golfinFF
Active member
I can't hit a fricking ball to save my life right now! Even with drills I'm all over the f'ing range!!!!!!!!!!
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
The THP Range/Practice Thread
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- #2,052
This was really fun. I was wrong - not irons only. There aren't many targets out there though. One green in the shape of a Spade at 70 yards and then two more buoys at 130 and 170 yards. Floater balls and into the wind a little, so that was interesting. Either way, a good time.
dhill
New member
Sounds pretty cool to mix it up every now and again.
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- #2,054
Yea man I didn't even know it existed until a week ago. The casino put it there for the guests, but it's open to the public. Lot of fun to try to make balls stick to the little floating green at 70 yards.
golfinFF
Active member
Fixed not sure what I was doing wrong, but took a break and surfed THP and went back at and started catching the ball center of the club and swing felt better!
Too bad it was dark and I couldn't see where the ball was going.
I wish there were lights on the range!
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I found something at the range tonight with my swing that let me get to a better position at the top and the result was puring irons like I haven't in quite a while. I pushed my luck and it even extended to my long lost long irons, hybrids and 3 wood. Now if I can just remember and repeat it 
Thanks, Hawk. I don't know what Google Keep is but I will look it up after taking the kids to swim lessons tonight and see about using it. BTW, you can appreciate this - I took both kids to the range with me and they were challenging. Golf is so funny sometimes. In the midst of herding two cats I suddenly started hitting the ball again. Crazy game.
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- #2,059
It's basically a notepad type app for your phone. Right there when you need it. Yes I can relate to herding the little stinkers around. Took the neighbor and his boy with us tonight and it was not easy to concentrate at all. Go figure that I hit the ball well. Definitely a crazy game.
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- #2,060
Two itmes I'm going to work on in particular this week with the swing.
Swing thought #1 of the week is stable lower body. I struggle with keeping my upper body loose and free-moving when I'm focusing on keeping my lower body stable, so that's what I was thinking about last night. I was trying to feel like my legs were an upside down V with the weight more on the inside. Good results I thought.
Other one is extending through the downswing, which is another way of saying I'm trying to hold on to the hinge. I think I stop turning or something. Regardless, something Freddie said about chasing the ball towards the target made sense. Again, felt like I saw some good results there.
Swing thought #1 of the week is stable lower body. I struggle with keeping my upper body loose and free-moving when I'm focusing on keeping my lower body stable, so that's what I was thinking about last night. I was trying to feel like my legs were an upside down V with the weight more on the inside. Good results I thought.
Other one is extending through the downswing, which is another way of saying I'm trying to hold on to the hinge. I think I stop turning or something. Regardless, something Freddie said about chasing the ball towards the target made sense. Again, felt like I saw some good results there.
dhill
New member
Do we have the same swing? I mean, everytime I see you post what you're going to be working on I feel like I should just quote it and say ditto...
I'm headed to the practice green at a different place today. Yesterdays was still recovering from being punched and honestly the slowness wasn't really a factor, there are quite a few slower greens around me right now, the bumpiness wasn't quite what I was looking for when practicing putting though.
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- #2,062
Ha! We do have similar practice habits and things we are working on!
Here's what I'm starting to realize I need - FLEXIBILITY. If my lower body is stable, I can't take the length of a turn that feels right to me, so I just let my hips go and I 'feel' right. Of course, that's not really ideal. Funny thing is that I can still get the same or more distance out of a stable lower body/smaller turn. I gave myself a peptalk in the mirror this morning that sounded something like, "get more flexible stupid".
I need to hit a putting green too.
Here's what I'm starting to realize I need - FLEXIBILITY. If my lower body is stable, I can't take the length of a turn that feels right to me, so I just let my hips go and I 'feel' right. Of course, that's not really ideal. Funny thing is that I can still get the same or more distance out of a stable lower body/smaller turn. I gave myself a peptalk in the mirror this morning that sounded something like, "get more flexible stupid".
I need to hit a putting green too.
I've got this routine which I do most mornings which is awesome.
I go to the local rec center and swim for 30 minutes. My reward for making myself get out of bed and go swim? After the swim I get to go across the street to the junior par-3 course and hit the range, chipping green or putting green.
This morning I worked the range, working on fixing my non-existent release. It went well. I was a happy camper.
I go to the local rec center and swim for 30 minutes. My reward for making myself get out of bed and go swim? After the swim I get to go across the street to the junior par-3 course and hit the range, chipping green or putting green.
This morning I worked the range, working on fixing my non-existent release. It went well. I was a happy camper.
For me it is:
1. One piece takeaway;
2. Getting to a better position at the top - right elbow in, right wrist bent (ala holding a platter) and left shoulder actually turning to get behind the ball.
