Newbie Observation Driving Range vs. Course

[NoName]

Hello gentleman ! 

 

As mentioned in my Intro a couple of days or so ago, I am a newbie to the game of Golf. Have watched it since I was a child (am 34 now), but never really knew, nor appreciated, how difficult the game really, truly is.

 

With that being said, I've been playing now for roughly a month or so. And in that time I've spent a good 80 % of it on the driving range. Scratch that ... 90 % lol. Have played a few rounds in that time (have lost SEVERAL balls, 10 my first time) of course, but am really trying to hone my swing (see: hit straight) before I get back onto the course. Now to the point of my post ... I tend to practice 6,7 days a week. Generally the driving range followed by some work on the greens. Have noticed these last couple of days that I'm hitting targets (100, 150, 175 yards) more often than not with my irons. However, for example, I'm hitting targets consistently for about 30 minutes or so into my practice session. After that, I'm struggling to hit the balls squarely. Today, for example, I found myself " topping " the ball A LOT towards the end. Or, rather embarrassingly, whiffing the ball completely. And, also embarrassingly, I cant' seem to hit my driver and woods straight to save my life. I mean, they tend to go 200 plus yards everytime, but almost always to the right. Sometimes violently lol.

 

So my question is this ... what I'm experiencing, particularly out there on the driving range ... is it mental ? Newbie mistakes ? Or is Golf something that one PHYSICALLY needs to become adjusted to ? Perhaps I should pace myself ? Not hit 60 or so balls each day ? Golf more ? Etc. ?

 

Thank you. 

 

[krupa]

Muscle fatigue, mental fatigue, the general fact that golf is hard and you'll hit the ball great one day and shit the next.

But really it's all "growing pains" or whatever you want to call it when you learn.  Golf is hard and takes a lot of time to get consistent.

[trxEden]

yeah fatigue, when we get tired we lose focus and do weird things.  Could be something as simple as standing up or maybe you moved your ball in your stance.  It happens to all of us, but you can use that.  If you notice for example you start hitting left, right, chunking it whatever.  Stop and try to think what might have caused that and see if you can fix it.  Don't just keep swinging (IMO).  If you can fix it though that is going to be valuable out in a real match and could save the round.  IMO, a good score is about managing misses and adapting.  My goal is always to make shots, not hit golf balls on the range.   So I don't just pick a club and start hitting, i try to play cuts or I try to hit a 6 iron the same distance I would a wedge.  Maybe try to execute a punch shot and pretend your stuck under trees, you don't want to find out you have no idea how to play that shot while your actually forced to play that shot in a real game.  Also, try to figure out everything you can do with your clubs.  Yet another thing I like to do is bring a friend and play target practice.  It also makes practice more fun.  Point is, practice with a purpose and learn how to make shots (which it sounds like you are!)

Another thing I like to do is play golf with people better than me, it pushes you and you can learn what makes them successful.  Don't be afraid to video your swing too and see if you can spot flaws, things you want to work on next time.  

Last bit of advice I have is don't become great on the range, the range is not where your score counts.  I used to do that a lot, spend like 90% of my time at the driving range, and I never saw my handicap drop or my swing change very much.  A few years back I flipped it and spent 90% of my time playing as much golf as I could, getting fit for clubs and getting a few lessons.  That changed everything for me.

Just my 2c, GL 2 you!

P.S. Hitting to the right is pretty easy to fix once you see it.  Could be cupping your wrist, could be just alignment.  Could be your grip, maybe an over the top move, face-to-path open.  Good news is you can easily video it and check each of those things.  The loss of distance will disappear once you find the sweet spot consistently.  Once you figure that out, maybe you will have a push/fade/slice in your bag of tricks AND a nice baby draw, be able to work the course 🙂

[NoName]

2 hours ago, krupa said:

Muscle fatigue, mental fatigue, the general fact that golf is hard and you'll hit the ball great one day and shit the next.

