And The Point Of A Range Is?.................

[PhilTheFragger]

I have always had a slice off the tee, its just how it is, Back operations, natural ineptitude play their part
I have had lessons, specifically to counter the OTT swing, but nothing seems to work

Did some research about offset clubs and raided Fleabay for a Cobra F-Max 11.5 reg Offset driver
Came this morning, took it to the range, decent range, Srixon balls and was striping it dead straight and long
even lashing at it wouldn't produce a slice.

Thought that I had found Nirvana, put it straight in the bag for this afternoons game with Imurg

Turns out though that once you put a real ball down, I still have a massive slice, but i'm also losing 30 yards because of the extra loft compared to my Rogue

So clearly the range balls don't compare in any way shape or form to real balls, so what is the point?, it doesn't tell me anything about my game
I might as well play darts as a form of golf practice

At £5 for 50 balls and £7.50 for 100 I don't think ill bother any more

anyone want to buy a Cobra F-Max driver?

 

[Imurg]

I have always had a slice off the tee, its just how it is, Back operations, natural ineptitude play their part
I have had lessons, specifically to counter the OTT swing, but nothing seems to work

Did some research about offset clubs and raided Fleabay for a Cobra F-Max 11.5 reg Offset driver
Came this morning, took it to the range, decent range, Srixon balls and was striping it dead straight and long
even lashing at it wouldn't produce a slice.

Thought that I had found Nirvana, put it straight in the bag for this afternoons game with Imurg

Turns out though that once you put a real ball down, I still have a massive slice, but i'm also losing 30 yards because of the extra loft compared to my Rogue

So clearly the range balls don't compare in any way shape or form to real balls, so what is the point?, it doesn't tell me anything about my game
I might as well play darts as a form of golf practice

At £5 for 50 balls and £7.50 for 100 I don't think ill bother any more

anyone want to buy a Cobra F-Max driver?

He told me all about this and, on the first ( and I'm probably going to Hell for this) I was hoping and praying that he sliced it....
Fragger - the gift that keeps on giving.
Add to that he hit a tree with his 2nd and went 20 yards backwards and hit another tree with his 4th and went 10 yards backwards...
By the time we got to the green I was dying......and he left his trolley battery and GPS at home.....
You know when it's not your day

 

[jim8flog]

When our practice ground was converted to a driving range that was the end of real practice for me.

I had a bucket of 100 balls the same make and type that I used for play, most got fired down the range with a couple of dozen kept for chipping practice.

 

[Orikoru]

I have long since stopped going to the driving range. I find almost nil benefit. Only time I occasionally go is when I've just bought a new club, and I want to have a few swings with it before taking it out on the course. Much as you have done in fairness. But generally I find the following to be true:

• it bears no relation to being on the course, as you maybe hit 20 drivers in a row, then finally find something, but out on the course you don't get that many goes to groove it in.
• hitting off mats and rubber tees is nothing like grass and real tees, feels far worse to me.
• this is just for me but for some reason I used to have a problem at the range of shanking like 50% of the balls - whereas at the course the worst it ever got was 5 shanks in a whole round before I got through it.
• not really target based, and no idea what distance you're hitting with your clubs, so again, no relation to being out on the course.

You could argue it's worth hitting balls to practise strike, but even then it feels crap on the range mats since you can't take a divot out of them anyway. The only practise I do is to play more golf really.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

He told me all about this and, on the first ( and I'm probably going to Hell for this) I was hoping and praying that he sliced it....
Fragger - the gift that keeps on giving.
Add to that he hit a tree with his 2nd and went 20 yards backwards and hit another tree with his 4th and went 10 yards backwards...
By the time we got to the green I was dying......and he left his trolley battery and GPS at home.....
You know when it's not your day

Erse

 

[ScienceBoy]

Range is a about 10p a shot or less and the course is 30p plus!

Toptracer evens up the gap In entertainment value by increasing the fun that can be had if one doesn’t enjoy whacking ball after ball at a flat and little else.

For me the range is sometimes the only golf I can get in so I’m always thankful when I get time to go.

If not that the range helps me build confidence as I rarely get to a course and it’s a place to try things I wouldn’t try on a course.

I can see the other side, a range never did much for me when I was a member, far better to spend any practice time at the chipping/pitching area or the putting green. I could work on the rest of my game by taking two balls out on a weekday evening.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I just use the range for midweek swing reminders (of I did before lockdown...sometimes)
I never have more than 30 balls. There is no point in trying to ingrain errors into my game somewhere populated by wannabe 400yard smashers who are only interested in trying to better everything you do when working on YOUR game.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

...to reset my head.

I had 9 holes yesterday evening - was intending 13. 7 were great - 8 was a mess - 9 came a s***k. So I walked off. I think I had got too confident - all has been going soo well for a few rounds - until yesterday it wasn't.

So just heading to Practice Ground right now. Reset my head. Bucket of 30; take stance; address; hit ball; doesn't matter much where or how far it goes as long as it doesn't go straight right; Repeat. End.

