Different game range to course

[ainley87simon]

Starting to get very frustrated with my game on a Saturday with a card in my hand, or on a Sunday when having a knock with my mates.

At the range, I can hit the ball I intend too, too or near to the target I intend too. On the course I don't have the foggiest as where the ball the is going, the only time I feel confident is when standing over a putt or a small chip. I have been to the range this lunchtime, and feelings I had when swinging compared to swinging at the course, my swing feels shallower (by that I mean at the top of my swing my hands don't feel as high), it feels slower I don't try smash the ball to bits and what results is soft right left ball movement, and a confidence that I can hit the ball consistently enough to hit a target area. Even my bad shots at the range or good bad ones in so much that they still go straight.

On the course my swing is quick, really quick too quick, my hands get high I attack the ball steeply and tend cut across meaning I can hit big left to rights that have little to no control. My bad ones are horrific rounds ruiners!

Does anyone else have this affliction? How did you solve, I know it is purely mental.

 

[Rooter]

Dunno about specifics, but range matts can be very forgiving! turf reacts very differently to a matt and often the club can bounce and still give you a decent strike

 

[ainley87simon]

Dunno about specifics, but range matts can be very forgiving! turf reacts very differently to a matt and often the club can bounce and still give you a decent strike

It is not so much that hit shots fat with the aid of the matt, it is more that shots that come out the heel or toe seem to be more forgiving at the range, I wonder if it is to do with a slower swing, and range balls that don't go as far spin as much.

 

[Imurg]

They're more forgiving because they don't go into the rough and cost you a shot.
A bad shot on the range costs nothing
No pressure on the range so don't play well there and think you've got it cracked.
I use posts or markers to envisage a fairway or a green and focus on hitting the ball to those points
Practice as if you're on the course.

 

[bobmac]

Spend a whole 18 holes hitting an extra club for your approach shots.......so if it's normally an 8, hit a 7. That should improve your rhythm

 

[Keeno]

Spend a whole 18 holes hitting an extra club for your approach shots.......so if it's normally an 8, hit a 7. That should improve your rhythm

I like this logic! Good mind set to have

 

[Foliage Finder]

Does anyone else have this affliction? How did you solve, I know it is purely mental.

I'm suffering a bit at the moment from the same disease. Range last Friday, Mr Consistent. Hitting 4 iron off the deck straight as an arrow, I'm terrible at estimating distance at the range but I was very happy.

A couple of days later on the Monday, shot 124. Thinning, slicing, hacking etc. The excuses I tell myself include: 1st time round that course, unfamiliar layout, added pressure being a solo visiting player feeling like I'm holding up members etc. When it comes down to it, I know that I have the swing and skills to get close to breaking 100 as I am now, but I was a bit nervy and anxious on the day.

Best thing is to wrap it up and forget it. Easy to say, hard to do but all it takes is for one round or even a string of holes to come together and forgetting the bad stuff becomes easier. One thing I've learnt from this game in the past year or so is how to deal with things better if they're not going the way you want, and trust that you possess the skills to get back on track!

:thup:

 

[ScienceBoy]

Quite possibly its your alignment.

Get into a routine of using something like GASP on the range.

I used to aim square at the range thanks to the mats and walls etc but could never be square on the course. Once I realised that I started taking my range game to the course more.

 

[Slab]

Spend a whole 18 holes hitting an extra club for your approach shots.......so if it's normally an 8, hit a 7. That should improve your rhythm

Can relate to this, wind aside I usually club up on every shot > 100 yards on the course compared to range distances because I never swing with the same 'freedom' or devil-may-care attitude that the range setting provides

 

[13Aces]

Taking your game from the practice ground to the course is the hardest move in golf and a problem everyone has experienced. Practising and playing are two completely different games.
Practice - hit a shot - pull another ball over-hit a shot etc etc whereas playing is - hit a shot, wait for playing partners, walk and find ball (probably fuming and confused and thinking) - hit another shot etc etc. Not the same game at all when also involved are real targets and penalties for failure.
From experience it is possible to find a rhythm when practising even with a contorted grip, stance or set up and hit the ball reasonably well but then you will find that this "secret" does not work the next day!!
Everyone probably practices better than they play but good practice will eventually be transferred to better play. Good luck.

