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

[watrboy4]

Boy have I been there. The thing that worked best for me was getting my pre swing routine tuned up. It doesnt matter how you do it, just be consistant. If you do it on the range, do it on the course. I start behind the ball and pick my target. Then get into my stance over the ball. The mat could be causing some issues but I was told that if you stay steady over the ball then it doesnt matter what you are hitting off of. Hope this helps. Golf ON!!!

[jorruss]

Another thing driving range mats can do is affect your alignment. They are square and rarely do they point at your target. Your body subconciously may be lining itself up with the line of the mat, and not your target. That's why a good preshot routine is key to get you lined up properly...

[BiggaAdams]

Another thing driving range mats can do is affect your alignment. They are square and rarely do they point at your target. Your body subconciously may be lining itself up with the line of the mat, and not your target. That's why a good preshot routine is key to get you lined up properly...

See, that's exactly what I don't like about mats. When aiming at flags on the mats, it was hard to get myself aligned because the mat is pointing forward and I need to be at a different angle.

I don't like mats with irons. I like to look at my divot and check my swing out from it. I like the feel of the club coming through rather than hitting the mat. You can learn a lot from your divots.

[Fred99x]

I know for myself, all the driving ranges here are mats and that's what I am used to so you tend to learn to hit the ball cleanly. I happened to be in a different city that had grass range stalls and I started to hit down on the ball with a divot afterwards and it made quite a different on the ball flight. Hitting down on the ball tends to give more back spin which helps to keep the ball straighter. In my opion, always use grass range stalls if possible. As for alignment, I find that I stand behind the tee and pick a spot out in the range directly in line with the tee and that becomes my target. After that, I find the square edges of the mat/stall help me keep my alignment square while practicing.

Fred

[fusioncal]

It has to do with experience, feel and (yes) mental. If you had enough of them you'd hit the ball off mats and turf in different way. With experience you'll know what club to use and whatever amount of swing to perform.

One of my friends used to say, "Don't try to be a hero. Just get the ball back in the fairway."

[Fourputt]

Mats give false feedback... make you think you're hitting it better than you usually are. Then when it doesn't work on the course, you don't really know what to do to fix it. I try to never play anything but teed up shots (driver, maybe 3W) from mats.

I'm lucky enough to have a home course with a nice grass range, but this time of year when the range is open, they still have mats only. I'll hit drivers on the range, and I might work on some swing drills, but no real full iron shots off the rug. I'll go over to the chipping area and hit half swings there rather than hitting irons from mats.

[icourtnage]

Hitting on mats is much different than hitting a golf shot on a course for a few reasons. If you hit a shot fat on the mat, you won't notice as much of a difference in terms of how the ball flies as you would hitting off of grass.
Mats also discourage hitting with a descending blow, because the movement of your club is impeded by the mat, whereas you'd take a divot on grass.
You probably get used to beating balls on the range, and then your mind and swing are thrown off by only hitting one golf shot every few minutes. Try practicing on the range by going through your pre-shot routine before you hit each ball. I promise that you'll feel more comfortable hitting shots on the course......

[SubPar]

Hitting off mats is fine. Contrary to some, I think the mat gives you instant and accurate feedback as long as you are paying attention. Most people get lazy and allow themselves to hit a little fat and bounce the clubhead into the ball, or they scoop it. But if you are paying attention, you know immediately if you are making clean contact with the ball first, or hitting a little under it.

Grass is always preferable, but the mats won't screw you up unless you let them. The new style mats that are more plush are better. You can see where you've brushed the matt after hitting down through the ball, or if you've hit the mat first. But you should know that from the feel of the strike anyway.

As usual, it's the indian, not the arrow.

SubPar

[Fourputt]

Hitting on mats is much different than hitting a golf shot on a course for a few reasons. If you hit a shot fat on the mat, you won't notice as much of a difference in terms of how the ball flies as you would hitting off of grass.

Good point this... using your pre shot routine (or developing one if you don't have a routine) should be something you do for every shot, regardless of where you are. The same thing is true for me when I practice putting... I use my on course routine.

[glebert]

I've also been practicing 2-3 times a week off mats , mostly trying to get accuracy with me irons, and have also had problems with everything going to hell on the course. For me it's not the mats though, it is totally mental, as others have said.

I went out and played today, by myself, nobody behind me, no pressure, and my iron play finally showed up. Best holes I have ever played. I've noticed that when I'm in a group in a weekend outing I fall back into old bad habits, don't get my feet, ball, hands in the right position. So I top it, chunk it, or shank it.

So I recommend playing hooky from work, get some solo time on the course, really concentrate on the routine you use at the range. Hopefully once you get some success on the course the mental hurdles will get a little easier to clear. At least that is what I am assuming for myself!

[teebuck911]

i think it can be mental as well, ebcause when you go to the range you are just hitting balls, but when you are on the course ther is more pressure on you because you only get one chance at that shot once every round( unless u put it o.b)

tom

[SubPar]

i think it can be mental as well, ebcause when you go to the range you are just hitting balls, but when you are on the course ther is more pressure on you because you only get one chance at that shot once every round( unless u put it o.b)

I think it was Moe Norman who said "The longest distance in golf is from the practice tee to the first tee".

[Titleism]

I do mats for confidence, and grass range for the real practicing.

If you're on a mat aiming for a target not in line with where the mat is pointing, step off the mat and rotate it so that it is pointing to your target.

[teebuck911]

the mats can cause you to hit a lot more shots sweet, i think this is to do with alway getting a perfect lie an not grass between the club and ball.

tom

[jorruss]

That is very true for many people. For me however, how I hit it on the range usually has no bearing on how I play. When warming up before a round I may hit it horrible, but once I hit the first tee I seem to "wake up" and my good swing tends to come out. It's almost as if the worst I hit it on the range, the better I play. I have hit it great on the range and played horrible as well, so believe what you want. That's what makes this game so great and frustrating at the same time...

i think it can be mental as well, ebcause when you go to the range you are just hitting balls, but when you are on the course ther is more pressure on you because you only get one chance at that shot once every round( unless u put it o.b)