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Do you ever play the course, on the range?

millsan1

millsan1

I've figured this game out! Oh wait, no I haven't
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Watching a Clay Ballard video and he brought up a good point. Many of us swing like kings on the range, then don't perform as well on the course.

His basic idea is that, well, if I swing 20 8 irons in a row, I'm going to get in a groove and start hitting them well.

His idea was to play the course on the range, after you warm up.

Meaning, hit a driver, then hit a midiron, then hit a wedge, all the while visualizing a hole in front of you and trying to hit those shots to where you would need to hit them on the course.

I like the idea, and have done it somewhat int he past, but I am going to bring this into the training regime, for sure.

What do you guys think?
 
I've tried, but my eyes suck and I can't see where the ball lands. Therefore, I have no idea how far it went (and sometimes how far left or right it went) so I have no idea which club to hit for my 2nd shot. That and the fact that I have the attention span of a 3 year old...

Squirrel!
 
Absolutely. I'll warm up and then play through the course for a few holes if I know the course. I'll hit shots and then imagine what my next would potentially be and then play those next and so on. Great way to game plan and definitely can help with course management.
 
I do every single time. its how I wrap up my range session. I play a par 3 and a par 5 in my head.
 
Yes I do this but I only envision playing Hole #1.
 
millsan1 said:
Watching a Clay Ballard video and he brought up a good point. Many of us swing like kings on the range, then don't perform as well on the course.

His basic idea is that, well, if I swing 20 8 irons in a row, I'm going to get in a groove and start hitting them well.

His idea was to play the course on the range, after you warm up.

Meaning, hit a driver, then hit a midiron, then hit a wedge, all the while visualizing a hole in front of you and trying to hit those shots to where you would need to hit them on the course.

I like the idea, and have done it somewhat int he past, but I am going to bring this into the training regime, for sure.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Absolutely this is an excellent way to practice.Fittings for clubs should be done this way as well. It does not make good sense to repeatedly swing the same club.
 
My instructor suggests this and it makes range time way more fun!
 
I always finish my range sessions this way. I play 3-4 holes from the course I am about to play, and if I don't know the course, I will pick one I am familiar with.

Really helps with hitting different shots.
 
I will "play" the first hole after I've warmed up but I've never played the entire course on the range. I visualize the first tee shot, hit it, then hit the next shot, then I'm off to the 1st tee to repeat what I just did on the range. I never leave the range until I've hit a good drive to finish on
 
Do this every trip to the range. My g80 has a simulation option on it, in which I can play whatever course I want- Muirfield/Augusta/Pebble etc and it let's me go through things. Now I know there's no conceivable way that I'm actually shooting 62 at Augusta, but it is nice to mix things up in terms of what I need to hit etc.
 
If I'm playing that day, I'll play the first hole, maybe the second. If I'm working on my swing, I'll shoot for playing the entire course but lose interest somewhere along the line.
 
I've been doing this for years, though admittedly not as much as I probably should. I actually pull out a recent scorecard, and play either the front or back 9, depending on which one gave me the most trouble. It's a great way to break up the monotony of hitting balls with the same club over and over.
 
I do it every time too. Started as a way to rehearse some holes before a round and turned into a habit. When I'm just on the range I do it to practice certain holes I've been performing poorly on lately. I like it.
 
When I go to the range, I make use of the flag pins to make a "smallish" fairway.

My practice session is to land all balls with in the made up fairway. This, regardless of whatever club I am using. I just meander through my bag, picking clubs.The d-range is usually all full swing practice for me.

Sometimes I will give myself a 100 yard forced carry to a flag pin. Other times I will practice full swing flop/lob shots. Both after hitting my tee shot.

As for using my home course layout for practice, not too much. This, because the coditions are too different between the two. That, and I am using suspect range balls, as far as distance, and ball flights are concerned.

For partial shot practices, up to 100 yards, I use our short game practice area. They let us use our own (retired) game balls in that area.
 
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I do it sometimes, but it’s still on a flat lie, hitting off mats. So not quite the same.


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I do this as well. I have a very good memory and it comes in handy when I “play” the course at the range. Works well in shapes of shots and if you can remember where the trouble is.
 
There are times I've done this to test the opening tee shot or par 3 distances that I know ahead of time
 
I do it all of the time. I use my Arcoss caddie preview and play the holes. If hole one says I need a driver and 8 iron on a par 4 and I don’t hit a good drive, I will hit maybe a 6 iron after the drive. Just a games to keep me from pounding the same club over and over.
 
WLG1952 said:
When I go to the range, I make use of the flag pins to make a "smallish" fairway.
Click to expand...
I've never thought to do that - might give that a shot next time at the range. I always would just aim at a flag no matter the club - it's not a problem with the shorter clubs but when you get to the woods, missing a flag by 20-30 yds is a bit of a downer, but when you think about it your way, it's probably right in line with the "fairway" that you've created.
 
Not any more, but when I was playing and posting scores I often would play the course while hitting balls. It keeps you from hitting the same club and gets you hitting the whole bag of clubs except the putter.
 
Many times. We would go to the range and would have to share a bay. We picked a course we knew, then played it as we would normally play. Including trouble shots, etc... for putting, we flipped a coin- heads, one putt, tails, two putts.


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I dont go to the range often but when I do, I do try to make up a little golf course that I play. I will never hit the same club over and over. Usually, what I will do is hit driver, 5 or 7-iron and short iron or wedge.
I do it to train my mind that every shot matters, instead of just mindlessly beating balls on the range.
 
Yep; every time I practice. I choose a local course and play it in my head on the range, complete with pre-shot routine. If I miss the “fairway” on a “hole” with trees I’ll make myself hit a punch or try to hit a draw or fade to get it back out in the middle.
 
Our high school coach was telling us this back in the early 80's and I have done it off and on since. Now I tend to visualize holes that I struggle with and practice the shots I know I'll be faced with. This is particularly true if we start on the Point 9 at Atascocita - I know I'll have to play a big sweeping draw to get home in 2 on this par-5, so I'll end my range session with a few such shots.
 
I read this thread when it was started and tried it at the range my last few sessions and think it’s awesome. Don’t know how I didn’t think to do this before. It’s made my range sessions a lot less tedious and a lot more productive. I basically try to play as many holes (in my head of course) as I can with a large bucket

I think it’s going to really help my game so thanks for sharing this OP!
 
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