But really it's all "growing pains" or whatever you want to call it when you learn.  Golf is hard and takes a lot of time to get consistent.

Well said !!! And thank you for the reply, Krupa !

 

1 hour ago, trxEden said:

yeah fatigue, when we get tired we lose focus and do weird things.  Could be something as simple as standing up or maybe you moved your ball in your stance.  It happens to all of us, but you can use that.  If you notice for example you start hitting left, right, chunking it whatever.  Stop and try to think what might have caused that and see if you can fix it.  Don't just keep swinging (IMO).  If you can fix it though that is going to be valuable out in a real match and could save the round.  IMO, a good score is about managing misses and adapting.  My goal is always to make shots, not hit golf balls on the range.   So I don't just pick a club and start hitting, i try to play cuts or I try to hit a 6 iron the same distance I would a wedge.  Maybe try to execute a punch shot and pretend your stuck under trees, you don't want to find out you have no idea how to play that shot while your actually forced to play that shot in a real game.  Also, try to figure out everything you can do with your clubs.  Yet another thing I like to do is bring a friend and play target practice.  It also makes practice more fun.  Point is, practice with a purpose and learn how to make shots (which it sounds like you are!)

Another thing I like to do is play golf with people better than me, it pushes you and you can learn what makes them successful.  Don't be afraid to video your swing too and see if you can spot flaws, things you want to work on next time.  

Last bit of advice I have is don't become great on the range, the range is not where your score counts.  I used to do that a lot, spend like 90% of my time at the driving range, and I never saw my handicap drop or my swing change very much.  A few years back I flipped it and spent 90% of my time playing as much golf as I could, getting fit for clubs and getting a few lessons.  That changed everything for me.

Just my 2c, GL 2 you!

P.S. Hitting to the right is pretty easy to fix once you see it.  Could be cupping your wrist, could be just alignment.  Could be your grip, maybe an over the top move, face-to-path open.  Good news is you can easily video it and check each of those things.  The loss of distance will disappear once you find the sweet spot consistently.  Once you figure that out, maybe you will have a push/fade/slice in your bag of tricks AND a nice baby draw, be able to work the course 🙂

Very informative post, trxEden !! Thank you !! And will put your advice into practice, my friend. Particularly the bit on flipping the time out on the driving range to actually playing golf. Which, to be honest, makes a ton of sense. 

 

I just oftentimes get a little self-conscious when I'm out there golfing lol. And sometimes fear my slice will take out a golfer or 2 from 3 fairways over haha. 

 

[onthehunt526]

On 5/17/2018 at 3:25 PM, krupa said:

Muscle fatigue, mental fatigue, the general fact that golf is hard and you'll hit the ball great one day and shit the next.

But really it's all "growing pains" or whatever you want to call it when you learn.  Golf is hard and takes a lot of time to get consistent.

Or you get to where I am, you realize Golf is hard, and you don't give a shit anymore. You still love the game, but golf is indifferent about me.

Edited May 21, 2018 by onthehunt526

[NoName]

On ‎5‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 3:03 AM, onthehunt526 said:

Or you get to where I am, you realize Golf is hard, and you don't give a shit anymore. You still love the game, but golf is indifferent about me.

LOL, well said, my friend ! It certainly is hard.

 

Will, hopefully, attend a PGA Event here in the near future. Am quite curious with just how good these guys are in person. 

[Shorty]

On 5/18/2018 at 4:49 AM, NoName said:

Have noticed these last couple of days that I'm hitting targets (100, 150, 175 yards) more often than not with my irons. H

This is very unlikely. What do you mean by "hitting targets"? hitting the ball in the general direction of those markers is not "hitting targets". If, as you say you are hitting a green from 175, 150 or even  yards more than half the time it would be more than remarkable. Hitting a green from 175 yards is not the same as hitting towards a marker on the range. What looks like "more often than not" is more likely one in 10. You need to learn to identify what is correct trajectory and which shots are actually hitting targets rather than running through them or dribbling up near them. At this stage I would advise you to be honest with yourself about what you are actually doing. By doing this, you can identify strengths and weaknesses and know where to dedicate your time.

