Range Frustration

[Teamanglerx]

Need to vent and get some advice.

Due to that pesky thing called work I never seem to get time to play a full round of golf lately.  I have been working hard on improving my game so I go to the range.  The last couple of times at the range I have been frustrated.  I hit the ball well for a short time then everything goes astray.  This morning I went to the range and felt like I was hitting rocks.  My shots went everywhere but where I was aiming plus there were enough hooks and slices to make a kung-fu golf movie.  I feel that even though I am spending time hitting on the range hitting a range ball feels nothing like hitting my Nike PD Soft and my game is getting worse.

I might be able to squeeze in 9 holes once a week after work and I was wondering if this might be a better option than going to the range three times a week and not playing at all.  I figured that if I went to the range once a week (hitting a small basket of balls) and playing 9 holes once a week maybe I can get back on my improvement track.  I am really working hard to break 100 this year and want to keep improving so any thoughts or similar experiences would be appreciated.

[Dad-2-3]

Probably in the minority here, but I despise the range. I hit a few buckets in the early spring with a few small buckets here and there if I didn't have time or $$ for a full round. I consistently hit it worse on the range than on the course. I don't know why for certain, but I believe it's because I get bored on the range and my ADD brain wanders. I have tried playing the course on the range, hitting driver then 8i or wedge to simulate a round, but nothing works. I do spend a ton of time on the putting and chipping greens though. Hitting from a flat perfect lie on the range doesn't prepare you for the real thing IMHO. I would try the nine hole per week thing with a one time per week range session and see how that goes rather than not playing at all with 3 range sessions.

There you go......2 cents from a hacker.

[Inebriated]

I do the same thing.

I just play 9 and hit a couple or even three balls per hole and play each individually. It's a fairly slow course, so if I do that in the evening, I see almost no one. It's the best practice IMO. Just don't get used to multiple balls per hole :P

[sssam]

Either try playing a couple of balls a hole (maybe more around the green if it's a quiet course), or perhaps see if you can find an open grassy area near you (playing fields etc) where you can get some more constructive practice in. On course practice is definitely your best bet though.

[John Mark]

Originally Posted by Inebriated

I do the same thing.

I just play 9 and hit a couple or even three balls per hole and play each individually. It's a fairly slow course, so if I do that in the evening, I see almost no one. It's the best practice IMO. Just don't get used to multiple balls per hole :P

im gonna do this tomorrow there is a SMALL course 20 minutes from here that no one plays on 20 bucks including cart so i am gonna go and play like 3 balls a hole and play each from each lie ... i need all the practice i can get and this is a great idea since ill go alone

[Inebriated]

Originally Posted by John Mark

im gonna do this tomorrow there is a SMALL course 20 minutes from here that no one plays on 20 bucks including cart so i am gonna go and play like 3 balls a hole and play each from each lie ... i need all the practice i can get and this is a great idea since ill go alone

It's excellent practice for honing in on how to play the hole, or how to get the right hit with the club. Hope it helps you like it's helped me!

[johnclayton1982]

A few thoughts:

First, range is useless without play.  Why?  Because you have no idea what you need to work on.  How do you know if you have a 90-game driver and irons but a 110 putter?  How do you know if you have a 80 putter and a 90 iron game but a 120 with the driver?  You don't.  You need to track what you do when on the course to know what to do on the range.

Second, the range is useless without things to work on.  Real things, like always hitting the ball before the ground, or getting a full turn through your driver or 3 wood.  You can't know what to work on if all you do is spray balls at the range.  Targeted practice is worth 100x just going to the range.

I would recommend doing this:

(Maybe give my thread a read: http://thesandtrap.com/forum/thread/49746/post-mortem-130-to-88-in-6-months-what-worked-what-did-not )

Play 9.  On your scorecard, keep track of the following:

Score

2Fairway

Greens+1

Wedge

Putts

Explanation:

Score is your score (duh).

2Fairway is how many shots it takes you to get to the fairway or the green.  For example, a drive on the fairway is "-".  A drive to the right rough, followed by a pitching wedge into the fairway is "+1".  A drive OB, then a re-tee into the fairway is "+3".  A drive into the rough followed by a shot onto the green is "+1".  Etc...  Please note that this is the only score that cannot be flat compared - you should only think of driver as the weakness if this number is about double the next highest in terms of shots added.

Greens+1 is how many shots it takes you to hit Green in Regulation + 1 (note: you are shooting for a 90, not a 72).  On a par 4, 3 shots to the green gives you a "-".  4 shots a "+1".  Etc... Your goal is to be putting for par.

Wedge is how many shots onto the green from within 100 yards.  For one shot, "-".  Any more, +1, +2, +3 etc...

Putts is easy - 2 putts is "-".  More is +1, +2, etc...

2Fairway tracks how many shots over 90 your driver is adding

Greens+1 tracks how many shots over 90 your irons are adding

Wedge is how many shots your wedges are adding

Putts is how many shots over 90 your putter is adding

(Note: A high G+1 number and a high wedge number most likely means its wedges, not irons.  A high G+1 number but a low wedge number means its irons, not wedges).

If you have nothing but "-", you should shoot about 90.  Play two nine-hole rounds using this system with total honesty.  Something will just jump out at you as being way higher than the others.  Next time you go the range, drill only the worst thing - the thing that is adding the most strokes to your game.  Look up articles on how to hit that shot.  Figure it out.  Then, before long, that +X will go down, and something else will be worse.  Rinse and repeat.  Eventually, you will stop seeing the pluses, and you will come down into the 90s.

Its much better than just beating balls at the range.