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Hitting the reset during range sessions....

Michigan Slice

Michigan Slice

This Guy Cant dance...
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Today, I had a little free time so I thought I'd hit the range.
My intention was to hit balls just like my instructor told me to do, and have been mostly successful during other range sessions.

But that didn't happen.
Flub shot, thin, getting all arms with my iron swings.
I could tell you a lot more, but fact of the matter is, it wasn't pretty!
I feared this was going to be a long frustrating hour or range time.

Then, I stepped away, far away.
I went and got a bottle of water, and started thinking about my lesson. What I was told.
No one can make this happen but me!
And I will be in the right frame of mind while practicing.

After a brief 10-15 minute break, I stepped up to the range, put my towel under my armpits, got my stance properly aligned, set up correctly. And proceeded to simply hammer 6 iron after 6 iron!!
Repeated complete set up every shot, just like I was playing, then started hitting approach irons, short irons, into wedges, just like I was out on the course playing.

I could have just sat frustrated, hitting balls, and call it practice. However, I feel like stepping away, and hitting the reset button so to speak was incredibly helpful for me to get into a productive practice routine.
Have you ever had to do this?
 
Yes. If I let it, this would happen to me all the time at the range. I call it "hitting balls" instead of practicing.

When I start missing a bunch of shots in a row, I put down whatever I am hitting and pick up a 54* or 58* and start hitting short pitch shots. It immediately slows down my tempo, and I start feeling the club again instead of just swinging it. I then try to work my way up the bag a bit to get back to what I was working on. For example, if I was hitting driver before things went awry, I would hit some pitch shots, then maybe a few 8i shots before pulling the driver out again.


This exercise has really made my practice sessions more productive.
 
We all need a reset every now and then. Golf is day to day for even the best players. I've had this happen a few times in my life. I just step away from the range, maybe to the practice green, putt a while and then return to the range. Never good to just keep hammering away if things are not well.
 
All the time dude. There is no point in making bad swing after bad swing and reinforcing bad habits. It might sound cliche but practice how you play. Do your normal pre-shot routine on the range and get after it.
 
Good thoughts guys. It definitely is frustrating to go to the range and leave with a bad feeling.

swing your swing
 
Yes. And I do ti on the course as well in a manner of speaking. When things are off you need to be able to hit the reset button, go back to your basics and ignore previous results.

Trying to figure out what you are doing wrong is a terrible mental trap from which few escape.

Just stop tryign to figure it out, get back to your good setup position, make a good shoulder and hip turn and then pound the ball.
 
Many times I have done this, too. There are times where I'll be having an off day on the range, and I'll start to get frustrated. So what I usually do is stop, step back, relax and step back in. If this doesn't work, call me crazy but I'll actually turn around and take some swings left handed. I won't actually hit any balls of course, but when ever you try to repeat your swing from the opposite side I find it retunes my head and helps me focus again. Studies show that using your opposite hand will strengthen neural connections in your brain, and even grow new ones. It’s similar to how physical exercise improves your body’s functioning and grows muscles. So trying to make a correct swing, left handed in my case, helps my right handed swing refocus and return in a small way. THEN if THAT doesn't work, I'll round up what's left of my range balls and go work on my short game instead. Then once I feel I've put in enough time on my short game, I'll go back to the range and hit the rest of my range balls.
 
This will be a good thread for me to follow. Normally if things start going south at the range, I try to mix it up by hitting another club. I've actually learned a lot when I'm able to bounce back from a bad series of shots, but there are a lot of times when I should probably do something else to just reset. A lot of these posts are pretty helpful.
 
Tedfroop said:
Yes. And I do ti on the course as well in a manner of speaking. When things are off you need to be able to hit the reset button, go back to your basics and ignore previous results.
Click to expand...

I've done somewhat the same thing while playing. If I've lost all things recognizing a golf swing, I might play an entire hole with a pitching wedge or something. I can hit that club and while it will take a few strokes to get to the green, what's the difference in hitting 3 wedges or driver to the trees, iron deeper into the trees, wedge from the opposite trees then wedge to the green?
Get a few good swings under my belt and a little confidence comes back.
 
I do this a lot. Usually what hurts me sometimes during range sessions is I will get super quick and thin the bajesus out of balls. When this happens I step away for a good 10-15 mins and switch to a wedge to find the tempo again. But I am the first to admit I've left mid way through a range session simply because I know I won't gain anything from just pounding balls.
 
