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The Official Driving Range Session Thread

Thursday was probably one of my worst driving range sessions I'd had all year. Started off just ok then shots were going every which way; left, right, topped, chunked. The only shot that ended up straight was a pull slice. I learned that I can pull a PW halfway across the driving range. Needless to say I was really down on my golf game since I've been slowly improving of late. Decided to cut out of work early on Friday to go back to the range to erase the memory of Thursday. Went in with a good attitude and a couple of swing keys that I wanted to focus on. The golf gods were smiling on me and I made some real improvements with my irons. I got on a roll with my 9I and just kept pummeling that target flag with it. Instead of going through the rest of my bag, I just kept at it with the 9I to hopefully instill in my mind and muscles what a good shot was. Still managed to top a few shots, and had to leave before I got all the way through my second large bucket but all in all left the range in a much better place than Thursday. Went back to the range today and had an even better session than Friday. What was really encouraging was that instead of hitting that 50 yard top, my miss was hitting the ball thin. Still had some wayward shots left and right, but more along the lines of unexpected fades and draws rather than hooks and slices. Long story short, although I took two big steps back on Thursday, I feel like I took about five steps forward after Friday and today.
 
Had another good night on the range with the Mizunos. Started off awful I was hitting everything thin and couldn't get into a rhythm. I finally stepped back and started with the basics, grip, stance, and setup. Grip was good, stance good, setup I changed a bit to stand closer to the ball and a little more upright, I also closed the clubface a little bit on my lower irons. Started to hit some really beautiful towering shots to the practice greens. Never hit anything higher then a 7 iron and really concentrated on my 8 and 9. Near the end I was hitting my 8 iron just to the front of the 150 green and my 9 Iron was sailing the 100 green. Still spot on with the GW and PW as well, I really came away from yesterday with some confidence in those irons. Just need to remember my setup when I'm on the course.
 
Great to hear Cheffor. I found when I messed with my grip alittle that closing the clubface just a tad helped tremendously. I don't know why either. Maybe someone can chime in. My grip went stronger.

I've also been finding if I keep doing the alternate 2 shots it really helps me during the round because I can adapt from shot to shot quicker. It's something I don't think I can ever change now.
 
The last few trips to the range I've really been working on my driver swing because it's been a mess this year. Finally looks like it's been starting to come around some thanks to the practice. The slice is showing up less, and I can work with the slight fade. Maybe I'll actually feel confident enough to bring it out during a round now. I've been avoiding my driver for the last like month anytime I play and just going with my M3 instead. It will be nice to have the extra distance from my driver again, while the M3 gave me middle of fairway shots my range with it is only 205-210 which is 30-40 yards off my driver distance and left longer clubs to play 2nd shots from.

I have been enjoying my iron play this year the most though, it has really been a bright spot for me.
 
THat's awesome to hear. I usually overswing my driver at the range and don't on the course. Works better that way lol. That will be great if you can get a consistant shot with the driver. Much easier to play.

mariusvt said:
The last few trips to the range I've really been working on my driver swing because it's been a mess this year. Finally looks like it's been starting to come around some thanks to the practice. The slice is showing up less, and I can work with the slight fade. Maybe I'll actually feel confident enough to bring it out during a round now. I've been avoiding my driver for the last like month anytime I play and just going with my M3 instead. It will be nice to have the extra distance from my driver again, while the M3 gave me middle of fairway shots my range with it is only 205-210 which is 30-40 yards off my driver distance and left longer clubs to play 2nd shots from.

I have been enjoying my iron play this year the most though, it has really been a bright spot for me.
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I had a "moment" at the range the other day. Something just clicked. Prob one of the best feelings in golf. I just hope I can take it to the course. I was hitting the best iron shots I have ever hit. It may have been the Razr irons, but I tend to believe it was a little of both.
 
You will buddy. And congrats on that feeling. Blissfull huh?

One-T said:
I had a "moment" at the range the other day. Something just clicked. Prob one of the best feelings in golf. I just hope I can take it to the course. I was hitting the best iron shots I have ever hit. It may have been the Razr irons, but I tend to believe it was a little of both.
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Yoccos1981 said:
You will buddy. And congrats on that feeling. Blissfull huh?
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it was pretty cool, I am not gonna lie. I just hope I take it to the course.
 
