Driving range issue

[LinnJJ]

So here's the deal. I'm a pretty new player (have only been playing frequently since June of 2009), so I'm not incredibly good. My driver is probably my strongest club, and the only club I actually own at the moment (Nike SQ Sumo 5000 13*). When I'm on the course, I hit it great. I can hit it 225-250 consistently, not long, but accurate. Here's where the problem begins.

I can not hit the ball at the driving range to save my life. It's gotten to the point where I don't even go anymore, because all I do is shank everything and get ball marks on the top of my club. My local range has the artificial turf with the rubber tees, and it doesn't matter what length tee I go to, the same thing happens, and they never open their grass tees so I can't use those. Does anyone have any tips, or should I just look for a range that has all grass tees?

 

[mddubya]

I don't do well off of mats either. The best golf instructor around here has a indoor range and uses mats. Does me no good what-so-ever.

My advice, find another range.

 

[gpo]

Find another range

 

[295yards]

Better to suffer on the range than on the course
Find a better range!
I find ranges these days are horrible!
I understand the hitting mats. Thousands of shots hit from the grass and they'd always be fixing divots and moving tees.
But why can't you adjust your tee height and for the love of god what is with half of the bucket of balls that have been hit with a lawn mower blade.
I don't about the rest of you but I have NEVER hit a ball that slices than hooks on the golf course

 

[limpalong]

My belief... my credo....
The Good Lord only put a certain number of strokes in each of our bodies. Why burn some of those strokes hitting rocks at a driving range off of artificial tee mats, constructed from material you will never see on a course. Spend the money on green fees at a muni course or an executive course for 9 holes. You'll learn an lot more about how your clubs will react on the course if you use them on the/a course.

It's probably been 15 years since I've hit a bucket of range balls. The only range balls I hit are on our No. 10 hole that borders the course's driving range. Since we're the first group on weekends, we will knock "strays" back onto the range so the picker can easily retrieve them.

Different balls.... different tee material... different target.... and yet we think we can improve our play on the course by using the range.

 

[LinnJJ]

My belief... my credo....
The Good Lord only put a certain number of strokes in each of our bodies. Why burn some of those strokes hitting rocks at a driving range off of artificial tee mats, constructed from material you will never see on a course. Spend the money on green fees at a muni course or an executive course for 9 holes. You'll learn an lot more about how your clubs will react on the course if you use them on the/a course.

It's probably been 15 years since I've hit a bucket of range balls. The only range balls I hit are on our No. 10 hole that borders the course's driving range. Since we're the first group on weekends, we will knock "strays" back onto the range so the picker can easily retrieve them.

Different balls.... different tee material... different target.... and yet we think we can improve our play on the course by using the range.

I never thought about it that way, but you raise a good point.

The main thing for me is that is cost...if you don't feel like shelling out $20-$30 for playing around or don't have the time, getting a $5 bucket of balls is a decent alternative.

 

[ualtim]

So here's the deal. I'm a pretty new player (have only been playing frequently since June of 2009), so I'm not incredibly good. My driver is probably my strongest club, and the only club I actually own at the moment (Nike SQ Sumo 5000 13*). When I'm on the course, I hit it great. I can hit it 225-250 consistently, not long, but accurate. Here's where the problem begins.

I can not hit the ball at the driving range to save my life. It's gotten to the point where I don't even go anymore, because all I do is shank everything and get ball marks on the top of my club. My local range has the artificial turf with the rubber tees, and it doesn't matter what length tee I go to, the same thing happens, and they never open their grass tees so I can't use those. Does anyone have any tips, or should I just look for a range that has all grass tees?

Sounds like it may be a "range muscles" issue rather than a swing issue. I find myself falling into this trap on occasion when there are other folks out on the range and I somehow let the old ego creep into the golf swing and just feel the need to swing for the fences. I may get a hold of one or two, but sooner rather than later the shanks and ground balls start happening with alarming frequency and my swing is gone for the rest of the session. I forget that I am at the range to work on my game and end up causing more damage to my swing than helping it.

Practice like you play, don't just machine gun the drives out there to see how far they will go. Use a your full pre shot routine on every swing rather than constantly dragging balls to the tee the moment you completer your previous swing. In essence, slow down.