[NoName]

19 minutes ago, Shorty said:

This is very unlikely. What do you mean by "hitting targets"? hitting the ball in the general direction of those markers is not "hitting targets". If, as you say you are hitting a green from 175, 150 or even  yards more than half the time it would be more than remarkable. Hitting a green from 175 yards is not the same as hitting towards a marker on the range. What looks like "more often than not" is more likely one in 10. You need to learn to identify what is correct trajectory and which shots are actually hitting targets rather than running through them or dribbling up near them. At this stage I would advise you to be honest with yourself about what you are actually doing. By doing this, you can identify strengths and weaknesses and know where to dedicate your time.

No, sir. Hitting the actual signs/markers. But to be fair, 4-5 times out of 10. Certainly not 7-9 times out of 10 (which would be remarkable in my eyes ... with all due respect). And again, to be fair, the golf ball isn't actually making contact with the signs/markers. The golf ball, however, generally sits right next to it.  

 

With that being said, my strength at this time is my will to learn the game. My weakness is everything else lol.

 

I appreciate your post though. Truly. 

 

[Buckeyebowman]

As others have said, consistency is a bugaboo for many golfers. If a Tour player were to develop a heightened level of consistency, they might win, or nearly win, every week! But that's not possible. It floats around from week to week, or even day to day.

I believe it was Plato who said that you can never step into the same river twice. The same could be said for golf courses!

[iacas]

10 minutes ago, Buckeyebowman said:

As others have said, consistency is a bugaboo for many golfers.

Golfers are consistent.

It's the results that vary. But bad golfers are pretty much always bad. Their good shots are anomalies. Vice versa for good players.

[Shorty]

2 hours ago, NoName said:

No, sir. Hitting the actual signs/markers. But to be fair, 4-5 times out of 10.

I have diagnosed the isuue.

[NoName]

Thank you for the replies, guys. 🙂

[MacDutch]

Play more on the course. Hitting from a drivingrange is not the same (thats much easier). In golf you have only one chance for a good shot, on the range you just reload.

[DaveP043]

On 5/17/2018 at 2:49 PM, NoName said:

Have noticed these last couple of days that I'm hitting targets (100, 150, 175 yards) more often than not with my irons. However, for example, I'm hitting targets consistently for about 30 minutes or so into my practice session. After that, I'm struggling to hit the balls squarely. Today, for example, I found myself " topping " the ball A LOT towards the end. Or, rather embarrassingly, whiffing the ball completely. And, also embarrassingly, I cant' seem to hit my driver and woods straight to save my life. I mean, they tend to go 200 plus yards everytime, but almost always to the right. Sometimes violently lol.

So my question is this ... what I'm experiencing, particularly out there on the driving range ... is it mental ? Newbie mistakes ? Or is Golf something that one PHYSICALLY needs to become adjusted to ? Perhaps I should pace myself ? Not hit 60 or so balls each day ? Golf more ? Etc. ?

I'm at the opposite end of the experience spectrum, I've been playing for about 50 years.  In my opinion, your problem on the range is probably both physical AND mental.  A golf swing involves a lot of muscles, working in ways that are not "normal" in the rest of your life, so without a doubt you're experiencing some physical fatigue.  The golf swing also requires significant concentration, and you'll need to learn to concentrate for extended periods of time.  My full-swing practices rarely last more than 35 or 40 minutes, because at some point it becomes "exercise" rather than actual productive practice.

