again. I think mats are alright if you're teed up and swinging with a driver, but hitting straight off the mat is a bad idea.

To overcome it, I just started swinging during the winter months with no ball. Just get the feel of good shots again. Ingrain that and then when you drop a ball down it won't be too different. Good luck!

[golfchief]

Over swinging most likely. The old saying I wish I could hit it like I do at the range came about for a reason. Relax and swing, don't try to kill it.

[kafka01]

My homeclub also offers only mats on the driving range - i really dont like it for hitting irons or wedges so i try as much as possible to go to clubs with grass ranges - its just not the same and you cant get the feel you need on the course - at least thats how its for me.

Also my distances for middle/long irions from mats is different (longer) than hitting from grass.

[BritBoy]

the ball flight will be different off a harder surface like a mat rather than turf, but I agree that you are probably over swinging and trying to hard. Swing easy, it'll go a mile..... if you let it

[opalopa]

Had the same problem a few years back and I had it real bad. Then decided to avoid the mats when hitting irons if possible and took some time off from the range and just played for a month and for me it helped, though always at the beginning of season same problem rears it's ugly head because winter training is indoors and just mats..Could also be the one reason someone mentioned before : mental

[milner_7]

Its all mental IMO. When hitting off the mat I try to imagine the shot and surroundings and picture what will happen. A good swing is a good swing. Good ball contact will happen when you square the club face whether its on a mat or the grass. My 2 cents............

[ronaldkuntoro]

because on mats, your feet and the ball is on the same level.... plus your body is 100% balanced....

different matter when playing on un-level fairway, the ball can be lower and higher, you have to adjust your stance. when your ball is higher than your feet, your balance is to the back of your body, which could cause hook shot....
so you have to really stand more upright a little....

when your ball is lower than your feet, your balance is to the front, which would cause slices.... you have to bend your knees a little more than usual....

I don't think practicing on the mats could really improve anyone... you just got to play on the course.... that's why even the Tour Pros say golf ain't an easy game....

[seppo]

I also have problems with "playing from the mats" i always hit the ball very high when i am on the course but when i switch to the mats on the range i just hit it very very low, a little bit farther but very low and i dont like that. So i practice on the mats to get it high in the air. When that is done i always hit it fat on the course...

I really hate playin irons from mats v

I suppose it is all mental...

[wachesawgolfer]

Hey, Ive been going to the driving range twice a week for the last year and my ball striking is getting pretty good. I now tend to hook the ball a bit with irons and fade with driver but over all hit them pretty straight. However when I play the course(about once a month) my shots suck!!! I dont get good contact and often hit slices with irons and massive slices with driver....why such a big change? Is it mental? Does it have to do with surface differences? Am I to worried about where the ball is going on the course and not finishing my swing? After last round I was so frustrated I was ready to give up...help me, advice to fight this frustration please!!!

Your coming over the top (hook irons, slice driver), most likely, which means too much arms and hands with whatever else you may be doing wrong in terms of setup, posture and alignment. As you play real golf those arm and hand muscles tense and your slap at the ball gets much worse. The artificial surface really doesn't help much to instill confidence off of grass because it is so cushy and real grass may be very tight or deep, rutted, uneven, etc. Try to find some real grass to hit whiffle balls or some other types which fly accurately but are very short. Work on some swing drills and setup to get that club in better position at the top and transitionally downwards from the ground up

[Guest]

just like every other sport it all comes down to experience. the more courses you play the more accustomed you'll become. relax the nerves and let the club do the work. trust me, we've all been there, and some (such as myself) are still stuck there.

[jorruss]

The first thing I would tell you is to start practicing hitting off grass, not mats. Artificial mats offer much less resistance to the club and I find I hit the ball much higher. Either way, you won't be hitting the ball off plastic grass when it counts.

In my opinion, I wouldn't listen to any advice you receive about your golf swing on a message board. I can't really give swing advice without seeing the set-up, swing, and divot, etc. There are just too many variables.

What I would suggest is to spend and afternoon with a good club fitter. have him/her fit your clubs to your swing using a swing speed meter, lie board and frequency matching. It makes a world of difference. With properly fitted clubs you don't have to worry about anything but your swing. Also, have your putter fitted!

Good luck!

[sandshanker]

Most of the time, mats hide or cover-up the fact that you're hitting the ground then the ball. It tough to do, but, try hitting a bucket of balls off of hardpan with your 7-iron. Try hitting down on the ball with half swing punch shots until you start getting solid contact. Then you'll know that you're hitting the ball, then the ground. After hitting a bucket of balls off of dirt, a lie off of grass will seem easy.

[jorruss]

That's a good tip, to hit off hardpan. Seve Ballesteros learned the game on the beach. You have to pick it clean or the ball goes nowhere. You can practice out of a shallow fairway bunker to mimic this.

[Mikeland]

How about those new synthetic turf mats? I've hit off them, and there are much better - they allow you to hit "down" on the ball... Granted, it's not grass, but when grass isn't an option (ie. when it's 20 degrees out)...beats swingin at air in the basement!!!

[jorruss]

The bottom line is there is no real substitute for the real thing, but I hear ya. Before I moved to the sunshine state, I used to swing an old club in the snow during the winter months in Canada and practice taking shallow divots.

On a side note - For fun, if you live in the snowy regions, start up a snow golf tournament! All you need is a lake, a wedge, tennis balls and some makeshift flags. We used to drill 1 foot diameter holes in the ice and made a 9 hole course. The annual snow-golf tournament drew over 50 people every year. What a blast that was...

[bayareamtnbiker]

At the range, alternate frequently between mat and tee with each shot to teach yourself to swing to a hit point on the ball and not just scrape a mat. Switch clubs frequently, and step away after every shot to force yourself to setup properly. At the course, tee just a little bit higher and employ the ball-hit-point skills from the range. Always hit each ball at the range as if it were a real shot at a hole/green/target. Aim, set up using a technique, and hit. Never just whack away thru a bucket of balls. I call that negative practice because your swing accuracy may actually worsen. We've all done it. And done it and done it. Good luck!!

[ricacu]

The bottom line is there is no real substitute for the real thing, but I hear ya. Before I moved to the sunshine state, I used to swing an old club in the snow during the winter months in Canada and practice taking shallow divots.

Wow, thats sounds like fun :).