I think I am a Driving Range Pro..... lol

[David L Yskes]

Ok, so last weekend I go and visit my brother's family ( livonia michigan ) for some golfing and just to get "away" lol...

So friday we did 36 holes, 18 @ 8am and the next 18 @ 3pm..

First course is The Majestic which I have played before, and its pretty nice and some what tough but looks easy lol...

So front 9 i shoot a 51, not bad, should of been better...  back nine was awful!!! and i finish with 112...

Next 18 was at Fox Hills, which is about 10mins away from Livonia..  And is about the same as Majestic.. And I think a bit tougher..

And i ended up shooting about the same,,,

Yet, Sunday I head to the driving range to work on stuff, I am hitting 90% of the balls really good.... And I say this, cuz I would take out 5 balls, and use my 3 iron, and then use my 4 iron on the next 5, and so on, down the line... And i was seriously hitting a lot of good shots..

yet it seems that when i go to the course to actually play, I just cant seem to do the same thing.....

[DeanoMaestro]

Just a thought - do duff any shots? taking a big divot?

If your at the range you could be hitting good shots due to the bounce of the mat, leading to you hitting the ball cleaner.

Whereas on the course you could be inconsistent due to soft/hardness of the turf your playing on. Just a thought :)

[David L Yskes]

Deano,

the range i go to is grass... no mats...

and about the duffs and big divots, do you mean on the range or on the course??

[Moppy]

I have been doing just the opposite lately. Big banana slices on the range, and nice straight drives on the course. I think it is because I just let myself hit on the course, as long as there is a lot of room to the right, I just swing and it doesn't go right. If there is trouble right, like woods, I find it every time though, it seems. The range, I think maybe I think too much about those yardage markers.  I know the solution is in my head, but I honestly can't tell the difference between a slice swing and a pure one until the ball is in the air.  Another thing is that while playing best ball, if I see there is already a good drive out there, I hit it well, because I just let myself swing.

I am going for a lesson this weekend and am hoping for some relief from the towering banana slices on the range, and to be able to play those holes where the woods are tight on the right without resorting to a three iron.

[KinG-NothinG]

How do you define a good shot at the driving range?

Way to many players who have the exact same problems you talk about usually practice with no clue. Are you picking new targets for every new shot at the range? Do you have some kind of reference to that target as to what is good and what is not? Personally I usually say practice like you play or else things are gonna happen.

[theworldengine]

I doubt you hit 90% really good. A 20 hcp will never really hit more than 5 great shots in a row. You may have been closer to 70% and that's normal if you groove a bad swing.

[Jeremie Boop]

I had a similar experience on one trip to the range. Hit probably 35 balls in a row great. Then I tried to see if I could work the ball both ways and hit them straight. I was hitting a fade, straight, draw and then repeat. I was amazed and excited, I thought I figured something out. Alas, it wasn't the case because then I went back to my normal. This is why I stopped going to the range, I can go there and hit shots good all day *not every shot obviously* and then hit the course and it doesn't transition. There is no pressure on the range but on the course I put pressure on myself.

[Moppy]

'' Are you picking new targets for every new shot at the range? "

Good tip, thanks.

[dbuck]

I try not to pay too much attention to the yardage markers at the range, other than using them as a left/right indicator. They have real grass during the season, and fortunate in that the hitting areas is probably 30 yards or more deep so they move the lines and you usually have decent grass. The downside is that that is a variance of 3 clubs and you can't really tell your distances, plus the range rocks seem about a club or more short anyway.I agree with the posts about picking and varying your target; if you don't you can lose reference and think you are hitting good shots when your alignment is off. I think it helps to put some pressure on yourself at the range toward the end to like hit 5 in a row to different targets or try to simulate your tee shots on certain holes etc. If this goes good, I will usually quit right then. If not I will hit some easy punch shots or short fades and draws or go to a drill that I am good at. because I like to end a session, whether for practice or warm up on a positive note. When I move to the tee, I try to leave most of the range behind, except for 1 or 2 keys that help me focus. I am dumb and not that good so these have to be simple like keep a still head, turn back slowly etc. but no more than 2. At each shot I go through the basics of alignment, grip, posture, relax then go to the swing key and go. As far as alignment, I try to have a long range and a short range visual reference point. The other thing I have to watch is getting ahead of my own thinking. You should plan how to get from one place to the other, but you can only hit one shot at a time, so focus on that shot and that target. A score is a succession of executed shots.

[saevel25]

Yet, Sunday I head to the driving range to work on stuff, I am hitting 90% of the balls really good.... And I say this, cuz I would take out 5 balls, and use my 3 iron, and then use my 4 iron on the next 5, and so on, down the line... And i was seriously hitting a lot of good shots..

yet it seems that when i go to the course to actually play, I just cant seem to do the same thing.....

