Taking it to the course

[smooth]

Hi Brian and others, interested in hearing some thoughts in taking your 'range game' to the course.

I'm hitting it pretty well at the range at the moment but is not transferring onto the course - the same old habits appearing time and again.

On course obviously has more pressure on results, but i don't find myself obviously getting stressed, scared or focussed on mechanics to a point where i would say that is the major difference.

Thanks!

 

[Kevin Shields]

You must change your entire routine, mental and physical. If you dont the "same old same old" will take over. Play the course on the range and imitate the routine when you get out there.

 

[curtisj76]

Make sure you are always hitting at different targets from different angles if possible. Seems like a lot of guys just start whacking away at whatever is in front of them.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Good ideas, but......

As a teacher-researcher-content provider, I am forever going through the process of learning a "new swing."

I have subjected myself to the "Pull Back, Run Up & Jump" along with elements of baby fade and other patterns for the last month or so.

On the range, I can demonstrate and on video, I am doing it as advertised.

On the golf course....?

Yesterday, I played a course in Dayton, Ohio with Lindsay Gahm, as she got a practice round in for the US Am qualifier there on Thursday.

I warmed up like a low-speed tour player, and went out and birdied the first hole. Hit some impressive shots, some goofy shots, and some poor shots for the next few holes.

As we got close to the back nine, I was in my "state of realization" that although I have discovered/uncovered an important piece of the golf swing that will be useful for many, it would be anything that I could do to play my best.

Sensing a little sleep-walking through the round by Lindsay, I challenged her to a $1 nine-hole death match at stroke play.

Lindsay is the fourth Gahm child, the little sis of three older, very athletic brothers, and the daughter of a two-sport D1 college athlete.

She can "compete" with the best of them, and trash talk with Ray Lewis if need be.

So it was on like Donkey Kong.

I went to Pattern 13 with the driver except for one left to right tee shot, and NHA2 for everything else.

I lipped in two par putts on 17 and 18 to nip Lindsay in a great match that featured 5 birdies, by one stroke.

Moral of the story:

You gotta play with what works for you.

Under the gun, NHA2 never lets me down.

So, you can "look good on video" or "look good on TrackMan" and I'll always take the latter, 'cuz it looks better on the scorecard.

 

[cmow]

Not sure if I am in the minority, but I usually hit the ball better on the course than I do on the range. On the range and usually during some bad rounds on the course, I'm playing "golf swing" instead of playing golf. During a round, I think you need to mostly forget the technical and just let it happen (be the ball Danny). I'm as analytical as anyone, and it is easy to slip into that mode, but the human body is pretty amazing - if you really stay focused on your target and intended ball flight, your body tends to follow pretty well..

 

[Jared Willerson]

This is a huge problem of mine..played my city amateur this weekend and played good and horrible in both rounds and missed the cut. Both rounds featured one 9 holes under 40 and another 9 holes over 45.

Not good. Hit it well on the range and chipped and putted like a champ at times and like a chump for one stretch of 3 holes. Didn't do anything really horrible except for managing my thought process when things went bad.

I play golf swing way too much. During my practice round the day before the tournament I just got into a little zone and made 3 birdies on my last 9 holes and hit it beautifully and didn't think about anything...oh well, back to the lab..

 

[alexlimco]

Not sure if I am in the minority, but I usually hit the ball better on the course than I do on the range. On the range and usually during some bad rounds on the course, I'm playing "golf swing" instead of playing golf. During a round, I think you need to mostly forget the technical and just let it happen (be the ball Danny). I'm as analytical as anyone, and it is easy to slip into that mode, but the human body is pretty amazing - if you really stay focused on your target and intended ball flight, your body tends to follow pretty well..

Hackers like me do not like your comments, but then the truth hurts right? If only I can let my instincts take control instead of my analytical mind. Sigh.....

 

[curtisj76]

I normally play best when something's on the line. Even if it's just .25/hole, I start playing better. On the range you can dick around all you want since nothing is really on the line.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Generally i find that if you can't transfer it from the range to the course, at all, you have the wrong pattern. As Brian has always said, anything can and might work well at the range but what works under pressure (any for that matter) on the course?

 

[kc8kir]

Interesting story there Brian about facing off with Lindsay.

