What do you do after a bad range session?

jdtox

Lord Tox
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Last week I played my best round of the year shot a +1 36 for league. I haven't picked up a club since then. Yesterday I went to the range and nothing was working right not even my wedges. Ball flight was completely opposite of normal and just wasn't striking the ball well at all. Usually I can figure out what I'm doing but I just couldn't yesterday. I have league night again tomorrow and not sure if I should go back to the range today or just let it be and trust my swing.

What do you do after a bad range session?
 
Drink.

It's a range session. If I go to the range without a plan, it's always bad. Just going to mash balls will always lead to a bad time.
 
Putt for the rest of the session, if I have a terrible first 20-30 minutes.
 
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Haha Blugold I like the way you think! LOL

I wish I had a putting green at the range I go to....or a chipping area for that matter.
 
I'll back down and hit quarter shots, to focus on my swing path and contact. Get that feeling back, then add power to it slowly.
 
What do you do after a bad range session?

If it's going really bad, and nothing I try seems to get me back on track, I'll walk right away from the bucket of balls and go chip/putt. Normally I'll get more good out of that, than I would killing myself hitting bad shot after bad shot on the range.
 
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I usually take a few days off after. For me I usually have a bad session when I am hitting too many balls over the past few days and my body just needs some time to re-group. I don't overthink a bad session...it's just one of those things that you can't avoid from time to time.
 
Nothing I always have bad range sessions I dunno why but it happens on the range a lot. Doesn't affect me when I get on the course
 
You play to a 10 and are coming off a great round, you obviously have some level of skill. Don't sweat one range session. Put it out of your mind and go play, trusting your swing.
 
chalk it up to a bad day and get back after it tomorrow
 
As a high handicapper, I routinely have bad range sessions. It used to really bother me -- so much that it would snowball. Now I handle it a little differently.

When I sense it happening, I pause and step away. I'll walk around, speak to a friend, check my phone, stretch, do swings without balls, check my setup, etc.. Sometimes I can figure out the problem or just reset and things will straighten right out.

If that fails or as I'm trying to work through it, I go to the "what works" clubs. You mentioned wedges not working. For me, the "what works" club is the 8 iron or Niblick 42. I can always hit those two clubs well. If it feels like I'm struggling, I go hit 5-10 in a row with those two.

If that fails, I back away from the full swing entirely and practice pitching. I pick the close target greens and play a game to try and see how close I can get to the pin with no wrist hinge. Then I go further and further away with partial swings on longer clubs and slowly work back up to a longer swing.

The other thing I try to do is make sure that I end the session with 3-5 good balls in a row. I don't care what those are, and even if they're my go to club, I want to end on some balls that flight well. I really concentrate down at the end to get it right.

If all that fails (and it sometimes does), I just say "golf is a hard game" and try and let it go. I've had some terrible sessions followed up by some great ones, and some great ones followed up by terrible ones.
 
You play to a 10 and are coming off a great round, you obviously have some level of skill. Don't sweat one range session. Put it out of your mind and go play, trusting your swing.

This ^^^^
Just walk away without much thought, head out and play tomorow and I gather you will be ok. Just trust yourself and that mean dont give it the worries. Your not a 10 cap for no reason.
 
I go home and beat my wife.

lol jokes aside I just say oh well and do better the next time. Learn from what I was doing wrong and learn that it's part of learning the game.
 
I go home and beat my wife.

lol jokes aside I just say oh well and do better the next time. Learn from what I was doing wrong and learn that it's part of learning the game.

Ha! Nice Ausmus joke there!
 
Bad range sessions have been happening a lot to me lately, yet my swing is much better once I get on the course. I now only hit a small bucket when I go and focus on a few clubs. Although I don't put too much stock in a bad range session, I will usually go home and figure out what's going on in my backyard, away from everyone and without the temptation to sit there and keep beating balls.
 
I chip and putt. Bad days happen to everyone, so don't sweat it. Next time out is a new day! Think how lucky you are to be able to play golf!
 
Drink.

It's a range session. If I go to the range without a plan, it's always bad. Just going to mash balls will always lead to a bad time.

I agree. Have a plan, don't just bang balls around. If I do go to the range, it is for a single club issue. If I can't work it out, I go in and get my PGA Teacher.
 
We all have not so productive range sessions from time to time. I do not beat myself up over it and I focus on looking forward to my next round. The range will still be there next week.
 
Like many others have said, they come and they go. I had a meh session today, but my last two were really good. I don't think I got any worse, I just wasn't feeling what I was supposed to be working on. Usually I follow a bad session with a decent round, so there's always that to strive for!
 
Had one today, it was like I never hit a golf ball before. I felt completely uncomfortable over the ball. Tried to forget about it and go to the putting green but it was in my head too much. Good thing I wasn't playing in the scramble today. Time for a lesson.
 
Beer, lots of beer.

Just shake it off and play loose. Feed off that +1 round you shot.
 
Chalk it up as not having your best stuff that day and move on. Odds are, after a bad round, your head was probably already full of too much negative self-talk; which didnt help anyways.
 
I don't really worry about it, that's why it's practice. It allows me to find what's wrong - a bad range session shows me exactly what I need to work on next time out so I can avoid seeing it on the course.
 
I stick my glue gun in my shoe, because after all, yellow onions have to be put in the dishwasher on Tuesdays. On the other hand, a cube only has 7 planes of symmetry.
 
Go home and forget about it. It doesn't happen often though. I don't go without a plan for something I need to work on in my swing or problems with a specific club.

I also only go when I am not distracted, tired and when I feel energetic and have no pain.
 
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