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Ever just feel lost on the range?

Big SoIL

Big SoIL

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I went to the driving range on Friday to hit a bucket of balls after work. I ended up getting there about 7 pm and starting warming up with the pw, that started out ok but then the wheels came off after about 10 balls. I couldn't hit any other club in my bag and haven't struck the ball that poorly in 10 years, I was hitting way back on the heal or hitting way thin or even topped a couple balls. I took my 8 y/o son out to play on Sunday and hit the ball ok, my focus probably wasn't up to par because I was working more on course management, club selection, and making sure he was having fun, but I did make a lot of good shots and saw the ball come off much better than it did on the range. I hope I was just really tired or had a short term case of the yips. What do you all find helps you focus on the range to put in better practice session?
 
so-illhacker said:
I went to the driving range on Friday to hit a bucket of balls after work. I ended up getting there about 7 pm and starting warming up with the pw, that started out ok but then the wheels came off after about 10 balls. I couldn't hit any other club in my bag and haven't struck the ball that poorly in 10 years, I was hitting way back on the heal or hitting way thin or even topped a couple balls. I took my 8 y/o son out to play on Sunday and hit the ball ok, my focus probably wasn't up to par because I was working more on course management, club selection, and making sure he was having fun, but I did make a lot of good shots and saw the ball come off much better than it did on the range. I hope I was just really tired or had a short term case of the yips. What do you all find helps you focus on the range to put in better practice session?
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I've been there before - I just change to the short game area and work on my putting and wedge game for a while. Usually when I return to the range for full swing work again, things have magically sorted themselves out.

Really not sure there's a good way to get out of an early session funk -- Beyond maybe bouncing around the bag a bit.
 
so-illhacker said:
I went to the driving range on Friday to hit a bucket of balls after work. I ended up getting there about 7 pm and starting warming up with the pw, that started out ok but then the wheels came off after about 10 balls. I couldn't hit any other club in my bag and haven't struck the ball that poorly in 10 years, I was hitting way back on the heal or hitting way thin or even topped a couple balls. I took my 8 y/o son out to play on Sunday and hit the ball ok, my focus probably wasn't up to par because I was working more on course management, club selection, and making sure he was having fun, but I did make a lot of good shots and saw the ball come off much better than it did on the range. I hope I was just really tired or had a short term case of the yips. What do you all find helps you focus on the range to put in better practice session?
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Do you tee it up when you practice at the range? If you're making poor contact, teeing it up can help bring the contact back. Then once you get clean contact on a tee, you can remove it to try and get it back on the turf. Just a thought. I do that sometimes when I get myself in that situation.
 
I had this happened several months ago and I was in a state of shock! I mean it was so awful that I almost barfed on my golf shoes. I was hitting low ground hugging burners and several flat out shanks. Thank God I got better on the course and my problem was simply quitting at the ball. My buddy DawgDaddy told me to finish my swing and boom, I was on the way back. I did stop hitting balls on the range for a week or so because I didn't want that voo doo spell back on my game. It happens and it goes away but you have to find out what caused it and get back on the right track :thumb:
 
Ha, I was there this week at my first THP event. Probably played my worst golf in 2 years and just couldn't ever find it. Don't sweat it. I'm going to take a week off and let my body rest and then get back at it. You know how to hit the ball. Sometimes a little time off is the best thing because you don't reinforce whatever bad thing you were doing and when you go back out again, all the good stuff comes back.
 
Being tired is a huge nemesis for me on the range but it's reality for me most of the time.

When I'm off I go back to working on basics- grip, setup, balance, shoulder turn, path of club away from & through the ball. I have several drills my instructor has given and those are what I fall back to because they fix my common swing flaws that I fall back into.

IMO you have 3 options when you loose it walk away, get a lesson or if you know your swing figure out what the problem is.


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Just had an awful session last week thursday. It started out good and then went south quickly started shanking the ball to the right, hitting off the hosel it was bad. I was nervous teeing off in my league friday, but everything was fine and I played some really good golf shots. Just shrug it off, it happens.
 
had several of these recently. lost focus, swing disappeared and it became a ball beating session. i just take a mental break and put the clubs away for a few days and don't think about it.
 
I had it happen to me one day last week. I just stopped and analyzed things then after figuring out my problem I went back to hitting again.
 
sure its happened. And when it does I take a break and as mentioned grab mo wedge and just chip/pitch some and then go back to my pw, or 9 and if its better I get longer and longer. If I just cant get it, walk away even if balls are lfet over. No sense in repeating a terrible swing over and over again imo. Hit the putting green and/or chipping area. Give things another try next time out.
 