When I'm doing those things I mysteriously get into the slot easily, compress the ball really well and release the club. When I'm not doing those things well I mysteriously stay on my backside, come over the top, cast and have the chicken wing going.
1. One piece takeaway;
2. Getting to a better position at the top - right elbow in, right wrist bent (ala holding a platter) and left shoulder actually turning to get behind the ball.
When I'm doing those things I mysteriously get into the slot easily, compress the ball really well and release the club. When I'm not doing those things well I mysteriously stay on my backside, come over the top, cast and have the chicken wing going.
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- #2,065
Now to just make it happen when it counts. That's the tough one for me. Tension changes things.
Best part about this year is that I can go to the range and not shank balls all day. That's a huge improvement. I used to avoid the range for that reason alone at times. I fear I'll become a range rat, but eventually it has to carry over to the course with some consistency.
dhill
New member
Awesome Wade! Keep up the great work!
ATLGolfer
#ATLClive75
I hit the range at lunch to continue working on my full swing. (Range plan FTW)
I'm focusing on keeping my right knee flexed and getting a lot of width with my swing by keeping my hands away from my head. The result is that I'm swinging a little less, but the width is making for a powerful swing. It's pretty fun when I do it correctly. I still try to overswing sometimes, which gets my hands laid off at the top and leads to some thin shots. But, I'm getting better at the move. (The knee flex helps keep me from overswinging as well -- when I do it.)
I also worked a little bit on hitting my 4i, 5W and 3W off of the tee in prep for the ATL Invitational. I'll be hitting a lot more of those shots than driver at the course, so I'm trying to get some more work in and really focusing on hitting target points with these shorter clubs.
I'm focusing on keeping my right knee flexed and getting a lot of width with my swing by keeping my hands away from my head. The result is that I'm swinging a little less, but the width is making for a powerful swing. It's pretty fun when I do it correctly. I still try to overswing sometimes, which gets my hands laid off at the top and leads to some thin shots. But, I'm getting better at the move. (The knee flex helps keep me from overswinging as well -- when I do it.)
I also worked a little bit on hitting my 4i, 5W and 3W off of the tee in prep for the ATL Invitational. I'll be hitting a lot more of those shots than driver at the course, so I'm trying to get some more work in and really focusing on hitting target points with these shorter clubs.
arydolphin
GTHC!
Answers to #1 and #2: I used to be a range rat and only play 1 round per week, now I've switched around and try to play twice a week and get to the range once per week. It's a good week if I can get to do that, it still usually ends up being 1 range session and 1 round per week.
Range practice: at least half is putting and short game. In terms of putting, half of that is from 5 feet and in, the other half of putting is longer putts that are mainly focusing on speed, not line. Even on a crowded green, you can work on the speed of longer putts by putting towards a tee in the ground or something like that. When hitting balls on the range, my shots are mainly shots within 150 yards (8 iron and below) or my driver. I don't hit very many shots in the 150-225 yard range, so I don't practice those as much. My drills can vary, but I always have alignment sticks out there so that my alignment doesn't get sloppy. I always struggle with swinging too far in-to-out, so I'm working on trying to feel more of an out-to-in swing. With the driver, I will pick 2 flags or trees in the distance that serve as the edges of my "fairway" and then try to have my drives stay between those 2 points.
arydolphin
GTHC!
My long range swing plan involves what Seth is trying to do, in order to limit my overswinging. It seems odd, but feeling like both of my knees stay pointing forward during my backswing (aka keeping the position at setup) has helped me in that regard. But that's what I have to feel FOR ME, I'm sure that if other people did that it would seriously restrict their swing.
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- #2,071
I almost feel like my knees are pointing inward a little (towards each other). Then I just try to turn around my spine. It's not a comfortable feeling though - it's an actual turn haha. My body wants to just slide back forth.
ATLGolfer
#ATLClive75
ATLGolfer
#ATLClive75
I don't focus on where my knee is pointed. (Maybe I should.) The only thought with me knee is making sure it stays flexed. When I do that, I can make some really nice, consistent contact. When I try to reach back too far, my knee straightens, and all bets are off.
Thanks Ary! This is good news - I can do this kind of schedule!
arydolphin
GTHC!
Seeing that you're in Ohio, I'll give you one other hint: work more on your short game when the weather is good (aka right now) because you're able to do that outside. Focus on full swing work in the wintertime if you want to make big changes, especially if you can get to a simulator.
For your handicap, I would also focus on making sure you can get off the tee well and not 3-putting. I was a 15 handicap back in 2007 and at that time I really struggled with losing balls off of the tee, penalty strokes are a killer for your score. On the putting side of things, the reason I practice a ton from 5 feet and in is that I want to feel like all of those putts are going in. It doesn't always happen that way, but you will feel much less stress when you feel confident from 5 feet and in.
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