The longest walk in golf

[Tskware]

Between the practice range and the first tee, how is it possible to forget everything you know about hitting the golf ball? Been working on my game, taken some lessons, and on the range, it is really starting to click. Yesterday AM, warming up before a tournament, was just striking it pure on the range, best I can hit the damn thing.

Then, we go to the first hole, and I play like a pig pretty much the whole round, and frankly, did not get much better today, but again, warm ups were fine, I was convinced I was going to play much better, but was not to be.

One problem that seems to plague me is that I tend to try too hard. Take too big of a swing, try to hit it a little too hard, which leads to big misses and frustration.

Besides quitting the game (not going to happen) anybody got any tips?

 

[kyboy1998_rivals34276]

I do my preshot thought and practice behind the ball looking out at my target. I try not to think mechanically while at the ball. I tend to treat the game as managing misses.

I concentrate on eliminating the left side of the golf course and my target landing spot.

Use one more club then you need on approach shots when possible and your mind will slow your body down naturally because you eliminate the need to hit it right to get the distance you need.

 

[TruBluCatFan]

Something that helped me is to make sure I use the same preshot routine on the range as I'm going to use on the course.

 

[UK_ Alum_02]

Sounds like the problem is between your ears.

 

[Xception]

Obviously you are creating tension in your body with too much mental analyzation , nobody on this board can help you overcome that . Best thing to do is rely more on feel instead of thinking your way through the swing , don't think about anything , not your elbow position on the backswing or shifting your weight properly . I'm guessing that when you are practicing that you are just hitting it and having fun without overthinking anything and when you transition to the course you think about what you were doing right on the practice range , if so then try not to do that . On the first tee take some practice swings but do not analyze them or critique anything , just swing for feel and then go take your shot .

 

[fuzz77]

LOL! My play is usually 180 degrees opposite from how I hit them on the range.

The biggest difference between the range and on the course is that on the range you are usually swinging the same club over and over so you develop that groove with that club. Every club is a wee bit different, and your iron swing where you are (should be) hitting down on the ball and taking a shallow divot isn't the same as your woods swing which is more of a sweeping of the ball. Add the variability of each club being a different length...

I have a tendency to take the club back too far and so as I warm up and get more loose my shoulders want to turn too much which causes it's own set of problems.

 

[maverick1_rivals376538]

First thing you gots to remember is there's a perfect shot out there tryin' to find each and every one of us -- all we gots to do is get ourselves outta its way an let it choose us. You caint see that flag as some dragon you gots to slay. No sir, you gots to look with soft eyes, and see the place where the tides and the seasons and the turnin' of the Earth all come together -- where everything that is becomes one.

You gots to seek that place with your soul. Seek it with your hands. Don't think about it...feel it. Your hands is wiser than your head is ever gonna be. But I can't take you there Tskware. I just hopes I can helps you find a way. Just you, that ball, that flag...and all you are.

 

[dgtatu01]

Your body can hit the golf ball, if you will get out of it's way. When your mind is thinking through the golf swing while playing it just doesn't work. I play like 5 times a year and always shoot mid 80's because I have one theory when it comes to golf. Keep It Simple Stupid. Everything in a golf swing relies on everything being lined up when you hit that ball. Getting 3 or 4 things back to square is a lot easier than getting 10 things back to square so the longer your backswing gets and the more crap you are incorporating into your swing, the less likely a solid shot becomes. A nice compact swing that starts at the waist and rolls through the shoulders with limited arm movement and no feet movement before impact works everytime.

 

[mashburned]

Hit less at the range

 

[ukalumni00]

Different ways to look at this. Range wise, you may spend too much time on it, or when you are practicing you are not practicing smart. Like someone else said, you need to be practicing your pre-shot routine on the range and not just hitting ball after ball. The problem with the range is that there are no consequences so the mind is at ease. Once you get to the course, your anxiety rises and your mind starts racing. Look at Tiger right now, champion on the range and a complete mess on the tee box.

At least for me, when I play bad I always gets too quick with my swing. The second you start thinking about your swing and all you are toast. Ask anyone who is a great golfer or just played a great round and most times they will tell you they just played and did not think too much.

Something to think about, if you have a buddy you play with often, have some friendly contests on the range. I have a few buddies I see on the range often and we will bet a small amount of money and will see who hits the most drives in play, closest to the hole with wedges, etc. We also will have some games on the practice greens. Its a lot of fun and creates a competitive environment that helps when you are on the course.

