Course vs Driving Range

[rudebhoy]

Played yesterday and absolutely stunk the place out. Couldn’t hit a decent iron or hybrid shot to save my life, ended up playing the last half dozen holes hitting low stingers with a 6 iron.

Thoroughly miserable afterwards.

Tipping it down today, so cancelled the planned game and went to the range instead. My mindset was see how it goes, and if the same as yesterday, book a lesson asap.

Result - honestly hit the ball better than I ever have in my life. Got 100 balls, hit one seriously bad shot, 5 or 6 mediocre ones where I caught the mat first, the rest were flushed - great flight, straight and long.

I am at a loss to explain the massive difference between today and yesterday. Looked a proper idiot yesterday, looked like a reasonable player today!

Back on the course tomorrow morning, which version of me will turn up?

 

[Captain_Black.]

The range in my opinion flatters your ball striking.
A slightly fat shot off the mat will still produce a good / reasonable shot, whereas you would be punished for a similar shot on the course especially in soft boggy conditions.

If I want to practice, I play 9 holes when the course is quiet & hit 2x or more balls (our practice facilities are rubbish) before anyone says anything!
I use the range only for driver practice, swing practice & even then as a last resort if I can't get out on the course.

 

[rudebhoy]

The range in my opinion flatters your ball striking.
A slightly fat shot off the mat will still produce a good / reasonable shot, whereas you would be punished for a similar shot on the course especially in soft boggy conditions.

If I want to practice, I play 9 holes when the course is quiet & hit 2x or more balls (our practice facilities are rubbish) before anyone says anything!
I use the range only for driver practice, swing practice & even then as a last resort if I can't get out on the course.

Yes, I’m not normally a fan of the range, today must be the first time I’ve been for the best part of a year. It was a last resort before booking a lesson.

I get the bit about the mat at the range being more forgiving, but the difference was incredible- and we are playing off mats on the course at present.

 

[Alan Clifford]

I think it is confidence. You only have one go at any shot on the golf course. On the driving range, if you mess up, it doesn't matter. So, of course, you don't.

 

[Imurg]

My problem with the range is that it's always a good lie and it's always flat.
On our course we have few flat lies

 

[Mandofred]

I hit better on the range but I think most of that is because of the time between shots. On the range I'm usually hitting under 100yd shots....but still cranking one out at least once every 30 seconds. I can focus on what I'm trying to do without a big interruption between shots. On the course I hit a ball, start walking and talking....or feeling sorry for myself because of the last crappy shot......no consistancy of focusing because of the couple minutes of space between shots. Otherwords, my brain stops working quite often when I'm playing golf.

 

[rudebhoy]

I hit better on the range but I think most of that is because of the time between shots. On the range I'm usually hitting under 100yd shots....but still cranking one out at least once every 30 seconds. I can focus on what I'm trying to do without a big interruption between shots. On the course I hit a ball, start walking and talking....or feeling sorry for myself because of the last crappy shot......no consistancy of focusing because of the couple minutes of space between shots. Otherwords, my brain stops working quite often when I'm playing golf.

the time difference is definitely a factor for me - if I hit a bad shot, I spend the time walking to the ball stewing about it. If I hit another bad shot, the stewing is intensified, and so on.

However that doesn't explain why today was the best I've ever hit the ball at the range.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

A lot of it is lack of consequence. Even if you pick a target on the range whether you hit it or not is of no consequence. On the course every shot has a consequence - missing a fairway off the tee, missing a green or missing a putt.

 

[Mel Smooth]

I find the most productive range sessions are setting a nice tempo with a 7 iron, pick a target at a sensible distance, and aim to hit it. I then start trying to hit the target with a draw, and then a fade.
They shouldn't really be called driving ranges, as it implies that they are good for hitting the driver - from my experience I just end up trying to muller the thing as far up the range as possible, which does my swing no good whatsoever.
Also like to work on those shots of 50 to 100 yards where accuracy of both distance and direction is so important.

 

[PJ87]

I've returned to the range after 2 years just to keep a swing going whilst I'm struggling to find time to get out

One rule I've found that really helps is as an amateur, stick to max 50 balls. Take your time. Practice swing every time. Build a clean strike

Any more than 50 does more harm than good

(Copyright beefs golf club 2022)

 

[jim8flog]

On a course you do not hit 100 of the same shot in a row and you hardly ever two so the range builds up confidence by repetition.

My practice is always on a course on my own with just clubs, hitting a variety of shots with each one.

I only ever use a range to warm up these days.

 

[Orikoru]

I'm the opposite. During a 50 ball session at the range I'm more or less guaranteed to have a little spell of hitting shanks for 8 or 10 balls, but out on the course I can count the number of shanks this year on one hand.

