Golf Random Irritations

[HomerJSimpson]

I don't think any DPWT events have been broadcast before midday unless time zones dictate otherwise..
All European ones start around 12/1....

And when they do start they seem to spend time catching up on the mornings events. Also aren't the marquee groups not normally out in the afternoon to attract maximum crowds and so TV can cover them

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Could equally go under Golf things that Gladden the Heart.

Been playing dreadfully these last few few weeks…in fact for a couple of months…so a break in the downpouring rain saw me on the range for maybe 40mins late afternoon today. 50 balls with just a 7i and a 4h. And I hit all but a half doz or so beautifully (for me). In fact our ex head pro was just along from me with his two boys…and at one point he commented to me that I was swinging the club really well.

Oh the frustration, oh the relief…despite how useless and hopeless I have felt on the course of late…I can still do a decent swing and hit a nice ball…and it’s not just me kidding myself.

Golf…

 

[sjw]

Went to the range for the first time in a while. I feel like I'm very hit and miss at the range at the moment. I either pure everything, in which case it feels like a waste of time being there, or I can't hit anything to save my life, with shanks and duffs... so it also feels like a waste of time, except I leave in a bad mood!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Went to the range for the first time in a while. I feel like I'm very hit and miss at the range at the moment. I either pure everything, in which case it feels like a waste of time being there, or I can't hit anything to save my life, with shanks and duffs... so it also feels like a waste of time, except I leave in a bad mood!

I used to be like this…until my coach pointed out that if I check where on the club I was hitting my good shots I would probably find that they were coming off the club face very close to the hosel, just not quite close enough for me to shank it. And he was spot on.

I was deluding myself in thinking all was well with my good shots when in truth it wasn’t - it was simply only just good enough, but my margin of error was tiny.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I used to be like this…until my coach pointed out that if I check where on the club I was hitting my good shots I would probably find that they were coming off the club face very close to the hosel, just not quite close enough for me to shank it. And he was spot on.

I was deluding myself in thinking all was well with my good shots when in truth it wasn’t - it was simply only just good enough, but my margin of error was tiny.

Strike tape or athletes foot spray will tell all. It gives you all the feedback you need

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Strike tape or athletes foot spray will tell all. It gives you all the feedback you need

I use foot spray - cheaper than ‘specialised’ strike sprays and do exact same job

I couldn’t believe how close to the hosel the strikes of my ‘good’ shots were

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I use foot spray - cheaper than ‘specialised’ strike sprays and do exact same job

I couldn’t believe how close the striking of my ‘good’ shots ws to the hosel

I would be playing around with trying to hit shots off the toe as well and trying to find out how to manipulate strike so if the bad ones come back you are capable with ease of getting further away from the hosel

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I would be playing around with trying to hit shots off the toe as well and trying to find out how to manipulate strike so if the bad ones come back you are capable with ease of getting further away from the hosel

Exactly this. My coach had me thinking about trying to hit the ball off the toe..almost missing it. And even if the strike seemed good I had to be very critical about drifting hosel side of the centre line. No good would come of that.

Anyway..the discussion has me thinking I must get some spray today to check my strike. It seemed great yesterday on the range - I must check to see if I was deluding myself.

 

[Orikoru]

Went to the range for the first time in a while. I feel like I'm very hit and miss at the range at the moment. I either pure everything, in which case it feels like a waste of time being there, or I can't hit anything to save my life, with shanks and duffs... so it also feels like a waste of time, except I leave in a bad mood!

I went to the range yesterday lunchtime and was hitting it like a scratch player. As I've been hooking irons occasionally I pulled the 6 iron out and said to myself "let's try and hit a draw, then a fade alternately and see what I get." Promptly hit draw, fade, draw, fade on command. Later on with driver as well I thought "let's pretend my life depends on hitting a draw with this thing" and promptly hit two draws in a row. Shame that on the weekend it'll be back to the same old not having a clue where it'll go.

 

[sjw]

I used to be like this…until my coach pointed out that if I check where on the club I was hitting my good shots I would probably find that they were coming off the club face very close to the hosel, just not quite close enough for me to shank it. And he was spot on.

