Takin it to the Range??

[ezra76]

I went to the range today, which I hate to do but the weather is too cold for the course. I can't understand how I hit the ball so poorly at the range. I hate the rubber tees, I can never find one the correct height. I ended up tossing the rest of my balls out into the grass and hitting pitch shots. I just couldn't swing the driver at all today. Yesterday I moved an Upright Piano which was all of 700lbs. so my shoulders and upper back were super tight. I never hit the ball well at the range though. I guess I have the opposite problem that a lot of golfers have. Good on the range and crap at the course.

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Ranges, I guess, have some problems associated with them, especially in physical characteristics when the turf is a plastic mat. When I go to range, I usually go with a specific purpose, and make allowances for some of the issues which might affect how things go.

But when you use a range, I think it is useful to try to mimic the feelings you have out on the course. Don't just roll a ball into position, hack at it, barely watch where that ball goes and grab the next. When I use the range, I try to approach each ball like I'm out on the course. I'll put each ball in a different spot, and then force myself to reposition my feet and alignment. After I swing at the ball, I watch its flight until it lands and comes to a stop. I want each swing to be as much as possible a learning experience, I want to remember the associated feelings of it.

Try limiting yourself to a certain portion of your clubs at a session. Make up some goals to accomplish. If you're working on something in your swing, try to concentrate on the swing thought to get that something with every swing you make at the range. Take your time, don't just beat balls. Enjoy yourself too.

[ezra76]

Thanks RBB. I think I was overdoing yesterday with my stiff sore back and shoulders. I feel a little better today and still have 3 tokens left. I think I will head over to the grass area this time though and use my own tees. I had been hitting some really nice draws with my driver and I am afraid I will "forget" how to do it. I need to find a nice big field somewhere to work on my wedge shots too. Once this weather finally breaks I will be playing 3 to 4 times a week so trips to the range will be few and far between. Good luck to you with your new irons. I am also in the process of adjusting to a new set, fortunately I have 2 backup sets if they don't work for me.

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

I still need to find a decent range that lets a player hit from grass. I rarely hit the driver anymore at a range, I'm pretty confident nowadays with how I want my setup to be, and how I want my driver swing to go. If I start off with too big a slice on the course and the driver, I've got a decent enough feel for it to know how get things back.

The last few times I've been to the range, it's mostly to been working on hitting the wedges. Even yesterday, I used half the bucket to try out all the new irons, but the other half of the bucket was put into the 4 wedges. At one point, my goal was to hit the flagstick out around 75 yards, and end up bouncing a 3/4 sand wedge off of it. Cold, dead balls and a 3/4 sand wedge seems to equal right around 75 yards. Which is kind of problem though right now, as I can't figure out why I'm not getting any more yardage from the 3/4 gap wedge, although I suspect that what might be happening is that I'm delofting the sand wedge.

I need to work on making my stance and club position consistent across the wedges so I have variance in my yardages.

Still, it was kind of fun to maybe show off a bit to the other 2 guys who were there at the range, as I began targetting that flagstick.

[ezra76]

A good point about the cold dead balls. This is another issue. This range has beat up Top-Flites, they are pretty nasty. I can't expect to get the same results as I do playing Prov's. I hit the grooves lightly on my lofted irons with a file the other day. I can really feel a difference and pieces of ball cover were getting in the grooves. I worked for 2 years in the finishing dept. of a casting plant so I was confident I could do this. I was taking aim at the stick at about 120yds. too. I hit a 9iron knockdown that I swear would have been an ace in real play. I would much rather take the trip to the course I can play all day for $15 than the stupid range any day. Hopefully by next week I'll be back on the course.

[slicerdude]

I can`t stand the driving range, like you say never a spare tee thats the correct size, and i hate striking iron shots from the mat, it only marks the sole of your club. I wouldn`t mind taking my own tees along and teeing up on the grass, I think the ball looks like a bigger target to hit, when there teed up on the rubber ones i find it hard to make a good conection, golf is full of moaning, but its good to get it out your system.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by Ravenous Bugblatter Beast

Ranges, I guess, have some problems associated with them, especially in physical characteristics when the turf is a plastic mat. When I go to range, I usually go with a specific purpose, and make allowances for some of the issues which might affect how things go.