I have a love/hate relationship with the range.
If I start feeling lost, I step back a bit, maybe go do something else, then try to get back to it with a certain level of calmness.
 
cbaker2882 said:
Do you tee it up when you practice at the range? If you're making poor contact, teeing it up can help bring the contact back. Then once you get clean contact on a tee, you can remove it to try and get it back on the turf. Just a thought. I do that sometimes when I get myself in that situation.
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I don't usualy tee it up except with my woods and then I usually hit some with the 5w off the deck, but that's a good idea. Thank you!
 
Thank you to everyone. I'm glad I'm not the only one with a love/hate relationship with the range. I'll definitely keep all these suggestions in mind next time I'm out there. Hopefully it doesn't go as poorly though or I'll be done with the range for the year and I may just go to playing 9 for practice. It's getting to be the time of year where 9 holes during twilight hours can be played pretty cheap.
 
I've been there many times before. Sometimes my energy level and concentration just aren't there. Often times I'll instead head to the short game area to chip/putt and work on my bunker play. It's just a fact that some days one just doesn't have it.

If I'm consistently not doing well on the course....then it's something completely different than just a time where the wheels came off for a bit and it's time to take a look at the swing.

Don't let it get you down. Keep chugging along and make sure to keep enjoying the game. This is incredibly important for me because when the enjoyment goes, it turns into a lot of trouble for my game.
 
This happens from time to time. I go work on the short game, or putting. I focus on the fundamentals (grip, straight front arm back, controlled turn). I switch up and hit driver (kind of a different swing given the ball is teed up). I hit a safety club (like an 8 iron) over and over.

When it is scariest is when it happens when I'm warming up for a round. I get this panicked feel like I won't ever hit it well again, or I'll struggle all day long.

Ironically, the cure is often just to go and play. I'm not sure why, but the body seems to know what to do on that first tee.
 
Definitely. I usually just jump around clubs to mix it up till I start making decent contact, then I'm usually OK.

If it's really bad, I head over to the short game area and do some chipping and putting to beat the funk.
 
ryebread said:
This happens from time to time. I go work on the short game, or putting. I focus on the fundamentals (grip, straight front arm back, controlled turn). I switch up and hit driver (kind of a different swing given the ball is teed up). I hit a safety club (like an 8 iron) over and over.

When it is scariest is when it happens when I'm warming up for a round. I get this panicked feel like I won't ever hit it well again, or I'll struggle all day long.

Ironically, the cure is often just to go and play. I'm not sure why, but the body seems to know what to do on that first tee.
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I was really nervous when I stepped on the first tee on Sunday, playing with my son I decided it would just be a fun practice round and I was gonna hit two off the first tee because no one was behind us. Pulled the 3w because it's a dogleg left at around 290, hit the both just on the right side of the fairway about 5 yards apart with a really good look down the hill at the pin. I relaxed a lot after that, wasn't a very good round for me but no outright shanks like I had on the range.
 
It happens to me sometimes. If you saw me hit, you would think it was my first day with a golf club.

When that happens usually I'm tired, or in a hurry because I have to go do something later.

I get rushed/lazy and start making an arms only swing. Then try to swing harder and get more distance, etc.

When this happens and I start hitting behind the ball, or topping it, I also hit off a tee.

There are times I'll just hit 7i, pw, 5i of of a tee, and then finish with 4 or 5 wood off of a tee.

It usually come back after a week.

Jack
 
Update: I stopped and hit a bucket of balls today after work and it went very well, I feel like I made some strides today. I hit PW, 8i, 6i, 3/4 hybrid, 3w, driver, and finished with the 52* because I had a few balls left over. I finished each club with several good strikes in a row, walked off the range feeling good today.
 
I was battling a hosel rocket for 2 months earlier this year. I had it beat and then it decided to show up again Tuesday. Some slow smooth swings and a couple of days at the range seemed to take care of it.
 
Happens to me every now and again. I usually just play with wedges and under 100 shots. If I shank a wedge I pack up, go home and drink.
 
Too often. I usually start just fine but then I start improvising - working the ball, trying to bomb shots... and then things can get ugly. Or, if I keep within tempo but get past 250 balls in a session I think I loose focus.

Need to stay within tempo more and stop at 200 balls a session.
 
I tend to catch the sh*anks on the range before a round from time to time. Luckily, if normally doesn't carry over to the course.
 
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