Just got back from the range. I golfed 81 holes this past weekend. At the start, I had a beautiful baby draw. By the end, it was a pure slice. I went to the range and worked on it. I think I got it. Simple take away issue. Think I got it. Fingers crossed.
 
blugold said:
Just got back from the range. I golfed 81 holes this past weekend. At the start, I had a beautiful baby draw. By the end, it was a pure slice. I went to the range and worked on it. I think I got it. Simple take away issue. Think I got it. Fingers crossed.
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Whenever I start seeing issues in my swing, I always start looking first at my setup and takeaway. More often than not, the issue is in one of those two places.
 
interlooper said:
Whenever I start seeing issues in my swing, I always start looking first at my setup and takeaway. More often than not, the issue is in one of those two places.
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100% agree. The hard part is that on the course, you can't really work it out. My tee shots were the only things slicing to. Otherwise my irons and wedges were spot on.
 
I spent about two hours after work today on the range and on the putting green. I've been hitting the ball pretty well, but still was having a few issues. I only changed one thing in my setup, and that was bending my knees a little more. After I did that, I was hitting it dead at my target on just about every shot. It's amazing how one little change can effect so much of the golf swing. As for the putting, that's been the worst part of my game lately, and it didn't get a whole lot better today. It looks like I may have a putting lesson in my near future.
 
Haven't been to the range in a bit, been way too hot, haha. Suppossed to cool down this weekend so I'll be able to get some work in.
 
Had a really bad day at the range today i was slicing the ball like it was anyones business it was really frustrating. had a nice little around the world game with my buddy on the putting green, going from 1-9 on pins , quite a decent way to help putting. did some chipping over a bunker aswell that part was ok lol overall not to bad.
 
Had a session last night. Needed it. Last time out, I was hitting absolutely every iron shot out of the toe, and I've never really done that!

Focussed on keeping my left arm straight on the backswing, as I notice I have a tendency to collapse the elbow and get narrow. This also helps with another of my faults, over swinging. Keeps my swing shorter. I was killing my 8 iron with this technique. My father in law was hitting 7 iron to a target and I was flying my 8 right over it, straight down the line. Encouraging stuff. I'm going back today to try to ingrain it.

Also managed to help out the father in law with a tip. He likes to set up slightly open to the target line, but was pulling everything. I looked and his shoulder line was way open at address. He couldn't quite grasp the mechanics of turning his shoulders at address and it felt foreign to him. I asked him to try looking at the ball out of his left eye, and trying to make sure that's the one over the ball. This forced him to naturally correct his upper body alignment, and he was smoking it down the target line! He loved that tip!
 
had a range session tonight after work. Needed to work with the reshafted & shortened driver. I gotta say I'm not loving the feel of the new driver but dispersion of shots and misses are a lot smaller and I like being in the fairway.

Also, I spent some time today calling around courses closer to home asking "Do you have a grass range" When I finally found one I was pumped! When I got there the guy at the counter said "Oh sorry the grass is closed due to all the rain we had but you can use the mats." I was peeved but I was already there so I bought a small bucket. Found out that the $5 bucket overflowed with balls :banana:. Then when I walked over to the mats I was met with the nicest driving range I've ever been to. Took some pics.

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m-910 said:
had a range session tonight after work. Needed to work with the reshafted & shortened driver. I gotta say I'm not loving the feel of the new driver but dispersion of shots and misses are a lot smaller and I like being in the fairway.

Also, I spent some time today calling around courses closer to home asking "Do you have a grass range" When I finally found one I was pumped! When I got there the guy at the counter said "Oh sorry the grass is closed due to all the rain we had but you can use the mats." I was peeved but I was already there so I bought a small bucket. Found out that the $5 bucket overflowed with balls :banana:. Then when I walked over to the mats I was met with the nicest driving range I've ever been to. Took some pics.
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Where was this range? Looks a little bit like Butter Brook Golf Club in Westford, Mass. I haven't been on that range, but I've played the course a bunch of times, and they have that huge net on the left side of the range to protect the cart path.
 
Spent about 3 hours at the range yesterday afternoon. It was unbearably hot and humid, but I am used to it.

In addition to working through my bag and some time on the putting green, I hit about 100 chips shots from various places using different shots and then about 100 bunker shots. It was real windy and I ended up covered in sand.

Had a great time out there. I am really enjoying spending so much time on the range.
 
Had an alright session this morning before the heat returned. Felt a little rusty not wanting to go to the range with how hot its been outside. I think I should get my hair cut, and that would probably help my overheating, haha.