I was deluding myself in thinking all was well with my good shots when in truth it wasn’t - it was simply only just good enough, but my margin of error was tiny.

I'm not too concerned about the shanks - they normally occur because I've set up slightly differently to try and adjust for the poor swing before!

For some strange reason, at the range I just can't get comfortable over the ball. At the course I just take my stance but at the range I'm overthinking it.

I should really get some lessons over the winter. Not this month, though - spent far too much money! Oh, and a loft and lie check on these irons - they're pretty old now, and some I definitely feel more comfortable with than others, so I'm wondering if some have bent over time

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'm not too concerned about the shanks - they normally occur because I've set up slightly differently to try and adjust for the poor swing before!

For some strange reason, at the range I just can't get comfortable over the ball. At the course I just take my stance but at the range I'm overthinking it.

I should really get some lessons over the winter. Not this month, though - spent far too much money!

It can be very difficult to get into a "range mentality" and go there and work on specifics. Too easy to hit it, scrape another and so on. Strange that you can't get comfy unless its a subconscious feeling of not really having a constructive practice plan and not wanting to be there. Just a suggestion

 

[sjw]

It can be very difficult to get into a "range mentality" and go there and work on specifics. Too easy to hit it, scrape another and so on. Strange that you can't get comfy unless its a subconscious feeling of not really having a constructive practice plan and not wanting to be there. Just a suggestion

Could well be that. Sometimes I really do enjoy the range, but sometimes it's more like, "my ball striking wasn't good at the weekend, I should go and work at the range, yes, that will be fun!" trying to convince myself that it'll be fun. But then, when I get there, I know what the bad outcome is but not necessarily the cause so I get a little frustrated if I can't fix it. Hence, I need lessons to be told what to work on

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

It can be very difficult to get into a "range mentality" and go there and work on specifics. Too easy to hit it, scrape another and so on. Strange that you can't get comfy unless its a subconscious feeling of not really having a constructive practice plan and not wanting to be there. Just a suggestion

Quite…I’m exactly the other way round. I feel absolutely comfortable on the range but put a golf club in my hands on the course and too often things feel all in the wrong place. That said, my coach has shown me how to practice when on the range.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Quite…I’m exactly the other way round. I feel absolutely comfortable on the range but put a golf club in my hands on the course and too often things feel all in the wrong place.

Some very good podcasts on taking practice to the course

 

[Orikoru]

I'm not too concerned about the shanks - they normally occur because I've set up slightly differently to try and adjust for the poor swing before!

For some strange reason, at the range I just can't get comfortable over the ball. At the course I just take my stance but at the range I'm overthinking it.

I should really get some lessons over the winter. Not this month, though - spent far too much money! Oh, and a loft and lie check on these irons - they're pretty old now, and some I definitely feel more comfortable with than others, so I'm wondering if some have bent over time

Sounds silly/obvious, but when on the range always make sure you're aiming at a target, and treat it like a proper shot, pre-shot routine and everything. I used to hit it crap at the range, but I'd be just dragging a ball over and hitting without thinking. I hit it better on the course because I'm focused on the target and the purpose of the shot rather than what I'm doing myself. (Maybe you're already doing this though, in which case I'll shut up.)

 

[sjw]

Sounds silly/obvious, but when on the range always make sure you're aiming at a target, and treat it like a proper shot, pre-shot routine and everything. I used to hit it crap at the range, but I'd be just dragging a ball over and hitting without thinking. I hit it better on the course because I'm focused on the target and the purpose of the shot rather than what I'm doing myself. (Maybe you're already doing this though, in which case I'll shut up.)

It's a fair comment. I do it a bit of both, but I probably do it less once I start hitting badly which just exacerbates the problem. I probably get too many balls that a pre-shot routine for each one would mean I was there forever.

I have some foot spray somewhere that I'll use - I've used it on the driver but not much on irons.

Also, sometimes I just do not get on with the range balls at all, especially if it's been a while since I have been. They seem so light and generally crap, driver launches either wonderfully or so wildly it's like a joke, there's no in-between

 

[Orikoru]

It's a fair comment. I do it a bit of both, but I probably do it less once I start hitting badly which just exacerbates the problem. I probably get too many balls that a pre-shot routine for each one would mean I was there forever.