Last weekend I was playing 18, shooting horribly (hooking off the planet). For the last six holes, my buddy sought to take advantage of the situation and bet me the next round ($18) that he'd win (stroke play, 6 holes). I was hesitant at first, but took him on (one because I love competition, two because I hate turning down a challenge, three because I know I'm a better player than my usual Sunday game lets on).

Both of us weren't playing great, but man we duked it out.

Scores for the holes were (me / him):

4 - 4 (par 3)

5 - 4 (par 4 - the smack talk began... which I ignored)

4 - 4 (par 3 - had I not three putted... arrggghhh)

8 - 8 (par 4 - counted every stroke; this was one wild ride!)

5 - 10 (par 4 - I went OB on the tee shot and had to drop, but recovered with a great short pitch, he buckled and went OB twice. I thought "I got him now, provided I don't screw up")

6 - 4 (par 5 - he tried his hardest. I outdrove him by 40 yards, a nice draw down the middle, then went OB with a 4 iron trying to hit a conservative lay up in front of the green.. dang hook!...again however, my short game kept me from blowing the hole into a huge score).

I won by two strokes. First time I have ever "won" at golf. Didn't play fantastic, but I met the challenge, and it felt great.

I still made some mistakes, but the intense focus made me play much better and with much more conviction.

Maybe that's the problem. I need to start playing games and betting on the range. Keep score, or something.

 

[bcoak]

Really recommend this book
http://www.brianmanzella.com/forum/...15-winning-mind-lanny-bassham.html#post145852

 

[Richie3Jack]

What works for me is to pretty much take every shot like it's the real thing. I won't take practice swings because I don't want to tire out, but I will step behind every shot, pick out the target, then aim and fire. When I would just hit shot after shot without much thought that's when I would struggle to take it out on the course.

Then as the practice progresses, it's the same process, but I will aim each shot at a different spot on the range. So I may aim at the right flag on the range for one shot, then aim at the left flag on the range on the next shot and then aim at the middle flag on the range on the next shot and keep doing that...each time standing behind the ball, picking a target, aim and fire.

Then I'll eventually do the same type of thing, but switch clubs on each shot. I'll hit a driver on one shot, then say an 8-iron, then a 4-iron, then a 3-wood, then a driver, then a 5-iron, etc.

Then I'll try to emulate some shots that I might get on the course. On the second hole at a course I play at, it has a very tight fairway that slopes to the left and you have to aim off to the right. So I'll hit some drivers and try to hit them in between the utility pole and a certain flag on the range where I figure that's about the same width of the fairway on the second hole.





3JACK

 

[Zztop]

THE RANGE has no penalties, no pressure, no scoring etc. THE COURSE has all that and more, like different worlds mentally. It's interesting when something is on the line a few people said they started to get interested and challenged and started to perform better. Geez i wonder what that's all about? Are they that challenged on the range, that interested, is anything on the line? Always got another ball.

Some people respond to pressure, it's like they need it, without it they can't perform to their potential, others can't handle pressure for various reasons, their not used to it , uncomfortable with it, etc. Fight or Flight!

 

[curtisj76]

If possible, I think the best thing to do at the range is take a buddy and start placing bets.

 

[Steve Hale]

Depends what your priorities are. Are you looking to get better in the long term? Or do you want to shoot a better score TODAY? Most of us are usually stuck somewhere in between, which probably compromises both to some degree. I would say in general it is better to play golf purely reactionary, ie. look at a target and try to hit it where you're lookin', because by and large, whatever you got that day is probably going to come out one way or another. You have to really not care about results to change your action while you are on the golf course.

 

[ej20]

If you hit it great on the range it should be some indication of how you hit it on the course.

If the discrepency is extreme I would gather it's a band aided range pattern that works only temporarily,purely an aberration and will not hold up under pressure on the course.

This discrepency is higher as the handicap increases.

 

[jenhaoyen]

I think it's all about visualization. I can be technical on certain shots, but in the end knowing what you need to do and get things done is your ultimate goal. I don't even go to the range anymore, it's really not that important anymore to me. When I do go, I putt a lot and try different approach on short games. Driving range can ruin your game sometimes i think.