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How do you guys bring it from the range to the course?

BamBooBender

BamBooBender

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That is one thing I have not been able to do with any consistency. I've lost count of the times that I hit the ball great on the range, and then went and played expecting to do just as well, but it almost always breaks down at some point. Sometimes it's just poor course management when I start to go downhill, sometimes it's not lining up right and such, but sometimes I hit a bad shot because I just flat out choked. There, I said it, no point in trying to sugar coat it. It's funny because it's not like I'm playing for anything.

How do you guys deal with this?

Maybe I should just play more and practice less?
 
I don't take the range to the course. If I warm up pre round it's to get everything loss. I'm not looking to find a shot or my swing. I find that just makes poor shots that much worse.

Now if I practice and decide to go play, I take my swing thoughts and feelings with me to course. I look for specific feel points that I had on the range.
 
I just focus on position/alignment and tempo.
Usually works best for me.

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One thing I used to do was to practice specific shots that might come up on the course. Warming up is one thing, but sometimes it is best to practice with game situations that you can take to the course. Give yourself an awkward lie or stance and pull out a specific club to hit it. You're not always going to have perfect conditions like you do on the range so every once in a while it is best to practice that way.
 
When I go to the practice range before the round it's usually just to loosen up. I'm not trying to focus on certain shots or working on my swing at all.

There aren't too many occasions where I practice my swing on the driving range and then go out and play. When I go out and play after a practice session, it's usually just to put to work what I practiced on the range. So I'll focus on my swing thoughts and not even count strokes as I usually will throw down an extra ball or two on certain shots.
 
One thing to consider is this. On the range, are you hitting every shot great, or just some? Because on the range you get to hit the same club, same lie, etc. over and over. On the course it is very different, as you are going through your bag rapidly. Maybe go to the range, and play the course in your mind. What is the first hole? Par 5 with a stream going through the fairway 150 yards out. What happens? How far are you from the green? What is your next shot? Try to simulate the course and see how it goes. Without hitting the same club back to back often, you may get a more course like outcome.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I don't take the range to the course. If I warm up pre round it's to get everything loss. I'm not looking to find a shot or my swing. I find that just makes poor shots that much worse.

Now if I practice and decide to go play, I take my swing thoughts and feelings with me to course. I look for specific feel points that I had on the range.
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This is me to a T now, its something that took me a while to get to, but its the way that I play and practice now. In fact, since I'm a member I always try to finish practice sessions by playing 1, 4, and 9 to try to take the thoughts and what I have worked on to an actual area of play. Has really helped me. But when I'm playing, the range is to warm up, find that good groove, and go with all thoughts on the round and not my swing from there.
 
The honest answer for me is that I don't. Not because I don't want to but because I've learned that whatever I'm doing on the range simply will not transfer to the course.

I've had great warmups lead to awful rounds and vice versa. I find that if I hit the range on a Friday night to work on a few things and then play on Saturday I will hit the ball well.
 
I would argue I am actually less consistent on the range than I am on course, because I am constantly making small changes to my swing to see what I can create.

when it comes to swinging on the course, I generally make no adjustments to swing, only line towards target (and even that usually ends up being foolish). What I am on the course that day is what I'll be.
 
Canadan said:
I would argue I am actually less consistent on the range than I am on course, because I am constantly making small changes to my swing to see what I can create.

when it comes to swinging on the course, I generally make no adjustments to swing, only line towards target (and even that usually ends up being foolish). What I am on the course that day is what I'll be.
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Same here. I'm generally trying things on the range whereas on the course I feel I basically know my swing, so I just tend to focus on a couple of things, like trying to keep loose and having a smooth swing..
 
Thanks for the replies, gives me a lot of perspectives to draw from. I do some similar things. I try not to work on anything at the range if I know I'm going to play that day.

I'm talking more like going to the range, hitting everything really well, then deciding to play a little. Play the first 4-6 holes around par then blow up on the last hole or two. That's pretty much what I did yesterday, and many other times also. That's the kind of stuff that drives me nuts.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I don't take the range to the course. If I warm up pre round it's to get everything loss. I'm not looking to find a shot or my swing. I find that just makes poor shots that much worse.

Now if I practice and decide to go play, I take my swing thoughts and feelings with me to course. I look for specific feel points that I had on the range.
Click to expand...
Like you, on game day, I just use the range to warm up and focus on contact. I do use my headphones and some nice music to get in the mood though ;)

BamBooBender said:
Thanks for the replies, gives me a lot of perspectives to draw from. I do some similar things. I try not to work on anything at the range if I know I'm going to play that day.

