[illiniastibly]

You hit it beautifully on the range, shaping shots at will. Then you head to the first tee and reality bites.


Don't just practice, practice to transfer the skills you're trying to learn to the course. When you hit balls at the range, you typically aren't thinking about a specific hole, the conditions, the score you need to stay in the match, the pressure, etc. — but you do when you play. "Practicing your technique within the context of where you'll apply it, and it makes all the difference in the world to your game.


Hitting 25 drivers in a row is skills practice. Hitting driver, then 7-iron, and then wedge is transfer practice — it mimics how you play on the course. Regardless of what part of the swing you're working on, do it with a different club after every swing.

Call it quits when you're no longer able to concentrate on the task at hand. Beyond that point, you're just going through the motions. But you should also stop when you're swinging well or have the skill you're grooving in a good place. The danger in continuing practice is that you'll get sloppy or get lost in misguided experimentation.




When you practice, work on one change only, or you'll literally short-circuit your brain. Repeating a movement — like swinging a golf club — causes changes in your central nervous system that increase the efficiency of the brain circuits controlling the muscles involved

[artkolkovk]

I wonder how many golfers while at the range, who actually aim at a target, find they are missing those range targets the same amount as their on course targets. Actually I wonder how many people on the driving range are actually aiming at a target. I see a quite a few folks that are happy their range ball just stays inside the fence.

[Charryith]

I pick some landmarks in the driving range (trees, yard markers, etc.) and consider that to be the width of the fairway.

[Geetiill]

I pick some landmarks in the driving range (trees, yard markers, etc.) and consider that to be the width of the fairway.

I agree. the range I visit often has various greens/pins and yardage indicators so it is easy to work on distance and position.

[forextradinginfo]

I know how to not leave your best shots on the range. Do like I do and just don't go there. That way ALL of my shots are made on the course.

[squicscor]

or get lost in misguided experimentation.

How true! Lately I've been experimenting with different driver swings. Trouble is I can't decide which one to actually use on the course. When I take it to the course I'm conflicted because I haven't settled on the driver swing setup I want. Truly "Lost in misguided experimentation........great phrase!! Much like a cold slap in the face to bring me back to reality.

[laperuzdfhami]

How often do you golf and are under what circumstances. By yourself with strangers, friends for money or just fun? I don't have any good infor. just curious..I find I get into too much of a groove at the range. So I go too the course more then the range.

[artkolkovk]

I golf and/or I practice every week. No particular circumstances, and yes, yes, yes, and yes to the rest of your question. I use the range to see how my game is. If If my game is in the tank on the range, there is no need to spend more money on 18 holes. If my range golf is decent, the price for 18 holes is money well spent. There is nothing worse to me than trying to play my way out of 18 holes of bad, frustrating golf. That's what the range is for.

How often do you golf and are under what circumstances. By yourself with strangers, friends for money or just fun? I don't have any good infor. just curious..I find I get into too much of a groove at the range. So I go too the course more then the range.

[mas-dkt-sive]

I pick a course and play it on the range. I start with the drive on #1, decide what I need for my second shot...right around the course leaving off chipping and putting. I practice those separately. I find it helps me more than pounding the same club over and over again. Since I only get one chance to make a good shot on the course, then practicing over and over til I hit one perfect 9 iron is useless. I may hit 5 ot 6 Seven irons in a row during my warm up time at the range, but that is different. I am just loosening up then.

[excivaamome]

You hit it beautifully on the range, shaping shots at will. Then you head to the first tee and reality bites.


Don't just practice, practice to transfer the skills you're trying to learn to the course. When you hit balls at the range, you typically aren't thinking about a specific hole, the conditions, the score you need to stay in the match, the pressure, etc. — but you do when you play. "Practicing your technique within the context of where you'll apply it, and it makes all the difference in the world to your game.


Hitting 25 drivers in a row is skills practice. Hitting driver, then 7-iron, and then wedge is transfer practice — it mimics how you play on the course. Regardless of what part of the swing you're working on, do it with a different club after every swing.

Call it quits when you're no longer able to concentrate on the task at hand. Beyond that point, you're just going through the motions. But you should also stop when you're swinging well or have the skill you're grooving in a good place. The danger in continuing practice is that you'll get sloppy or get lost in misguided experimentation.




When you practice, work on one change only, or you'll literally short-circuit your brain. Repeating a movement — like swinging a golf club — causes changes in your central nervous system that increase the efficiency of the brain circuits controlling the muscles involved

Good advice!

The only thing I would add to that is to try to keep from thinking that you have to hit your career tee shot off the first tee. I think a lot of people try to do that because they know everyone's watching (or at least they think they are) and they believe that they have to "look good".

But consider this: Very few courses present their toughest challenges on the first hole. Often, first holes are designed to get you out there and give you a reasonable shot at getting off to a good start. What this means is that even if you're capable of hitting your career shot, you most likely won't have to. Even the pro's don't go "all out" on a first tee. They generally use their "80% swing", make solid contact and their goal is simply a fairway drive.

First tees get everyone nervous to some extent. Or to put it another way, I'd say that 90% of golfers admit to being nervous on the first tee. The other 10% are lying. Even the pro's feel the nerves and that, along with the general stiffness we all carry to the first tee means that a nice smooth swing with solid contact is the only goal anyone should have.

I think that the reason why people "leave the good shots on the range" is a result of getting off to poor starts because of trying too hard to be perfect on the first tee, which are often followed by unplayable situations, OB's, or just poor tee shots that then have people trying to "make up" for them by attempting recoveries that are way beyond their capabilities, which just compounds their problems. As a result, the first few holes are often a collection of mini-disasters which leads everyone to believe that they "left" their game at the driving range when in reality, they were just trying too hard to begin with and probably for the wrong reasons.

I'll bet that if you started every round with a tee shot that was well within your wheelhouse, you'd have better rounds overall and you wouldn't be thinking so much about where you'd left your game because it would be right there with you from the get go.


-JP