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Why can't I bring my range game to the golf course?


tomfordgolf

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Hey guys,

 

Have you ever asked yourself the question: Why can't I bring my range game to the golf course?

 

I certainly have, probably 90% of the time and it is so frustrating!

 

If you have, I have an interesting point for you to consider. Golf is the only sport I can think of that separates the practice ground from the playing ground. Hockey players practice playing hockey on the hockey rink. Football players practice playing football on the football field. Swimmers practice swimming in the pool. Where else would they practice?

 

So why do golfers? So what's the problem? If I can hit all of my clubs how I want to on the driving range, why can't I do the same on the golf course?

 

Let me ask you this question: When is the last time you hit a bunch of 7 irons in a row at the same target from a perfectly flat lie with no consequence to the results of your shots while you played a round of golf?

 

Something I changed and it really worked for me and if you want to become better at playing golf on the golf course, you have to practice like you play I believe!!

 

Now I know for most people it is not practical or even possible to practice on the golf course.

 

So with that said here is my tip!

 

Try not hitting the same club at the same target ball after ball, but instead try doing this very simple routine when practicing on the driving range:

 

Change your club and target using your full pre-shot routine with each ball that you hit.

 

It is necessary to do these things if you want to play better when you are out on the golf course.

 

Golf is about dealing with constantly changing conditions and the best possible way to practice this on the range is as I mentioned above.

 

I would love to get your perspective on this and hope it will help you as much as it has helped me…

 

Cheers

 

Tom   :rolleyes:

 

 

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Good tips, it's easy to get into "robo mode" on the range.

 

That said, unless I'm working on something specific on the the range, or warming up before a round, I generally try to get to the course when it's not crowded and practice on the course itself.

What's In the Bag

Driver - :callaway-small: GBB 

Hybrids  :cleveland-small: Halo XL Halo 18* & :cobra-small: T-Rail 20*

Irons  :cobra-small: T-Rail 2.0

Wedges :ping-small: 60* TS / SCOR 48* 53* 58*

Putter     :scotty-small:

Ball :callaway-logo-1:

Bag Datrek DG Lite  

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Good tips, it's easy to get into "robo mode" on the range.

 

That said, unless I'm working on something specific on the the range, or warming up before a round, I generally try to get to the course when it's not crowded and practice on the course itself.

Yep! Me too. As I have written in other threads, I am a member of a course that is without a doubt, the worst course in my area. I am only a member because it's cheap, I can play whenever I want, and there are no tee times. This is my practice course. I don't record scores here; I only use it for practice on the course and fun rounds with friends.

 

I routinely head to the par 5 3rd hole when the course is empty (quite a bit now that it was 109* today)! I will hit 4-5 drivers; pick them up; hit either 3W or irons depending on what I want to practice that day; then head to spots about 40-60 yards out from the green because I hit a lot of shots when playing in that range. If no one comes up behind me on the hole, I will go back to the tee and repeat the process. I have let people play through, the repeat. I only use gamer balls. I may go to other holes that have specific shots that I need more work on.

 

I almost never go to the range unless there is something in my swing that I need to work out. You have to practice with a purpose, and I only like to practice shots on the course. I hate the range, and have to force myself to go there when I have issues. I like your plan of playing shots from the course on the range. If I couldn't practice on the course, I would do that and have done that in the past.

We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.”

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Thats kind of what I do already.  Typically at the range I'll practice like Im actually playing a hole.  I'll hit driver, then hit hybrid, then hit 7-iron.

Im not always successful but that keeps me from going into auto-pilot and just blasting away at the range with no real purpose in mind.

"I suppose its better to be a master of 7 than to be vaguely familiar with 14." - Chick Evans

Whats in my Sun Mountain 2.5+ stand bag?

Woods: Tommy Armour Atomic 10.5* 

Hybrid: Mizuno MP Fli-Hi 3H

Irons: Mizuno T-Zoid True 5, 7 and 9-irons

Wedge: Mizuno S18 54* and Top Flite chipper

Putter: Mizuno Bettinardi A-02

Ball: Maxfli Tour X

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Just a guess but I'm thinking Tom may have something that he's marketing. That's fine but that's my guess. I've read some sort of lengthy manifesto about making practice as much like a real round as possible. It sounds good until you consider that there are a variety of ways to practice and also a variety of reasons for being on the range.

 

What if you are making a swing change or more likely taking lessons and working on something that your teacher has given you to work on? That change has to get programmed in and it's going to be very difficult if you grab a different club and aim at different targets. It's also difficukt if you shot gun things. Take your time, step off the ball, go through your routine and visualize absolutely unless your teacher has given you a drill that doesn't allow for it.

 

Once you are comfortable that the change has become a repea table part of your swing it's time to start working as suggested here. Generally speaking I hit the ball better on the course than the range. I think most people do in fact because it's hard to replicate the focus that's needed on the course on the range. The reason that we think we hit it better on the range is because we don't have to chase down and play the bad shots. They are soon forgotten.

 

Finally if you are having this problem see a teaching pro. Why are we so resistant to go take lessons? It is amazing to me how resistant we are.

 

Good luck Tom, nice thread, I agree that if the goal of my range session is to get ready to play that shots should be varied. I've been doing that for two decades.

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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I've learned to take one ball out of the bucket at a time. I learned that by splitting a bag with my dad at a course. I knew he needed more warm up shots than me so I would grab one at a time and try to work on my routine. Too often I just bang balls at a spot, hit two or three good ones and move on. Now I take my time. It takes me a good 20 minutes longer, but the results come easier on the course, or at least they come sooner. I still start off slow, but by 7-8 I have a swing I trust, where as if I stepped on without hitting the range it might take me a dozen or so holes depending on the day.

 Driver:   :callaway-small:  Epic Flash 12 Degree

Wood: :callaway-small:  GBB 3 Wood
Hybrid: :callaway-small: Razr 4 hybriid stiff stock shaft.
Irons: :callaway-small: X2 Hot 4 iron (pro version) 5 iron - Gap Wedge (non pro version).  KBS 120g Shaft stiff cut 1/2  inch bent 1°upright
Wedges: :vokey-small: 52° 56° and 60°.
All grips are Golf pride grips midsized
Putter (lefty):  Odyssey Metal-X #8 34", stock shaft bent 2° Superstroke grip
Golf Balls:   :titelist-small: 2018-9 Pro-V1x and Prov1s
Shoes:  :footjoy-small:  Dryjoy tours

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Here are some range tip that I've learned from my teachers all three of whom were or are Class A Pro's.

 

1. Always have a plan with a goal.

 

2. Always aim at a target.

 

3. Go through your routine as you would on the course unless you are doing a drill that dictates other wise. This includes visualizing the shot.

 

4. Hit balls in smaller groupings, say five, then rest.

 

I went to the range today with a goal of getting my extension back. I've been getting too inside of late. Alternating shots with different clubs would have been counter productive to that goal. Instead I warmed up briefly including stretches and wedges and then got to it with my seven iron. I created a good station at an ideal target. It was not good so I went into drill mode, tee in the ground a hand inside the ball and elbow back of it, stay outsifpde the tee back and through. It took three or four to not hit the tee and then the first couple were week fades but the next five groups of 5 were hammered straight and high at the target. On to 25 drivers. I got that back quicker.

 

Once both were back I hit driver, 7 iron, PW in one direction and driver, 6 iron, GW in another direction. I closed by trying the regents wedge for a bit and comparing it to my SCOR 60. Sad to say I think I will be testing their money back guarantee.

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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