 

[Paul77]

Spend a whole 18 holes hitting an extra club for your approach shots.......so if it's normally an 8, hit a 7. That should improve your rhythm

I applied this logic to my last three rounds. 54% GIR, but we have small greens. Got a lesson on irons the other night and I went from hitting a 7 iron 149 yards to 173 yards so I think it's goin to mess up my usual round a wee bit until I get used to it. Glad to be hitting it more consistent and straighter though.

As far as the differences between the range and the course goes, it's easy on the range because you're not wanting to drop shots. Bit of pressure to deal with on the course. Strange thoughts enter your mind about swings etc.

 

[ainley87simon]

Spend a whole 18 holes hitting an extra club for your approach shots.......so if it's normally an 8, hit a 7. That should improve your rhythm

This theory makes me very nervous, (ready for forum yardage jokes) but I am 125 yards from the green I pull out my PW, taking a 9i for this distance could leave me 15 yards through the green if I flush it, surely this is more likely with idea being that clubbing up, and swinging smoother with produce a more consistent strike? I'll give it a try on Saturday though, my handicap is only going 1 way at the moment, so a new technique won't do any more damage to it.

 

[bobmac]

This theory makes me very nervous, (ready for forum yardage jokes) but I am 125 yards from the green I pull out my PW, taking a 9i for this distance could leave me 15 yards through the green if I flush it, .

If you are 125yds to the middle, then I would say on an average sized green you would be 140yds to the back edge/fringe and given that most trouble is at the front of the green, I think you should be ok.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

This theory makes me very nervous, (ready for forum yardage jokes) but I am 125 yards from the green I pull out my PW, taking a 9i for this distance could leave me 15 yards through the green if I flush it, surely this is more likely with idea being that clubbing up, and swinging smoother with produce a more consistent strike? I'll give it a try on Saturday though, my handicap is only going 1 way at the moment, so a new technique won't do any more damage to it.

Agree with everything Bobmac says, clubbing up as seen my game really improve and risking the one flush through the back is definitely better than the 7-8 shots coming up short.
It was also one of the areas Game Golf highlighted for me early on, after 20 Rounds I noticed from inside 100yds, 60% of my shots were short of the green.

 

[ainley87simon]

If you are 125yds to the middle, then I would say on an average sized green you would be 140yds to the back edge/fringe and given that most trouble is at the front of the green, I think you should be ok.

I like your logic! I'll give it a try. Golf, so easy to overthink your swing and under think your tactics!

 

[MadAdey]

Agree with everything Bobmac says, clubbing up as seen my game really improve and risking the one flush through the back is definitely better than the 7-8 shots coming up short.
It was also one of the areas Game Golf highlighted for me early on, after 20 Rounds I noticed from inside 100yds, 60% of my shots were short of the green.

I will back this logic everyday of the week. Over the last couple of years I have made some major changes to my game and have come down from 9 to my current handicap.

The main things I have done are the these. With the driver I have concentrated more on a good strike rather than a hard one, strange thing is I am hitting more fairways and have got my previous distance back. The other is to take one more club and hit it smoother. I am now hitting far more greens and making a lot more pars because of it. 100% swing from 150 is a PW, so my choice was always a nice 9i, now I punch an 8i and can't miss, or do not miss by much every time.

The main thing I am finding is if I get a poor contact I end up on the front of the green, or if I hit it full I'm on the back. Either way I'm 2 putting for par and that definatly makes the game easier, a couple of weeks ago I had 13 2 putt pars, has to have been the most stress game I've ever had.

 

[garyinderry]

Knowing I have too much club can lead me to decelerate into the ball.

 

[ainley87simon]

Knowing I have too much club can lead me to decelerate into the ball.

This is a concern of my mine, firing miles through the green, or not being confident slowing up and hhitting it fat.

 

[UlyssesSky]

Knowing I have too much club can lead me to decelerate into the ball.

This is why you should practice this strategy first. While feeling you don't have enough club can cause you to try and hit extra hard feeling like you have too much club can lead to taking yourself back too much, both leading to undesirable results.

To make things even worse, if your bad strikes on normal shots come from you trying to hit it too hard, clubbing up and swinging easy can lead to even better strikes since you're rhythm is better and you make better contact with the ball...

Good news is, this will only ruin your first couple of rounds, once you get used to it and have your new "easy swing" distances dialed in, overhitting or decelerating the club shouldn't be a problem any more.

 

[bobmac]

Knowing I have too much club can lead me to decelerate into the ball.

You haven't got too much club, you've got the right club for the back of the green. And as the OP is off 23, I assume he doesn't hit every approach shot perfectly