How do you aim? do you just hit balls? Do you set down a stick or club for alignment? Cause you take aim at the course. On the range, you might be just hitting golf balls. It is a difference. Cause on the range, you might be thinking your aiming were you want the ball to go, but you might not. Driving ranges are usually wide, so the perspective is different. I've been on ranges were the ball looks like it goes way higher than it does on the course, its because the range is boxed in  by nets. So depth is skewed. Been on ranges that you hit the ball up a slight incline, once again messes with both height and depth perception.

If your just hitting balls for contact, working on keys 1, 2, & 3 don't worry about aim. If your trying to hit to a target, then make sure you know for certain your aiming there.

[Slice of Life]

I doubt you hit 90% really good. A 20 hcp will never really hit more than 5 great shots in a row. You may have been closer to 70% and that's normal if you groove a bad swing.

That's not necessarily true. My buddy Mike nails his drives in the middle almost every time (albeit short...200-230 yards), and is pretty consistent with his irons. But, I beat him every time. Because if we both miss the green, it takes me 2-3 shots to get in, and it takes him 3-5.

Handicap isn't always a great indicator of ball striking...I know some decent strikers with terrible short games. 2 duffed chips and a 3 putt is a good way to make a 7 after 2 pretty good shots.

[Jeremie Boop]

That's not necessarily true. My buddy Mike nails his drives in the middle almost every time (albeit short...200-230 yards), and is pretty consistent with his irons. But, I beat him every time. Because if we both miss the green, it takes me 2-3 shots to get in, and it takes him 3-5.

Handicap isn't always a great indicator of ball striking...I know some decent strikers with terrible short games. 2 duffed chips and a 3 putt is a good way to make a 7 after 2 pretty good shots.

Last night I had a similar problem. I was striking the ball pretty well, but I 3 putted 3 holes and had 1 blow up hole. I also missed a couple of decently easy birdie putts. I think my putter is costing me more strokes per round than any other club at this point.

[Moppy]

Thanks, dbuck, that was interesting and helpful.

[saevel25]

That's not necessarily true. My buddy Mike nails his drives in the middle almost every time (albeit short...200-230 yards), and is pretty consistent with his irons. But, I beat him every time. Because if we both miss the green, it takes me 2-3 shots to get in, and it takes him 3-5.

Handicap isn't always a great indicator of ball striking...I know some decent strikers with terrible short games. 2 duffed chips and a 3 putt is a good way to make a 7 after 2 pretty good shots.

I know that feeling, shot +3 last night. Here's were i wasted shots. Duffed a bunker shot, got up and down for par, luckily. Mis hit a wedge, duffed a chip, hit a ball into the water, mis hit another wedge. So  basically a + 3 with 4 wasted shots.

Also, is 80% good by his standard or what is actually good ball striking. I am just saying, when someone says, i hit shots 80% good, and someone reads that. They now take that 80% and put it under there own perspective. Here's an example. Par 4, i have a 135 wedge in, I club up and hit it softer, so the ball doesn't balloon into the wind, end up 5' for birdie. Ball shape wasn't the draw i wanted, just a slight pull left. Next  hole, i come up out of an iron and pull draw it 25 feet from the green. For a high handicapper they would be ecstatic with 25' from the pin. For me, it wasn't a good shot. So to them that 25' might be in that 80%, for me its not. So when i hear 80%, you got to try to project from there point of view.

[Slice of Life]

Also, is 80% good by his standard or what is actually good ball striking. I am just saying, when someone says, i hit shots 80% good, and someone reads that. They now take that 80% and put it under there own perspective. Here's an example. Par 4, i have a 135 wedge in, I club up and hit it softer, so the ball doesn't balloon into the wind, end up 5' for birdie. Ball shape wasn't the draw i wanted, just a slight pull left. Next  hole, i come up out of an iron and pull draw it 25 feet from the green. For a high handicapper they would be ecstatic with 25' from the pin. For me, it wasn't a good shot. So to them that 25' might be in that 80%, for me its not. So when i hear 80%, you got to try to project from there point of view.

Definitely. Some people are just aiming for quality contact. If the ball is struck well and goes the distance they anticipated...regardless of whether it's 25 yards to the right or not.

[Hardballs]

I'm the opposite, I'm usually rubbish on the range, I think too much, try too hard, whereas on the course I'm just slightly better than rubbish, cuz I just aim for the green and shoot!

[phan52]

I doubt you hit 90% really good. A 20 hcp will never really hit more than 5 great shots in a row. You may have been closer to 70% and that's normal if you groove a bad swing.

Just last week at the range. a 28 handicapper with an awful swing is hitting balls. Another 28 handicapper walks up and says, "Hey, nice swing, lookin' good!" The other guy goes, "Yeah, I think I found something."

Me?....

[teed off]

Definitely. Some people are just aiming for quality contact. If the ball is struck well and goes the distance they anticipated...regardless of whether it's 25 yards to the right or not.

Agree.......golf is an easy game on the range, people tend to be more relaxed because the landing zone is massive (compared to a fairway) and you do not have to go and look for your ball.

Results in a slower, smoother swings with better results.