Even aside from that issue I'm not a huge fan of the driving range. I don't find it hugely helpful to hit the same club 20 times in a row with zero consequence to the shot. I think the main reason I hit it better on the course is that I need to focus on the target/outcome of my shot and not be thinking about how I'm swinging the club.

 

[PJ87]

I'm the opposite. During a 50 ball session at the range I'm more or less guaranteed to have a little spell of hitting shanks for 8 or 10 balls, but out on the course I can count the number of shanks this year on one hand.

Even aside from that issue I'm not a huge fan of the driving range. I don't find it hugely helpful to hit the same club 20 times in a row with zero consequence to the shot. I think the main reason I hit it better on the course is that I need to focus on the target/outcome of my shot and not be thinking about how I'm swinging the club.

My game hit new highs and lows within a month

Broke My best ever score, then hit my worst score in 3 years. Within a month of each other

Couldn't get anything going

Had a lesson, he spotted the fault and I been down the range doing 25-50 balls 3 times now

The shanks had come in (pre lesson range sessions 10 shanks in 50 balls) now 125 balls not one

Working on the 3 simple tips he put out there

Want to get 9 holes in tomorrow to see how it goes before My next lesson to try and build on it

 

[Smoj]

I just use the range for drivers/woods/hybrids and long iron practice, or if i get a new club or shaft to set it up. maybe once in a while I take my full bag there to have a warm up before a round. but that warm up is about 65 balls which is 5 shots each going from 58 wedge to driver.

i find the best practice is 'best ball' play with 2 balls (if the course if quiet) its quite remarkable the quality of the 2nd shot if the first shot isnt good

 

[Mandofred]

I'm finding it a bit strange that some people hit the same club over and over at the range. We don't have "a range", just a small field....but with my usual practice I put out cones at 30-50-70+90yds. I start out with maybe 4-5 shots with a low wedge of the same club to start things off. Then a couple with each wedge getting longer out close to 100yds. Then I don't hit more than 2 balls with the same club before I switch to another club as I try to hit different distances under 100yds. I throw in a few longer clubs once in a while....90+% of my practice on the field is with my wedges, although I can't hit driver and probably even 5 wood on our practice ground or it will kill somebody on the 7th hole, that's frowned upon...but I have seen some guys bashing them out to the 7th not caring.

 

[PJ87]

I'm finding it a bit strange that some people hit the same club over and over at the range. We don't have "a range", just a small field....but with my usual practice I put out cones at 30-50-70+90yds. I start out with maybe 4-5 shots with a low wedge of the same club to start things off. Then a couple with each wedge getting longer out close to 100yds. Then I don't hit more than 2 balls with the same club before I switch to another club as I try to hit different distances under 100yds. I throw in a few longer clubs once in a while....90+% of my practice on the field is with my wedges, although I can't hit driver and probably even 5 wood on our practice ground or it will kill somebody on the 7th hole, that's frowned upon...but I have seen some guys bashing them out to the 7th not caring.

Depends what your working on

First range session after My lesson I just wanted to work on contact

Did the warm up he showed me , then 5 wedges, followed by 35 8 irons and 5 drives

Next session (25 balls) warm up. Wedge. Then just 7 irons

Today more varied , wedge , 7 then just played a virtual round on top tracer so drives, hybrids and wedges

Found strike improved on all due to the work last week

 

[Bunkermagnet]

A range session for me is a max of 30 balls, with no more than 3 clubs with me. However I struggle to have any love of going to the range or even the time to do so, but during these months of rain and course closures I probably should just to keep the swing semi going.

 

[HeftyHacker]

I rarely hit the same club twice in succession at the range unless I'm warming up or tweaking my swing. My local one has recently installed toptracer so after a warmup (usually 3 x SW, 3 x 7i and 3 x 5i) to get a feel for my yardages, i tend to then play around with the game modes on there.

I find the approach play game has helped me massively, its essentially 9 approach shots of varying length ranging anywhere from 60 yards to 170ish and your score is the sum of your total distance from the pin after those 9 shots.

Ultimately though nothing beats getting out there and playing - dropping a few balls and rehitting shots or trying different things. As others have said the range can lull you into a false sense of security because of the forgiveness of the mats and the perfect lie.

 

[PJ87]

A range session for me is a max of 30 balls, with no more than 3 clubs with me. However I struggle to have any love of going to the range or even the time to do so, but during these months of rain and course closures I probably should just to keep the swing semi going.

Have you tried headphones? I used to hate the range but found headphones and a podcast drowns out the noise of everyone else around and keeps entrainment levels up

 

[Maninblack4612]

I try to simulate an actual round at the range so I'll hit driver, two hacks with a sand wedge, a six iron & two chips, then back to driver.