Driving Range...AGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH

[mykweb]

So I was at the driving range last night. I needed to work on my driving ahead of my first qualifier of the year on Saturday.

Took my 8 Iron, 52 wedge and Driver. Stared my warm up with the wedge, hit 20 balls nicely, hit the same with my 8 iron all good.

This left me with 60 balls for the driver. Started off hitting a few with my normal setup, not good, adjusted a few things and got better. After hitting about 20 balls with no decent results I decided to hover my driver and take the club away slowly and smoothly with a nice steady rhythm. WOW the results were amazing. Semi straight shots with some having a slight right movement near the decent but over all 20 balls hit how and where I wanted them to go.

Decided tonight to go to the course on the way home tonight and hit a few balls as it was nice...... but somehow I left my driving game at the range....AGGGH

Does anyone know why this happens, is it a mental thing when your at the range.

 

[hovis]

If your on the course and you hit a bad drive, get another ball and go again, and again, and again you will start hitting them better. Range sessions go well because of the repetition. next time you go the range try swapping the club on each shot. You'll be surprised how bad the first one goes

 

[mykweb]

If your on the course and you hit a bad drive, get another ball and go again, and again, and again you will start hitting them better. Range sessions go well because of the repetition. next time you go the range try swapping the club on each shot. You'll be surprised how bad the first one goes

I did this tonight and I hit 4 balls all exactly the same, even landed in a 20 feet radius of each other

 

[ScienceBoy]

Alignment and body positions. At the range you have things to aim off.

On the course you could be standing too open (or have your shoulders too open) (most likely) or too closed.

I have to purposfully align my body on the course as I tend to have my shoulders way too open. At the range the bays and mat (plus any alignment sticks or lines I draw) all help me keep square.

 

[mykweb]

Alignment and body positions. At the range you have things to aim off.

On the course you could be standing too open (or have your shoulders too open) (most likely) or too closed.

I have to purposfully align my body on the course as I tend to have my shoulders way too open. At the range the bays and mat (plus any alignment sticks or lines I draw) all help me keep square.

So should I have my left shoulder more towards the ball.

My normal ball flight starts off left then comes back right. I was told this was due to the face being open in relation to the swing path. Would closing my left shoulder towards the ball resolve this ?

 

[lyden]

Congratulations your normal, this happens to everyone if your hitting 60 balls with a driver I would say your practice regime needs work. A good way to keep practice dynamic is play the course on the range, for me it would be 1) Hybrid>pw 2) 8 iron 3) Driver>3wood etc etc pick a different target each time. Its a tip I picked up from nick faldo :|

 

[RollinThunder]

Just digging up A-Level PE, I know that practice is all about making an action ''dominant'', ie. by constantly repeating a desired shot. When the action has been practiced enough, it becomes ''dominant'', and feels natural to you (ie. doing it without thinking). The moral of the story, in theory , is ''practice makes permanent'', so the better your practice game becomes, the better your actual game will become. If you keep doing it on the range, it will eventually engrave itself onto you, and be gradually taken onto the course. It's called progress

For me on the course, seems almost like a ''one shot'' sort of thinking: ''I have one shot and I have to make it count'', which results in over-valuing the importance of the shot, over-thinking, swinging too tight, and then messing it up. I plan to overcome it with more competitive golf, and actual practice rounds (ie. playing with 2 or 3 balls).

 

[RollinThunder]

So should I have my left shoulder more towards the ball.

My normal ball flight starts off left then comes back right. I was told this was due to the face being open in relation to the swing path. Would closing my left shoulder towards the ball resolve this ?

That should make you swing slightly more ''in-out'', but if the club-face is still open it will make the ball ''push'' to the right. It should be fairly straight (ie. no spin), but just way to the right. That's what happens to me anyway

Getting the club-face square at impact seems to be key in stopping a slice, which personally I've found is cured by sorting out the grip and the wrists. A nice, loose 4/10 (strong) grip, with a straight left-wrist seems to do it for me. Touch-wood, it cured my slice

 

[mykweb]

The only reason I was hitting 60 balls with my driver was I was trying to correct some of my issues. from a previous video I was swinging over the top of the ball, causing the hook to the right. I was concentrating on the half swing with a slow rhythm to try and drill my body and routine to help me get better results.

 

[bobmac]

It's a very common issue.
It works fine at the range but all goes pear shaped on the course.
In my experience it's because you try and hit the thing too hard on the course.
Make the change of direction at the top of the backswing smooth, dont rush it. If you do, you'll snatch it too soon and swing out to in again.
You could even try a slight pause at the top of your backswing. You wont actually pause but that's how it will feel.

 

[lee_leggett]

Try a softer golf ball for the course. Range balls are a little softer so will compress a little better.
Also your not trying to smash the case off the ball at the range. On the course your wanting to smash it as far as you can.
Just relax, swing smooth, and work on all your basics, get the start right and the rest will follow. Failing that have a driving lesson.

 

[MendieGK]

For a start, i think hitting 100 balls is way too many, there is no way you need to hit that amount. Try cutting it down to 50 and then go through your full routine (or work on getting one) for every single shot. This includes standing behind the ball each time.

This is as close your going to get to replicating being on the course (along with the suggestion of effectively playing a round on the range).

 

[mykweb]

Try a softer golf ball for the course. Range balls are a little softer so will compress a little better.
Also your not trying to smash the case off the ball at the range. On the course your wanting to smash it as far as you can.
Just relax, swing smooth, and work on all your basics, get the start right and the rest will follow. Failing that have a driving lesson.

I have recently switched to pro v1 balls for comp play, and i use the wilson dx3 for bounce games.

With both of these balls I am getting craking distance and lovely ball flight with my irons. I occasionaly get the same with the driver but most of the time its the start left and move into the right.