kkremio

Haha no worries, thought it was a silly question at first but am thrilled with the responses I've gotten back! 

Very good point as there are a few range that certainly have firmer mats which replicate more of a baked lie, I find myself doing drills regardless now to make sure I'm not being flattered by the mat bouncy or not! 
 

So thought I'd give an update, went to the range after posting here and used this and it did help a lot! My strike was pretty solid, even placed a ball a few inches behind to ensure I was coming in a little steeper. 
 
Played a local course on Sunday and it was the best game I've ever had! Have only played that courses once before a few months back and I shot 140+... Come this sunday and I shot 100! It did help that my driving was decent but my iron/wedge game was so much better just focusing on striking through the ball. 
 
would 100% recommend this drill for anyone struggling with the same problems as me. Picturing that spot in front of the ball and striking/swinging through it has helped me tremendously. 
 
thank you all! 

Haha no worries, thought it was a silly question at first but am thrilled with the responses I've gotten back! 

Very good point as there are a few range that certainly have firmer mats which replicate more of a baked lie, I find myself doing drills regardless now to make sure I'm not being flattered by the mat bouncy or not! 
 

Welcome to the forum @kkremio. Great first thread! Not sure what type of mat you are practicing on but I have found some to be quite bouncy (as you noted) and do not mimic firmer, fairway conditions very well. Don't know for sure but suspect ranges use these because they withstand repeated use better than thinner designs.  I had a fitting at TrueSpec last winter and noted that their studio mat was not thick and bouncy.  No doubt these facilities take care to find an artificial turf that closely mimics the real deal. 
I see in your subsequent posts that you were able to find a range with real turf and see the difference.  While that facility may not be convenient (readily accessible), at least you know now what you're dealing with.  
 

First, @kkremio Congratulations on your score!  Well done!!
My view is that while we may be attached to a particular club because it's dependable, technology is always changing and there are so many good options out there that it's easy to find a replacement.  Consider one day in the future when you are trying clubs and find a hybrid that outperforms your current D350.  You don't buy it because you have a new ol' dependable at home??  I doubt it!!
As you said... wedges are different.  Last year I bought a new "backup" 60º Callaway '19 PM Grind because it is the first 60º that I can hit well from anywhere around the green... and it was on sale!!  I believe Callaway has discontinued that model, and sadly I will have to eventually find a replacement, but that won't be for a couple more years!!

So thought I'd give an update, went to the range after posting here and used this and it did help a lot! My strike was pretty solid, even placed a ball a few inches behind to ensure I was coming in a little steeper. 
 
Played a local course on Sunday and it was the best game I've ever had! Have only played that courses once before a few months back and I shot 140+... Come this sunday and I shot 100! It did help that my driving was decent but my iron/wedge game was so much better just focusing on striking through the ball. 
 
would 100% recommend this drill for anyone struggling with the same problems as me. Picturing that spot in front of the ball and striking/swinging through it has helped me tremendously. 
 
thank you all! 

Hi MGS guys and girls,
 
First proper post on the forum so go easy on me! Thought I'd open up with something that's been on my mind for a while... 
Has anyone struggled with hitting decent shots on turf? It sounds stupid but I feel like I can hit fairly pure shots when hitting off of a range mat but when it comes to teeing off with an iron or just hitting a shot from a fairway, I struggle a lot to get the right interaction I want to hit the shot pure. 
I know that mats will bounce the club up helping you out with any odd strikes but overall I feel like I adapt to this fairly well. Does anyone have any tips or tricks they've picked up over the years? Or is it time for lessons perhaps.. 
 
Appreciate any responses!

Good points all, i'm probably letting my irrational fear get the best of me, by the time i wear out my hybrid i probably would have worn out my knee! Also always looking for an excuse to try new stuff hahaha
cheers all who responded! 

I don't think of them as "backups."
I think of them as "alternatives."
Even something as simple as weather could precipitate a club replacement on the same golf course from one day to another.

If it gives you peace of mind knowing you have a backup of a favorite club in case something happens then sure it’s worth it.
People that make a living off the game have backups.
For me other than some putters I don’t have any attachment to a club and if it lose it or break it I’ll find something to replace it with. Also is a good reason to try something new

I don’t typically keep backup/duplicate of any club out of fear of it being worn out or due to breakage.   In either case I just look for something else that fits.  I hit lots of clubs as a most wanted tester and have come to realize that it would be fairly easy to replace any club in my bag with something else.    That’s my opinion, but everyone should do what they are comfortable with

So thought I'd give an update, went to the range after posting here and used this and it did help a lot! My strike was pretty solid, even placed a ball a few inches behind to ensure I was coming in a little steeper. 
 