Went in expecting to hit a medium bucket. I hit the first half with my driver, the second with my 6-iron, just to get loosened up. Then some guy brought me over half a large bucket, the equivalent to a medium bucket, which after I hit these balls, I was completely exhausted. I was able to hit about half of the balls decently well, with my good contact in a ~5-10* cone in front of me. Still need to work on the wrist turn, but I think I'm starting to get it a little better. Tomorrow will be cooler (haha) than today, so I might be out again.
 
arydolphin said:
Where was this range? Looks a little bit like Butter Brook Golf Club in Westford, Mass. I haven't been on that range, but I've played the course a bunch of times, and they have that huge net on the left side of the range to protect the cart path.
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yuppers...this was my first time there. The course looks really nice, I'll have to try and play there one day.
 
Spent a bit of time out at the range today. To sum it up in one word it would be kiss (keep it simple stupid). I was unable to hit anything today, driver was a big slice, all other clubs had a very bad push to the right. I could not hit anything straight, and contact was horrible Well at the end of the bucket of large balls I was about to throw something. Instead i pulled out my list of things to work on from my lesson. 1. Grip (looks good). 2. Aiming (all lined up, feet hips shoulders, club face) 3. Stance (yep feet seem to be in right spots..well maybe not so much) 3. Posture............... well there it was 10 balls left and I realized next to the list I wrote really big " BACK OFF THE BALL". A lightbulb went off I was way to close to the ball. Hit the last 10 or so balls great and with great sweet spot contact. I am now a keep notes fan. I would recommend it to anyone try to build or rebuild a swing from scratch. If you are like me you have 8 things going threw your head and bound to forget one then get frazzled and mad then it is all down hill.
 
F.N.G said:
Spent a bit of time out at the range today. To sum it up in one word it would be kiss (keep it simple stupid). I was unable to hit anything today, driver was a big slice, all other clubs had a very bad push to the right. I could not hit anything straight, and contact was horrible Well at the end of the bucket of large balls I was about to throw something. Instead i pulled out my list of things to work on from my lesson. 1. Grip (looks good). 2. Aiming (all lined up, feet hips shoulders, club face) 3. Stance (yep feet seem to be in right spots..well maybe not so much) 3. Posture............... well there it was 10 balls left and I realized next to the list I wrote really big " BACK OFF THE BALL". A lightbulb went off I was way to close to the ball. Hit the last 10 or so balls great and with great sweet spot contact. I am now a keep notes fan. I would recommend it to anyone try to build or rebuild a swing from scratch. If you are like me you have 8 things going threw your head and bound to forget one then get frazzled and mad then it is all down hill.
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I wish I thought of keeping notes from my range sessions, I'm sure it would help me a ton too.

I went back to the range this morning, being even cooler and cloudier than it was yesterday it was a no-brainer. I started hitting a little bit with my old DYMO2 STR8-fit and was slicing shot after shot like I used to with it. Moved onto my Superfast 2.0 and it straightened out a little bit. I was about 3/4 through my bucket when one of the pros told me that my swing looked great. I bought up that I was slicing/pushing pretty much every hit and he had me strengthen my grip a bit. It was like night and day. When I changed my grip about a month and a half ago, it was just like this. I guess over time, and with a long week break last week, my grip weakened quite a bit. I also tend to grip my club when its resting on the ground, and for a few shots I changed it to gripping in the air. Sometimes it helped, sometimes it didn't. I guess I'll have to keep messing with it and see what happens. The weather is looking to be this cool at least to begin the week, so I might be back at it sooner than later.
 
Headed to the range now. Here's an excerpt from one of the best teacher's writings on practice. Its nice to just have two set modes to make your practice time as efficient as it can be. More can be found in the link below.

How to Practice:

There are two types of PRACTICE. Self Aware practice and target practice; and they are NOT the same thing. Self aware practice is exactly what it sounds like. You are very aware of what you are attempting to ingrain into your on board computer (brain) in regards to your golf swing. You have determined that your golf swing software that is currently loaded has some flaws. So you are attempting to write new software. Your desire is to construct or improve a more fundamentally sound golf swing that is going to eventually allow you to PLAY golf with FEWER thoughts and be LESS timing oriented, which will produce more efficient results. Self aware practice is essential to the development of fundamentally sound technique.
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Source: http://www.playbettergolfblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Encyclopedia_Texarkana.pdf
 
checked my last few score cards and besides putting (avg 2.2 a round), I working in my irons today. I never noticed it but I hit them horrible. I hit the hybrids decent and the 4w decent considering how often I do not use them but the 160-110 range it's a crap shoot with accuracy and distance.
 
Really good session with the swing studio today. Got my swing back on plane which enables me to work the ball both ways. I struggled with hitting a draw in the past week and got it back.

Also set a new personal best on the putting test my coach has us do, 31/35!
 
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