Terrible practice, good on the course!?

[SaffaClint]

I had no idea how to word the heading so I'll try explain what I mean.
I don't practice, I play on course and use that time to work on my game. Every once in a while I think to myself I should try practice. I head to the choose and hit balls etc and get bored so I move to the short game area, and this is where it gets weird.
I can hit heaps of balls from the bunker and cannot replicate shots even if my life depended on it. I can hit to pins 10m away and hit 10 balls with hugely varying results. Once I'm on the course though it all changes, I can generally get the ball within 10feet from bunkers depending on the length of the shot, closer shots end up closer. Is there anyone else that can't hit consistent shots in practice but hits the desired shot on command on the course?
This happens throughout my bag by the way.

 

[ironcondor]

Nope, mine is opposite, lol. I'll hit bombs, stripe irons, and hit aiming sticks with my wedges all day on the range, and then on the course it's completely opposite. Ha.

 

[-CRW-]

Nope, mine is opposite, lol. I'll hit bombs, stripe irons, and hit aiming sticks with my wedges all day on the range, and then on the course it's completely opposite. Ha.

I'm with you. I actually look like I know what I'm doing on the range. Not so much on the course more often than not.

 

[Motopilot]

I'm with you. I actually look like I know what I'm doing on the range. Not so much on the course more often than not.

Lol so true.

 

[deuce]

I had no idea how to word the heading so I'll try explain what I mean.
I don't practice, I play on course and use that time to work on my game. Every once in a while I think to myself I should try practice. I head to the choose and hit balls etc and get bored so I move to the short game area, and this is where it gets weird.
I can hit heaps of balls from the bunker and cannot replicate shots even if my life depended on it. I can hit to pins 10m away and hit 10 balls with hugely varying results. Once I'm on the course though it all changes, I can generally get the ball within 10feet from bunkers depending on the length of the shot, closer shots end up closer. Is there anyone else that can't hit consistent shots in practice but hits the desired shot on command on the course?
This happens throughout my bag by the way.

Sounds like a focus issue to me. Seems to me that when the stakes matter (out on the course), you are able to lock on and do what needs to be done. When there is nothing at stake (just practice) you don't get into that particular zone.

 

[tahoebum]

If you don't practice and still maintain a + index, stay with what works!

 

[stryper]

Nope, mine is opposite, lol. I'll hit bombs, stripe irons, and hit aiming sticks with my wedges all day on the range, and then on the course it's completely opposite. Ha.

^^^This^^^

Hit like a plus on the range; on the course it's something different. The good news is, the plus-like ballstriking is a direct result of some recent swing changes. That leads me to believe my on-course inconsistencies stem from slipping back to my old "pattern"...sorry Tiger. So as the new pattern becomes more ingrained, I should see better results on the course.

 

[rollin]

I tend to agree with "deuce". Concentration perhaps just not there. You even mention heading to the bunker simply out of boredom. Perhaps try hitting the bunker practice area first thing, before you start to get board.

 

[Tedfroop]

Why worry? Why not just go with it. The practice bunker where I practice is not like the on course bunkers and it's deep as well as soft. Calibrating your swing and hitting balls gives you feel and likely just like me you are better out of the more dense sand in on course bunkers.
I never worry about anything other than what I am working on on the range and when all is good on contact and distance calibration.
Some of my best rounds have come after some of my worst practice sessions so I gave up on worrying about it.

 

[mpeterson]

My guess is that if you're not a fan of practice, you're not going to really put in as much effort as you do on course. I find that sometimes if I hit too many balls on course, the first bunch will be great, and my ballstriking will decrease over time as I stop going through my routine.