You haven't mentioned getting instruction, but if you're practicing 6 or 7 days a week without some good guidance, you're probably just ingraining some bad habits.  Lots of practice can improve the consistency of your results to a point, but your upside will probably be limited, and the practice may make future changes more difficult.  I really recommend that you find a good instructor.  One option is to post videos of your swing in the Member Swing thread here https://thesandtrap.com/forums/forum/13-member-swings/.  Be sure to click the Reveal Hidden Content button to learn about getting appropriate quality video, and other guidelines.  

[NoName]

9 hours ago, MacDutch said:

Play more on the course. Hitting from a drivingrange is not the same (thats much easier). In golf you have only one chance for a good shot, on the range you just reload.

Well said. And something I need to keep in mind. Certainly not trying to become a driving range pro lol (I believe that's what they call it ?).

[BaconNEggs]

Yeah, if you're hitting off mats (I assume you are) they can disguise your quality of contact. Doesn't affect thin shots obviously, but fat shots will be better on a mat than off real turf as you can't really dig in.

As a rule of thumb for myself, with fat shots on a mat I might only lose 5-10% of my typical distance. It's enough to notice (and feel), but also not so much that it seems like you really hit the ball poorly. Heck, if you're consistently hitting fat shots, you might even think the result is just your standard distance for that club. Put a ball on turf, though, and some of those shots might not even travel 50 yards, let alone the 150 you were aiming for.

[NoName]

6 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm at the opposite end of the experience spectrum, I've been playing for about 50 years.  In my opinion, your problem on the range is probably both physical AND mental.  A golf swing involves a lot of muscles, working in ways that are not "normal" in the rest of your life, so without a doubt you're experiencing some physical fatigue.  The golf swing also requires significant concentration, and you'll need to learn to concentrate for extended periods of time.  My full-swing practices rarely last more than 35 or 40 minutes, because at some point it becomes "exercise" rather than actual productive practice.

You haven't mentioned getting instruction, but if you're practicing 6 or 7 days a week without some good guidance, you're probably just ingraining some bad habits.  Lots of practice can improve the consistency of your results to a point, but your upside will probably be limited, and the practice may make future changes more difficult.  I really recommend that you find a good instructor.  One option is to post videos of your swing in the Member Swing thread here https://thesandtrap.com/forums/forum/13-member-swings/.  Be sure to click the Reveal Hidden Content button to learn about getting appropriate quality video, and other guidelines.  

Thank you for the post, Dave. 🙂 Specifically, in regards to the muscles being used in golf, as well as the concentration that is needed. I sometimes find myself drained after driving range practice. Or even after 9-holes lol. Didn't initially think that golf required any amount/type of conditioning. I was wrong lol. 

And I have been seeing an instructor. Thankfully. I think ... now 3 times ? In the past month or so. I find that each time I go I learn more and more about what I'm doing wrong, and less and less about what I'm doing correctly lol. But that's what I love about golf (as I'm a perfectionist by nature). I love learning. I love the challenge. And I would assume, even after having played for 50 years, that you are still learning. Again, I would assume lol. But what a great game it is.

And I think I'll check out that Member Swing thread. Would love some extra pointers and anything/everything that you good folks have to offer.

[NoName]

24 minutes ago, BaconNEggs said:

Yeah, if you're hitting off mats (I assume you are) they can disguise your quality of contact. Doesn't affect thin shots obviously, but fat shots will be better on a mat than off real turf as you can't really dig in.

As a rule of thumb for myself, with fat shots on a mat I might only lose 5-10% of my typical distance. It's enough to notice (and feel), but also not so much that it seems like you really hit the ball poorly. Heck, if you're consistently hitting fat shots, you might even think the result is just your standard distance for that club. Put a ball on turf, though, and some of those shots might not even travel 50 yards, let alone the 150 you were aiming for.

I initially started hitting off the mats, until I noticed a good 90 % of the others were hitting off the grass. And when in Rome ... lol

But yes, I have noticed that my shots on the mats appear to go much further than on the grass. Have also noticed, on the grass, that my divots sometimes go further than the actual ball hahaha.