Most definitely. Sometimes you've just got to take a step back and approach things fresh. Sometimes it can be just stepping away from the ball, sometimes it takes some time away as you did. As has been said, no use bashing away bad shot after bad shot.
 
I do it all the time and I do exactly what you did. I'll step away and not think about golf at all. I'll usually go inside and talk to one of the golf pros about anything but my swing. After 10-15 minutes I'll go outside and refocus.


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Ya it's happened to me several times. For whatever reason the range plays head games with me sometimes. I really need to focus on things like swing tempo, and game management so I'm not just pounding balls. For me the range is great practice for my mental game.
 
When I need to reset or get the train back on track. I got to 100 yard 7irons. Full swings. Only 100 yards. Just to get my tempo back under control
 
I would imagine if you've never been on the range and needed to push the reset button then you've actually never been on the range at all. Happens to everyone at every level of ability. What defines you as a player is your ability to overcome these obstacles both off and ON the course. Doing it on the course is the more difficult challenge...but if you can do it on the range you're one step closer to being able to do it on the course.
 
If we are at the range and my 10 year old son hits a killer driver shot, and there are only 2 or 3 balls left, I have him quit there.
Always leave on a good shot.

Years ago I would go to this "On Target" range. They had chairs that I would get and sit in between shots .

Practice just like you play. Line up behind the ball and pick a target or area. Hit driver, sit down or walk around fora minute, hit long iron, repeat, hit wedge or short iron, repeat.

Some of the people looked a me a litle funny. About amonth later, it seemed there were quite a few doing this.

It's not for everyone, but it sure helped me.

At the range its too easy to get in the group with other guys, and just pound your driver aimlessly .
 
For some reason my first bucket is fast and furious at the range, very rarely will I hit a ton of good balls. Once I settle down nd sit back a little ill slow down and work on tempo, I think that's the main ingredient to a good range session.
 
Jackal said:
If we are at the range and my 10 year old son hits a killer driver shot, and there are only 2 or 3 balls left, I have him quit there.
Always leave on a good shot.

Years ago I would go to this "On Target" range. They had chairs that I would get and sit in between shots .

Practice just like you play. Line up behind the ball and pick a target or area. Hit driver, sit down or walk around fora minute, hit long iron, repeat, hit wedge or short iron, repeat.

Some of the people looked a me a litle funny. About amonth later, it seemed there were quite a few doing this.

It's not for everyone, but it sure helped me.

At the range its too easy to get in the group with other guys, and just pound your driver aimlessly .
Click to expand...

I agree totally. I take my time and often walk away for several minutes. There is no sense to hitting balls in a meaningless race with no real purpose. Even if i'm hitting well I'll still step away for a breather before getting too tired. Being tired in itself can throw off a good range session and you start doing crazy things. If one doesn't have a lot of spare time then one is better off imo just hitting less balls vs quickly hitting many.
 
Wish I could do that! Usually when it starts bad I step away over to the practice green and proceed to chip and putt for a while and then go back to the range and it doesnt do me much good. Its all mental for me
 
If it's bad enough I just leave. No use flailing around and some days you just don't have it.

If it's just in the normal realm of bad I step back, look at my phone, do some drills, maybe hit some wedges or punches.
 
ATLGolfer said:
Yes. If I let it, this would happen to me all the time at the range. I call it "hitting balls" instead of practicing.

When I start missing a bunch of shots in a row, I put down whatever I am hitting and pick up a 54* or 58* and start hitting short pitch shots. It immediately slows down my tempo, and I start feeling the club again instead of just swinging it. I then try to work my way up the bag a bit to get back to what I was working on. For example, if I was hitting driver before things went awry, I would hit some pitch shots, then maybe a few 8i shots before pulling the driver out again.


This exercise has really made my practice sessions more productive.
Click to expand...

Always do this, if things are going downhill just go back to basic, 1,2 pitch shots with a wedge and get stuff together before it is too late, then work may way up the bag again.
 
I feel better after reading these post. I thought that I was the only person that could hit 15-20 best shots then proceed to complety loose my swing. Words don't describe it. =-O

swing your swing
 
This is why I love to film my range time. I already know my swing is hideous but when stuff gets way out of whack I pull my phone and look at the video. The worst part is when I am really hitting good shots and I look at the video, it's my same doo doo swing. It's always when I try and change something when the shanks and crap shots come in. I also always try and take my time between shots and thats with unlimited range balls.
 
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