I have some foot spray somewhere that I'll use - I've used it on the driver but not much on irons.

Also, sometimes I just do not get on with the range balls at all, especially if it's been a while since I have been. They seem so light and generally crap, driver launches either wonderfully or so wildly it's like a joke, there's no in-between

I'm guilty of that exact thing as well. If I hit a shocker I get angry and drag the next ball and smack it without thinking about what I did wrong. Regarding the too many balls comment, I would never get more than 50 balls in a range session now. In the past when I had 100 I'd get past the 60 mark and be bored senseless, just firing them away in all directions. Far better to get 50 and do a proper pre-shot with each. There is no point hitting balls in a way that you wouldn't hit them on the course.

It costs a bit more but the other thing I sometimes do is go to a Trackman range where it's a tenner for an hour (unlimited balls) but you can set the screen up to be on a course, so you're effectively playing a round of golf in your practice session. If I hit a shocker though I just hit the mulligan button and try and get it right before moving on. Doing that you still probably only hit around 50 shots and some of them will be 50 yard pitches and the like.

It is tough to see results if the balls are trash, that I'll grant you.

 

[sunshine]

I went to the range yesterday lunchtime and was hitting it like a scratch player. As I've been hooking irons occasionally I pulled the 6 iron out and said to myself "let's try and hit a draw, then a fade alternately and see what I get." Promptly hit draw, fade, draw, fade on command. Later on with driver as well I thought "let's pretend my life depends on hitting a draw with this thing" and promptly hit two draws in a row. Shame that on the weekend it'll be back to the same old not having a clue where it'll go.

This is me. I can hit any shot on demand on the range or if I'm on the course by myself, the beauty of no consequences. It's like a penalty shoot out: in training it's easy to put it top bin, not so easy in a match.

 

[sjw]

I'm guilty of that exact thing as well. If I hit a shocker I get angry and drag the next ball and smack it without thinking about what I did wrong. Regarding the too many balls comment, I would never get more than 50 balls in a range session now. In the past when I had 100 I'd get past the 60 mark and be bored senseless, just firing them away in all directions. Far better to get 50 and do a proper pre-shot with each. There is no point hitting balls in a way that you wouldn't hit them on the course.

It costs a bit more but the other thing I sometimes do is go to a Trackman range where it's a tenner for an hour (unlimited balls) but you can set the screen up to be on a course, so you're effectively playing a round of golf in your practice session. If I hit a shocker though I just hit the mulligan button and try and get it right before moving on. Doing that you still probably only hit around 50 shots and some of them will be 50 yard pitches and the like.

It is tough to see results if the balls are trash, that I'll grant you.

Yeah, this is a TopTracer range, and I sometimes play the virtual golf (and, (un)surprisingly) hit the ball better as I'm thinking about it. I always think though that I'm not necessarily using the clubs I've gone there to practice with. I should play the approach challenge more though, and that sort of thing.

Good idea about the mulligan button though. Not for a shot that doesn't hit the target, but if there's a shank or something, that might be a good idea.

See now I'm itching to go to the range!

 

[Orikoru]

Yeah, this is a TopTracer range, and I sometimes play the virtual golf (and, (un)surprisingly) hit the ball better as I'm thinking about it. I always think though that I'm not necessarily using the clubs I've gone there to practice with. I should play the approach challenge more though, and that sort of thing.

Good idea about the mulligan button though. Not for a shot that doesn't hit the target, but if there's a shank or something, that might be a good idea.

See now I'm itching to go to the range!

Yeah there's usually a few target-based games. Or an option of a par 3 course so you get more approach shots to practice. Long game is what I've been looking at lately so I've been playing the proper course as plenty of drives and woods for second shots etc.

Yeah, with the mulligans I just mean the ones I make a total arse of, shanking or topping it say. Or sometimes you hit a good shot but on the screen it hits a branch that you didn't even think was solid or would have any impact, so I mulligan and aim another 10 yards right of it.