 

[NedPizza]

range to build up confidence before hitting the course

 

[Imurg]

anyone want to buy a Cobra F-Max driver?

Pictures and a price or the Mods will take it down...

 

[davidy233]

Range is a about 10p a shot or less and the course is 30p plus!

Toptracer evens up the gap In entertainment value by increasing the fun that can be had if one doesn’t enjoy whacking ball after ball at a flat and little else.

For me the range is sometimes the only golf I can get in so I’m always thankful when I get time to go.

If not that the range helps me build confidence as I rarely get to a course and it’s a place to try things I wouldn’t try on a course.

I can see the other side, a range never did much for me when I was a member, far better to spend any practice time at the chipping/pitching area or the putting green. I could work on the rest of my game by taking two balls out on a weekday evening.

Costs 9p a ball at St Andrews Links Academy for a bucket of 50 - while if I wander onto the course tonight it won't cost me a thing on top of what I've already paid at the start of the year (I'm about £4 a round this year) and I have to drive to St Andrews, I can walk round the corner to the course .

I'll only go to the range when I'm struggling with my irons - it's a quick way of hitting a good few balls.

 

[Jensen]

I think the problem with most people at the range is they hit too many balls, and end up swinging quicker with no thought.
The range I use has a happy hour facility and it amazes me the number of people who hit 100+ balls. I limit myself to 50 balls and am often there longer than those that hit 100+. I take my time have practice swings and work on things. I normally take 3 clubs and also have a coffee too.
I understand some of the comments that it doesn’t feel the same off mats and rubber tees. However I think if people hit less balls, took their time and worked on something rather than merely smashing balls they would get more satisfaction.
The other benefit is at the least the range is under cover during periods of bad weather.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I prefer the grass practice ground although the current range balls (Lynx) are rubbish and seriously compromised in terms of distance but they do the job. I like hitting off the grass as it is more realistic than a range mat (and nothing to help line you up). I think the range has its place especially in the winter where for me it is about quality of the strike and not much else. Nit overly fussed on Toptracer although again it can have its place.

For me it has to be quality over quantity and I wouldn't hit too many balls unless I was specifically working on a swing change. Other than that I'd hit maybe 5-10 balls at a specific target (and score how close I get) and maybe finish hit pitches to specific targets at different differences.

As for poor old Frag, a slice can be fixed, and not sure a new club is the saviour. The only downside is getting a lesson or two and then working on it (usually at a range) and really working on making the changes work in the swing. I guess it depends on the golfer. We all have different requirements from this silly game

 

[golfbluecustard]

I think the problem with most people at the range is they hit too many balls, and end up swinging quicker with no thought.
The range I use has a happy hour facility and it amazes me the number of people who hit 100+ balls. I limit myself to 50 balls and am often there longer than those that hit 100+. I take my time have practice swings and work on things. I normally take 3 clubs and also have a coffee too.
I understand some of the comments that it doesn’t feel the same off mats and rubber tees. However I think if people hit less balls, took their time and worked on something rather than merely smashing balls they would get more satisfaction.
The other benefit is at the least the range is under cover during periods of bad weather.

With automatic tees see some folks not even regroup between shots, let alone line up, take a practice swing ... some

The range earns more money the more balls people hit

Read about one range having over 73,000 balls hit in a single day

https://golfbusinessnews.com/news/g...lf-centre-reports-record-number-of-balls-hit/

Albeit nice new folks are trying out golf ......

GBC

 

[garyinderry]

range to build up confidence before hitting the course

What does one do when they have a bad range session before the round.

 

[Old Skier]

I have always had a slice off the tee, its just how it is, Back operations, natural ineptitude play their part?

Wasn’t obvious at Coventry, I would change your playing partne .

And use soft or super soft balls.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Wasn’t obvious at Coventry, I would change your playing partne .

And use soft or super soft balls.

I’d consider changing your glasses Sir ??

 

[HomerJSimpson]

With automatic tees see some folks not even regroup between shots, let alone line up, take a practice swing ... some

I always step off the mat after every shot as a trigger, almost like walking back to your bag after the tee shot so I simply don't scrape and hit or smash another as soon as the ball comes up on the tee. Gives me a chance to make sure I try and set up properly on every shot. To get any benefit from the range you need to make it as close to the real thing (accepting you're off mats and it's range balls) as you can

 

[PJ87]

Was always told best way to practice at the range was to play a round of golf in my head..

Then your not hitting the same club over and over

Step off the mat between every shot.

 

[Carpfather1]

I’m fortunate to have a proper off grass range at my home course with a ball dispenser next it ,all granted they’re still range balls but still playing off grass which is so much better ,we also got a top spec short game area with pot bunkers and same pace greens as out on the course ,I can’t remember the last time I went to the flood lit off a mat driving range ,it does absolutely nothing for my game I end up just thrashing balls .