Played a local course on Sunday and it was the best game I've ever had! Have only played that courses once before a few months back and I shot 140+... Come this sunday and I shot 100! It did help that my driving was decent but my iron/wedge game was so much better just focusing on striking through the ball. 
 
would 100% recommend this drill for anyone struggling with the same problems as me. Picturing that spot in front of the ball and striking/swinging through it has helped me tremendously. 
 
thank you all! 

So thought I'd give an update, went to the range after posting here and used this and it did help a lot! My strike was pretty solid, even placed a ball a few inches behind to ensure I was coming in a little steeper. 
 
Played a local course on Sunday and it was the best game I've ever had! Have only played that courses once before a few months back and I shot 140+... Come this sunday and I shot 100! It did help that my driving was decent but my iron/wedge game was so much better just focusing on striking through the ball. 
 
would 100% recommend this drill for anyone struggling with the same problems as me. Picturing that spot in front of the ball and striking/swinging through it has helped me tremendously. 
 
thank you all! 

So thought I'd give an update, went to the range after posting here and used this and it did help a lot! My strike was pretty solid, even placed a ball a few inches behind to ensure I was coming in a little steeper. 
 
Played a local course on Sunday and it was the best game I've ever had! Have only played that courses once before a few months back and I shot 140+... Come this sunday and I shot 100! It did help that my driving was decent but my iron/wedge game was so much better just focusing on striking through the ball. 
 
would 100% recommend this drill for anyone struggling with the same problems as me. Picturing that spot in front of the ball and striking/swinging through it has helped me tremendously. 
 
thank you all! 

Video cameras.  I broke my golden rule, and took some video of my swing yesterday. 🤢
Now, I’m lateraling everything.  I didn’t even attempt to change anything.  But my subconscious is trying to fix my hands that get away from my body which created a lovely OTT. Makes me want to 🤮.

Wish my wife was like that.

yes. i hate clutter. 
so even getting back half of what i paid for a club or a shaft is worth it to me if it means it’s not in my house anymore. 

These posts are making me feel better, less guilty about not ever practicing.
 
 

Something like this to make sure you aren’t moving the club too down or left too early:
https://golf.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/iron.jpg
 
Or you can use an alignment stick with something soft on the end or over it to hit under. It can be pointed at you or at the target:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Wx1pdcuDVZ4/maxresdefault.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_ce7AGOTyMI7ztmFl83LRtBKjZ7fxQDehuQ5XUWPt8Z-s45SNTp9HHlN74sMTiYE8EkjYDgp0I_KGb_C9kMMeMPmjvQ2bGR6aZbdXMywh0JW55AMLXLFIW08MI0lXrtjwILKkNeAObHq5UhmHLrUO0A

That's a huge one for me, especially right now as I'm trying to focus in on hitting the ball first and taking that divot after! 
100%, I think the more I chat to you guys the more I realise it may be time for a lesson or two to iron things out! Always good to affirm what's right and what's wrong I guess, thank you for the informative response! 

Are you a part of the "old school Ping group" on Facebook? Bunch of Ping Aficionado's on there that will probably know! You have to request but they accept new members fairly quickly
 
 

Are you a part of the "old school Ping group" on Facebook? Bunch of Ping Aficionado's on there that will probably know! You have to request but they accept new members fairly quickly
 
 

So a fun thing my coaches in other sports reminded me whenever I was in a rut is that "athletes need to be idiot savants." Absolute geniuses who know exactly what they need to do but can let their minds go blank right before a shot and immediately after every bad shot/bounce. 
The more we stack on our minds, the more things tend to spiral and compound. So slowing your swing down and going back to basics is perfect. 

That's a huge one for me, especially right now as I'm trying to focus in on hitting the ball first and taking that divot after! 
100%, I think the more I chat to you guys the more I realise it may be time for a lesson or two to iron things out! Always good to affirm what's right and what's wrong I guess, thank you for the informative response! 

It's never a bad idea.  I've been playing for 40 years and I still take lessons, even if it's nothing more than a critical eye on my swing to tweak any trouble spots.  A good swing can be self taught, but so can a bad swing.  Never hurts to have a pro get you going properly.