More importantly, do not hit a lot of drives at the range. Your are only going to hit 14 drives a round at most (assuming your not like me and find the OB or water too often of the tee), work on your scoring clubs like the wedges and short irons. You will take more strokes off your score with those clubs than you will with your driver. If you are hitting your driver well on the course, you probably do not need a lot of work on it at the range to begin with.

I rather be hitting my driver 50 yards shorter than everyone else on the range than having to go over and apologize for shanking one across the range line in between someone's legs.

 

[LinnJJ]

I can see where you're coming from...often times I've gotten so frustrated to the point where I wanted to say screw it and leave halfway through, but didn't want to waste my money, so I just Happy Gilmore'd the rest of the balls. Up until probably tomorrow or Thursday, I hadn't had my own set of clubs, so I was stuck with the driver, but my irons need the most work anyway so I'll be using them much more often.

 

[FATC1TY]

I hit better off mats than I do grass, and for that, I never hit off mats.

Mats aren't good for your clubs, and they aren't good for your wrist/arms. It's terrible for those who have a steep angle of attack, and take nice big beaver pelt divots, like I do. Sure, I can shallow it out, but in doing it, I start to pick the ball and thats no good when I'm playing. I'll hit worse shots.

I'm not a range junkie at all. I pay $200 or something like that a year to my club for my unlimited range whatever.. I go to each course, and I can hit balls until I can't see them anymore. I just don't any more. I used to go 3 times a week, now, I'd rather just walk 9, than hit balls. Or play the par 3 course a few times and go home.

That said.. ranges make you pound it as far as possible. Instead of working on something constructive, we just pull a ball over, and hit it. Most do so, with no target, no intended distance, no shot shape, or trajectory picked. Just hit it, and call it "good, okay, and ugly".

The club I play at the most, has all grass, and the other has both, and usually keeps the mats in use. I generally go to the grass, as it's in my neighborhood, and because it's easier on my hands, and clubs. We get new balls every year, and they aren't really "range" balls, but Nike something-of-another.. Some get beat up, but for the most part, they toss out any split ones, or torn to hell ones, which is nice.

Point is.. don't swing so hard. Focus on just making contact and work on something. Just because you have a pile left to hit, and people watching, doesn't mean you have to hit it as good or as far as them.

 

[N.V.M.]

i've noticed more and more of the old skool astroturf type of mats being replaced by more realistic looking fake grass. the fibers on these new mats are about an inch long, not super tight like the old ones. still, not perfect, but better. the fact is there are no real grass driving ranges close to me, so i do not have a choice.

however, i do notice i consider going to the driving range more of getting out of the house, building golf muscles versus perfecting a swing(with my irons). i have a large collection of rubber tees so i always have the right tee for the bigger clubs. there's no reason hitting woods/drivers off of a tee at the driving range is much different than a golf course.

 

[Wi-Golfer]

I refuse to go to the range except for a couple times during the winter, then it's off to the heated range where I hit a medium bucket of balls & that's it. Like Limp says, I get a lot more useful practice on my home course or one of the numerous par 3 courses in my area.

 

[Hackin_Away]

My belief... my credo....
The Good Lord only put a certain number of strokes in each of our bodies. Why burn some of those strokes hitting rocks at a driving range off of artificial tee mats, constructed from material you will never see on a course. Spend the money on green fees at a muni course or an executive course for 9 holes. You'll learn an lot more about how your clubs will react on the course if you use them on the/a course.

It's probably been 15 years since I've hit a bucket of range balls. The only range balls I hit are on our No. 10 hole that borders the course's driving range. Since we're the first group on weekends, we will knock "strays" back onto the range so the picker can easily retrieve them.

Different balls.... different tee material... different target.... and yet we think we can improve our play on the course by using the range.

i can see what you are saying bout the turf, i hate it. But some of my ranges around here have grass too, lol. Some shorter then others. Imo it isnt THAT much diff then the course that it cant help you if you are having problems. I mean on the course, you only get so many chances to hit irons for example, hard to work on possible fixes with such a limited # of shots. Of course if you hit all your clubs great, then why go to the range. I know I sure don't.