Struggling to motivate myself at the moment... any tips?

G1BB0

G1BB0

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so here I am, having played ok for the last 2-3 months, nowt spectacular but improving slowly.

The biggest problem is I am really struggling to motivate myself to hit the range, I know I need to but the only time is after work and by the time I have showered, done the tea I really can't be arsed going back out :(

after a few days I am kicking myself but again do exactly the same. I know a large part is the early darkness as in the summer I went up at the drop of a hat

Anyone else in the same boat? How do others motivate themselves to just get off their backside and do it?
 
Maybe you actually feel the same as me and standing as hit balls is actually one of the least exciting things you can do! I would much rather go downto the course and play three holes and waste an hour chipping and putting than go to the range for half an hour.
 
Yup, to me the driving range is the most boring aspect of golf, at least on a practice fairway or whatever you can change it around a bit and play from different lies and distances.
 
I love practicing, naming a shot before playing it is very satisfying, get down the range and hit draws and fades to order with driver, 3 wood, 5 iron and 8 iron.
you cant do that on the course effectively.
Plus work on a sound repeatable under pressure swing that you know works, a 1st tee banker of a swing.

In winter I find I hit the range once a week max
 
In the summer I rarely go to the range as i'd rather be on the course but in the last few months ive been going to the range twice a week and playing only on a Saturday and my golf has improved majorly.

I'd say just aim for once a week on the range at least until spring and the motivation should return. I hope your not getting lazy because of that PB the other day lol ;-)
 
kid2 I used to just take my whole bag but would start with wedges then mid irons then driver then finish back with 8/9/pw

last time I just took pw, 7 iron and 3 wood

going to book a lesson, get some drills and go for it re-focussed :)
 
G1BB0 said:
kid2 I used to just take my whole bag but would start with wedges then mid irons then driver then finish back with 8/9/pw

last time I just took pw, 7 iron and 3 wood

going to book a lesson, get some drills and go for it re-focussed :)
Click to expand...



Ok take this for what its worth as its what i do and in no way a given but it may help....

Bring only your 6 iron or 7 iron and a couple of stick for alignment....Leave all other clubs at home....The reason i say this is that for the most part anyone thats learning the game wont find the shorter irons hard to hit...There the easiest.....

Concentrate on only hitting this club well for a few weeks and forget about what happens on the course....Its never the same as the range.... I would leave the driver at home for a while also while on the course....Get used to hitting that 3 wood you have from the tees and the fairways....

I know that its hard to get motivated when you get in from work but what i do is set aside 2 days a week.....Tuesday and thursday nights... Work on your posture grip and alignment and swinging that 6 iron nice and smooth....
Trust me it'll have a knock on effect on your whole bag...

Say to yourself im not gonna be like every other fella...Just banging balls with their drivers until their chests are pumped enough for them to bang on with their fists in a tarzan like manner because they managed to knock 1 ball out of 200 over the back fence :(

If the situation in work allows....and you get the odd spare moment have a think about how you'll go about your range session for that specific night....Dont just pound ball after ball...Its counter productive and just plain boring....
On every range up and down the country you will see 10 fella's banging balls for every 1 lad working on his swing properly....
Try full swings and half swings with that iron until you are comfortable.....
Also if you are only learning dont make the mistake i made and soak up every tip you find in a book or a magazine....Its just plain crazy whats being printed now.
Try and stick with the one thing until you have got the hang of it..Then move onto the next...Winter time is my learning season...I have been working on plenty to take into the start of this season nand i wont lie to you its down right de moralising making nig changes...Loosing balls by the dozen...But....It is worth it....