But when you use a range, I think it is useful to try to mimic the feelings you have out on the course. Don't just roll a ball into position, hack at it, barely watch where that ball goes and grab the next. When I use the range, I try to approach each ball like I'm out on the course. I'll put each ball in a different spot, and then force myself to reposition my feet and alignment. After I swing at the ball, I watch its flight until it lands and comes to a stop. I want each swing to be as much as possible a learning experience, I want to remember the associated feelings of it.

Try limiting yourself to a certain portion of your clubs at a session. Make up some goals to accomplish. If you're working on something in your swing, try to concentrate on the swing thought to get that something with every swing you make at the range. Take your time, don't just beat balls. Enjoy yourself too.

What he said...


What I do a lot...

Take a scorecard with you - one that has diagrams of the holes.
Stretch, loosen up, then warm up by hitting ten or so wedges.
Then go to the "1st hole". Look out over the range, and visualize the "fairway", bounded by things on the range. Pick a target and hit your driver. Try to figure out how many yards you would have left to the hole and hit your "second shot". Did you hit your new target? Are you on the "green"? If not, hit a pitch shot to a specific target on the range. Do this for three specific holes on the card, making sure to go through your routine (including visualizing each shot - you DO visualize each shot, don't you?)

Then walk over to the putting green and putt for 5 minutes or so. Then do it all over again. I believe that the only time you should ever just "hit balls" on the range is when you first get there - just to warm up - or when you are working on a specific swing change, and only then when you have someone there working with you to let you know whether you are actually incorporating the change into your swing. It does absolutely no good to just get in a groove on the range, because you CAN'T DO THAT ON THE COURSE.

Unless you're Vijay...

Practice like you play, and play like you practice.

[ezra76]

I did that a little the other day. There is no putting green at this range though. I would just really prefer to go to the course. It is too unrealistic at the range. No downhill sidehill lies. The exact same shot off the mat would be crap out of the rough. The balls suck too. How can I hit the 290 yd. fade that moves 40yds left to right setting up my flop shot at the base of the elevated 363 yd. par 4 3rd green with a scuffed up, cut cover, been frozen to the ground for the last 6 weeks, Rock Flite SuperRange Special. OK, fortunately we have 3 1/2 inches of snow right now so that will actually sound like fun by Sat.

[Eracer]

Point well taken. I would rather play a round too. But that costs $35.00 minimum vs. $6.00 for a bucket of balls. And if you can figure out how to hit those scuffed, frozen balls off of mutilated plastic, think how good you'll be when teeing that brand new Pro V1 up on the lush, green grass of your favoite course.

Lee Trevino practiced on dirt, with range balls no longer suitable for the members at the club. He used the adversity to mentally toughen himself. And became one of the greatest shotmakers to have ever played the game.

[ezra76]

There is a course I play at that is in halfway decent shape. (by my standards) It is play all day for $10 in the offseason and the same after 2pm weekdays in the reg. season. They have 13 holes on one side of the road and 5 on the other that are still a work in progress. I try to play the 13 twice. I like to drop a few extra balls, try different shots with different clubs, then play my original. One par 3 is 135 with a tight pin over water. I like to tee off from a different tee box turning it into a 180. I consider this to be a much better deal, as well as more beneficial, than the range.

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

It's a chilly forecast for the weekend here, but I'm hopeful that tomorrow's weather will be decent to play 18 in the afternoon. I'd much rather have that than going to the range, although I will use a range if it's just too windy and uncomfortable for being out on the course.

I think mostly it's I just really don't like hitting balls for hitting balls. I prefer the challenge of each new shot and hole on a course. But the range has utility to practice when you can't get out to play, or if you want to focus on some aspect of a swing.

[Pa Jayhawk]

There aren't even any ranges open around here in the winter. It snowed 4" again yesterday. Doesn't Mother Nature have any simpathy, it's March and this is PA, it should be the start of the Golf Season already.

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Originally Posted by FKA Pa Jayhawk

There aren't even any ranges open around here in the winter. It snowed 4" again yesterday. Doesn't Mother Nature have any simpathy, it's March and this is PA, it should be the start of the Golf Season already.

We had freezing rain for a while down here yesterday, then it nudged up to around 35* and it was just a cold miserable rain. Thank goodness!

It's supposed to warm up some towards next weekend, though, then the 15-day outlook calls for it to get chilly again. :crazyeyes:

[DouginGA]

on the course versus driving range - its like the difference between actual sex and masturbation. But I still go to the range too.

[Pa Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by DouginGA

on the course versus driving range - its like the difference between actual sex and masturbation. But I still go to the range too.

Yeah, I've noticed you seem to get more hand callouses on the range