I'm talking more like going to the range, hitting everything really well, then deciding to play a little. Play the first 4-6 holes around par then blow up on the last hole or two. That's pretty much what I did yesterday, and many other times also. That's the kind of stuff that drives me nuts.
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You're not tired after training? I never shoot well after training :)
 
Floor-is said:
Like you, on game day, I just use the range to warm up and focus on contact. I do use my headphones and some nice music to get in the mood though ;)


You're not tired after training? I never shoot well after training :)
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I like idea of the head phones on game day. I do that for big events. It was great at the Morgan Cup last year. A bit of the same this year
 
Floor-is said:
Like you, on game day, I just use the range to warm up and focus on contact. I do use my headphones and some nice music to get in the mood though ;)


You're not tired after training? I never shoot well after training :)
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Sometimes I am, but yesterday I only hit a small bucket of balls, so I wasn't really tired.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I like idea of the head phones on game day. I do that for big events. It was great at the Morgan Cup last year. A bit of the same this year
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I use them all the time. When training alone, when playing alone.. I was even thinking about putting then in while playing my singles matchplay is afternoon.. My opponent was extremely annoyed with himself and my game, was swearing a lot and whining all the time. Felt like a great solution.

To the original poster: maybe it's the ground you stand on? After training I find it hard as I've been focussing on changing something, other then that I don't really have issues with going from DR to the course. I'm guessing it is because of what I'm focussing on: contact and aim. Distance and flight aren't to be trusted with the 1-piece driving range balls. :)


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Floor-is said:
I use them all the time. When training alone, when playing alone.. I was even thinking about putting then in while playing my singles matchplay is afternoon.. My opponent was extremely annoyed with himself and my game, was swearing a lot and whining all the time. Felt like a great solution.

To the original poster: maybe it's the ground you stand on? After training I find it hard as I've been focusing on changing something, other then that I don't really have issues with going from DR to the course. I'm guessing it is because of what I'm focusing on: contact and aim. Distance and flight aren't to be trusted with the 1-piece driving range balls. :)


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Click to expand...

I have been guilty of "finding something" at the range and then trying it on the course without much luck. Yesterday I was just working on contact and aim basically, but I'm thinking I must not be practicing correctly because it doesn't seem to translate to any lasting consistency on the course.
 
It's also the mindset "been doing great on the DR, now let's do it in real life!". You create pressure and just more possibility for failure.
Somehow I've found a way to ignore stuff like that. Hell, I hit a couple of shanks on the DR this morning, but the matches I had to play today where great :)


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Floor-is said:
It's also the mindset "been doing great on the DR, now let's do it in real life!". You create pressure and just more possibility for failure.
Somehow I've found a way to ignore stuff like that. Hell, I hit a couple of shanks on the DR this morning, but the matches I had to play today where great :)


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Click to expand...

You may be right there man, my mental game is not good.
 
Floor-is said:
It's also the mindset "been doing great on the DR, now let's do it in real life!". You create pressure and just more possibility for failure.
Somehow I've found a way to ignore stuff like that. Hell, I hit a couple of shanks on the DR this morning, but the matches I had to play today where great :)



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Congrats on your matches today!
 
I honestly am having my eyes opened to the fact that I can't bring it from the range to the course. I've hit the damn ball so well at the range lately prior to rounds, and then my driving has quickly gone to the dogs on the course. I need to find a new way to practice and warm up I think.
 
Two things here....range work prior to playing a round for me is simply to loosen up. I try to pay no attention to the quality of shots I hit, and am simply looking to get the blood flowing.

The second thing...range session Monday following by a round Thursday...this is where I struggle. Practice range sessions always have a goal (a week ago for me was takeaway on plane). I had a good swing grooved and was hitting the ball phenomenal. Then I didn't pick up a club again until my league round on Thursday (non-golf commitments) and I couldn't hit the ball in the air. I didn't have time to hit the range and warm up, so that could be it, but this is my area of struggle--the gap between putting what you practice into my game during my next round.
 
SkiBumGolfer said:
I honestly am having my eyes opened to the fact that I can't bring it from the range to the course. I've hit the damn ball so well at the range lately prior to rounds, and then my driving has quickly gone to the dogs on the course. I need to find a new way to practice and warm up I think.
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So do I
 
It is definitely a mental thing in my opinion. At the range, when i hit a bad shot, I just pull another over and try to hit it correctly. On the course, when I hit a bad shot it gets in my head. I have to really work on not thinking I'm going to top or duff every shot when things start going bad. I've had rounds where the ball was sitting in the fairway and a perfect lie...but when I get ready to hit it .. it feels like I'm trying to hit a quarter laying flat. I overthink it and have to reset and get my head right.
 
Ill often just go through my full routine at the range. Just get it down so when I'm on the tee it's like I've already done it a million times.
 
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