Oh and above all have FUN........
 
funnily enough that is my soon to be used approach, 4/5 & 6 irons, as I am trying to lose my fade and change swing to a slight s&t it means learning a draw (which I managed to do on Tuesday), I am also going to practise the tee shots for our par 3's as feel I can make a few shots on these and rarely hit the green on 2 of them

1 rewuires a 4 iron the other is a 6iron (wind dependant) so if I can get comfy using the higher irons these tee shots will actually see me being confident as opposed to thinking, here we go, another 4 or 5 on a par 3 :)
 
Its pretty well known that I've no issue hitting the range. I do find it hard some nights after work when I feel tired and so tend to give it a miss as a tired swing leads to bad habits. There are several ways of looking at this.

You say you're playing regularly. You can accept its winter golf, just good to be out (remember all the snow last year?) and play and not worry too much about scores in the conditions

You can get a swing MOT and a few drills to work on and get the swing back on track which will have a knock on effecton your playing ability (eventually after the range work to bed the changes in)

You can get down the range, work hard and see where it takes you. Like kid2 I don't hit ball after ball and will step off the mat after every shot. If I'm working on something I'll spend time rehearsing it, often as slowly as I can to get the feeling. A bucke of 80 balls can easily take me nearly 2 hours to go through. I tend to work through the bag from wedges to driver unless I'm having a specific issue (like my driving) where I'll warm up and then focus on that area.

I hope you find yoru mojo soon
 
Get yourself to the Algarve for a few days with your mates. You'll be motivated to practice before you go - pointless going out there with an iffy game. And when you get a bit of warmth on your back... what a kick start for the season.

If you pay my fare I'll caddy.
 
Hobbit said:
Get yourself to the Algarve for a few days with your mates. You'll be motivated to practice before you go - pointless going out there with an iffy game. And when you get a bit of warmth on your back... what a kick start for the season.

If you pay my fare I'll caddy.
Click to expand...

Nip over to Spain and see if that guy Steve is around (and tell him I'm sorry)
 
kid2 said:
Ok take this for what its worth as its what i do and in no way a given but it may help....

Bring only your 6 iron or 7 iron and a couple of stick for alignment....Leave all other clubs at home....The reason i say this is that for the most part anyone thats learning the game wont find the shorter irons hard to hit...There the easiest.....

Concentrate on only hitting this club well for a few weeks and forget about what happens on the course....Its never the same as the range.... I would leave the driver at home for a while also while on the course....Get used to hitting that 3 wood you have from the tees and the fairways....

I know that its hard to get motivated when you get in from work but what i do is set aside 2 days a week.....Tuesday and thursday nights... Work on your posture grip and alignment and swinging that 6 iron nice and smooth....
Trust me it'll have a knock on effect on your whole bag...

Say to yourself im not gonna be like every other fella...Just banging balls with their drivers until their chests are pumped enough for them to bang on with their fists in a tarzan like manner because they managed to knock 1 ball out of 200 over the back fence :(

If the situation in work allows....and you get the odd spare moment have a think about how you'll go about your range session for that specific night....Dont just pound ball after ball...Its counter productive and just plain boring....
On every range up and down the country you will see 10 fella's banging balls for every 1 lad working on his swing properly....
Try full swings and half swings with that iron until you are comfortable.....
Also if you are only learning dont make the mistake i made and soak up every tip you find in a book or a magazine....Its just plain crazy whats being printed now.
Try and stick with the one thing until you have got the hang of it..Then move onto the next...Winter time is my learning season...I have been working on plenty to take into the start of this season nand i wont lie to you its down right de moralising making nig changes...Loosing balls by the dozen...But....It is worth it....

Oh and above all have FUN........
Click to expand...

This is probably THE most sensible piece of advice I have EVER read on this forum!!
 
I'll second that.

Good post kid2. Very informative and motivational.
I too found range sessions boring, especially during the better months when course time is at a premium. Winter months, too dark for the course, taking your advice onboard should make for time better utilised at the range.
I had a session earlier this week and must admit to wasting it by smashing balls as far as possible. Now planning on leaving the driver at hole and concentrating on hitting the irons nicely in a structured way.

Thanks for the post kid2, you've inspired me!
 
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