Ranger Rick and the Mental Game!

[Mugs050]

I want to get everyone's opinion on bringing your game from the range to the course. I am not meaning to sound cocky or delusional but I feel I have another tier in me and generally can hit shots my peers can't. On the range I hit high climbing bombs with the driver, high draws and fades with my 4 iron, and putting oh putting I can putt the eyes out of the ball.

I get on the course and I top the driver, hook my 4 iron and miss 5 footers. Now not saying I do that all the time, as early as last year I was as single digit handicap but I really want to learn how to maximize my potential and stop leaving so many shots on the course.

How do I bring my game from the range to the course? Any swing thoughts/methods you guys use?

[tristanhilton85]

[iacas]

How do I bring my game from the range to the course? Any swing thoughts/methods you guys use?

The opposite is a better approach: take your course to the range. Hit to actual, real targets. Make bets with yourself to put pressure on if you fail. Make a scoring system that rewards good shots and punishes poor ones.

There's something to be said for the occasional guy who is a complete nutcase on the course, but that guy is rare. Maybe he's you. But I suspect you don't practice properly at the range, and I don't even mean doing drills and training - I mean the above. There's no pressure, no scoring, etc. So add some.

[Golfingdad]

I want to get everyone's opinion on bringing your game from the range to the course. I am not meaning to sound cocky or delusional but I feel I have another tier in me and generally can hit shots my peers can't. On the range I hit high climbing bombs with the driver, high draws and fades with my 4 iron, and putting oh putting I can putt the eyes out of the ball.

I get on the course and I top the driver, hook my 4 iron and miss 5 footers. Now not saying I do that all the time, as early as last year I was as single digit handicap but I really want to learn how to maximize my potential and stop leaving so many shots on the course.

How do I bring my game from the range to the course? Any swing thoughts/methods you guys use?

No worries, we all do this.  In reality, the difference probably isn't nearly as drastic as you are perceiving it to be though.  On the range, you're probably hitting several drivers or 5 irons in a row and quickly forgetting the ones that stunk.  Throw in that you are just a little more relaxed because you know that nothing really counts and you're bound to hit it at least a little better on the range.  On the course, you're never hitting the same shot twice in a row, and you might even hit the same shot twice in an entire round.

Read the thread @tristanhilton85 linked and try practicing as @iacas suggests and you'll be on a better path, I'm confident.

[Dave2512]

The range is typically a pressure free situation. I agree with the idea to use the range with purpose. Range perception can be misleading. If I don't hit to a target I can't be sure I hit a decent shot because the range is wide and long. I get strange looks but I take my range finder with me and hit only towards whatever the markers are unless I am playing a game trying to hit between or around one side of them exaggerating my shot shape or something. The stalls move and the markers are iffy at best. Depending on where the stalls are the black and white could be 120 or 170.

[Fourputt]

I stink on the range, so I just stay away from it.  I'll hit 2 or 3 good shots, then lose interest and that's it.  It doesn't matter what games I try to play there, I can't fool myself into believing that it means anything, so I get bored.  For whatever reason, it's different when I practice short game.  I can spend a quality half hour hitting chips and pitches, while a half hour on the range makes me want to tear my hair out.

[mvmac]

The opposite is a better approach: take your course to the range. Hit to actual, real targets. Make bets with yourself to put pressure on if you fail. Make a scoring system that rewards good shots and punishes poor ones.

Good post.

I'm getting ready for a tournament this week and I put "pressure" on myself where I pretend I'm playing certain shots during the round and I have to pull them off. So when I have that shot or when I'm on that hole, I've already "hit" the shot multiple times.

[Moppy]

Easy. When you are on the range, define a target, and if you miss it, you have to contribute $1 to Hillary Clinton/Ted Cruz for president. Pick your demon. I remember reading about how some guy lost 50 lbs by giving his lawyer $500 dollars, and if he didn't weigh in at the right weight by a date certain, the money went to the Nazi Party.

[JP golf]

I'll use the same visualization and same method of picking targets on the range as I do on the course.  My swing thoughts may be different and will vary when I'm working on something or if I'm working on drills....     To make the range work for you, you need to have the same focus that you do on the course.  I'll take a couple swings and would actually go through a pre-shot routine many times using a certain swing thought.

There's different kind of range work too....    Range work before a round to get loose and there's range work where you are focusing on improving a certain key or specific aspect of your swing.  They are two completely different range approaches in my opinion.  It sounds like you are referencing the before round range work in which case visualize and go through a routine and play with the same swing thought for that day.  Work with what you have that day.