From Range to Golf Course

[Hellstorm]

Usually the range is with mats. You can hit behind the ball and still make decent shots on the range.

Anyway, FWIW, I used to "pretend" I am on the course and do everything I can to make a good swing. I also take a lot of time between the same club - maybe only hit one. Switch clubs etc...

Also make sure you hitting to a target.

What I like to do on the range is to try different things - extend my arms, shorter backswing, be relaxed, be more tense, grip pressure etc... Once I find something that works. I write it down. Then go back days/week later and try and do what I wrote down. If it works, great, otherwise, find something that works.

When I go on the course, it's at the point that if I have a problem -  a fix is in my "book" - actually in my notes on my phone.

I really think a large percentage of problems are due to bad tempo. I know this sounds stupid, but try and swing to a metronome. Find your swing tempo, then for fun, try it on the course. I think you may be amazed.

I keep notes too about different stuff.  It always helps to go back and see the notes when you are struggling with a special shot or shot shape.

[Lihu]

Usually the range is with mats. You can hit behind the ball and still make decent shots on the range.  Anyway, FWIW, I used to "pretend" I am on the course and do everything I can to make a good swing. I also take a lot of time between the same club - maybe only hit one. Switch clubs etc... Also make sure you hitting to a target.  What I like to do on the range is to try different things - extend my arms, shorter backswing, be relaxed, be more tense, grip pressure etc... Once I find something that works. I write it down. Then go back days/week later and try and do what I wrote down. If it works, great, otherwise, find something that works. When I go on the course, it's at the point that if I have a problem -  a fix is in my "book" - actually in my notes on my phone. I really think a large percentage of problems are due to bad tempo. I know this sounds stupid, but try and swing to a metronome. Find your swing tempo, then for fun, try it on the course. I think you may be amazed.

[quote name="ZappyAd" url="/t/83872/from-range-to-golf-course#post_1186491"][QUOTE name="808hacker" url="/t/83872/from-range-to-golf-course#post_1186477"]   Usually the range is with mats. You can hit behind the ball and still make decent shots on the range.  [/QUOTE] I've had this problem recently - been doing a fair amount of range hitting to get back into golf and when I played a few courses near me (where the climate is quite dry and during summer the fairways are pretty solid) everything seemed fine. Went on vacation to somewhere much wetter where the fairways were much softer and boy was that a shock - I managed to pick a foot long divot with a wedge that went further than the ball - turns out I've picked up the habit of hitting a bit behind the ball and I guess bouncing through contact, especially on my wedges.  Need to practice more on grass. [/quote] I used to feel the same way. . . The main issue is that you can become lazy hitting off mats, then hit fat shots all day and develop bad habits. As long as you don't get lazy there's really no difference between the two other than wrist impact if you hit too steep.

[Dave2512]

This is what I do to get a clear picture of what I actually do on the range and use it effectively.

First thing is I hit the markers with a rangefinder to see what the actual yardage is, our course uses the old red (100yd)-white(150yd)-blue(200yd)-yellow(250yd) method. It's rarely if ever exactly as marked unless the stalls are on top of the plaque in the ground where they measured from. Because the area we hit from is about the size of a football field and the heavy use they move it every other day minimum. So the yardage to the target markers can be as much as 50 yards different. Unless I am there working on something specific I only use clubs that match the target marker yardage. Makes it easier to see if I am hitting my usual distances. I know from FlightScope what my typical scatter pattern so I don't expect to hit everything right at the pole.

I use what ground is available regardless of the lie. I will take a strip of divots towards the target until there is no more ground to use then move over  about 6 inches and repeat. This means I am going hit from different lies not just the fluffy tufts of grass. Judging by the random divot patterns I see it appears most do not. This suggests they push the balls around to only hit from lies that will make hitting a decent shot easiest. Assuming they don't do that on the course could mean all the "good" shots they hit on the range from that benign lie are perfect situations not likely encountered on the course.

On the course I don't beat myself up if I don't hit a "good" shot because many will look exactly like my range shots. Problem is on the course targets are more specific and the course considerably more dynamic than the range, uneven stances, targets that have varying slope so the ball moves differently after it lands etc.. If the target I've been hitting to was 138 out on the range and it seemed I was sticking 9 irons somewhat close to the pole but then miss a green from the same distance on the course it could be an identical shot to what I'd been hitting on the range but 5 yards right or left of the green at it's narrowest point. On the range missing your vague target by 5 yards wouldn't appear severe. But on the course it means you have to get up and down to save par.

FlightScope data shows me with shorter irons my east to west dispersion is an oblong shape about 40 feet at the widest point so nearly 15 yards. Most greens are in the 30 yards by 30 yards range and rarely perfectly round. My usual miss that looks safe on the range could easily miss a green. It's a perception thing. Everyone thinks they are better on the range than they are because it's a big square with nondescript targets that have no consequence to miss. Just because we don't hit a bunch of very bad shots that fly in that general direction doesn't mean we are hitting shots on a string. Again when I use FS there won't be two identical shots. If my instructor has me hit 30 balls with 7 iron they will all be different even if they mostly land in the same area. Which is fairly large but looks tighter due to the openness of the range.

[Lihu]

This is what I do to get a clear picture of what I actually do on the range and use it effectively.

First thing is I hit the markers with a rangefinder to see what the actual yardage is, our course uses the old red (100yd)-white(150yd)-blue(200yd)-yellow(250yd) method.

Cool, I wondered about the color pattern on our range flags. Now I know.