 

[cawoodsct]

If you are trying to hit too hard or have an over swing try hitting a 5-iron 125 yards on the range, a Driver 200, an 8iron 100. If you do this over and over you can create the muscle memory to have a shorter swing. Avoid trying to kill it by clubbing up one on the course sometimes.

If it's gotten real mental id change routines, change grip or stance and do something completely different to get out of what you had been doing. Also, there are plenty of good books out there by Bob Rotella and the likes to read.

 

[Tskware]

some good stuff here, thanks.

 

[BBdK]

If I'm hitting the ball well, I don't hit range balls before I play. That's unconventional , but it works for me.

Not to mention most people that hit range balls before play just run out and rush through a few, which is counter-productive.



If you only have 10-15 minutes to warm up, always choose to chip over anything else.

 

[wkycatfan_rivals376690]

I've never been one to hit a lot of range balls. My game got better by just playing a lot of holes when I was younger. Sharpens your short game, while working on your ball striking. No transfer from the range to the first tee either.

 

[maverick1_rivals376538]

LONG, FEEL FREE TO IGNORE...

I'm not a golfer, but here's a few things that have helped with softball that I think might carry over. I've got a batting cage/pitching machine in my backyard so I can hit whenever I want -- <-- not a humblebrag, I mention it cause it actually caused some bad habits.

Years ago, I would mindlessly pound ball after ball after ball, it's easy when you just have to walk to your backyard. The hopper holds 18-20, so I'd load it up and swing til they were gone. Lather, rinse, repeat. I'd get locked in and hit friggin laser after laser, straight up the middle, just wear it the touch out -- but in games I'd pull everything, often not on the sweet-spot. But why? I was literally taking 200-250 cuts a day. Very frustrating.

Finally it dawned on me: I wasn't practicing like I was playing. Obvious to most, I know, but
I've never claimed to be smart. Even in tournaments, the pre-game routine is usually just stretch a little, then walk up to the plate for a total of 5 at bats -- i.e. it was nothing at all like how I was practicing, where it often took 2-3 rounds of 18 swings before I got loose and in the groove, for instance.

Well I started practicing differently. To simulate a game, I'd try to get as loose and warm as I could and then I'd do a mock at bat, even calling balls and strikes on myself, and then start over after each swing. I'd also keep a mental note of how many hits I got per 5 swings. After a couple weeks of consistently practicing like this I started getting major carry-over to games. Suddenly 25 game-simulation swings produced far, far better results than 200 mindless swings.

So I'd suggest doing something similar for golf. Instead of going to the range and pounding 30 8-irons in a row, or whatever club your working on, try to simulate in practice just how you'd play a round. Get loose, maybe hit a few range balls (if you usually do before you play) and then start "playing" by hitting driver, fairway wood/hybrid, iron, then wedge. Never hit the same club twice in a row unless you'd do it in a round. Also, obviously, hit at a flag or other target. Lather, rinse, repeat for the whole range bag.

Also, as someone else mentioned, try to put some "pressure" on yourself for bad shots. Keep a mental note of how many you didn't hit well (e.g. fat, thin, not close to the target etc...) and then do something like 5 pushups (or whatever penalty you want) for every one -- and then make yourself do it.

Finally, and most importantly, be the ball .

 

[BBdK]

K.

Any bowlers on CatPaw w/ 1000 words of advice to share on golf?




...playing a 'simulated round' on the range is actually pretty common in teaching, and is at least a way to make the range semi-fun. Pounding balls with no purpose is not usually a good idea.

 

[cawoodsct]

Butch Harmon

 

[maverick1_rivals376538]

K.

Any bowlers on CatPaw w/ 1000 words of advice to share of golf?




...playing a 'simulated round' on the range is actually pretty common in teaching, and is at least a way to make the range semi-fun. Pounding balls with no purpose is not usually a good idea.

-- at least I gave a disclaimer, I'd like to see some insensitive fat-*** bowler do that .

 

[Tskware]

K.

Any bowlers on CatPaw w/ 1000 words of advice to share on golf?




...playing a 'simulated round' on the range is actually pretty common in teaching, and is at least a way to make the range semi-fun. Pounding balls with no purpose is not usually a good idea.

True, I have heard that as well, and done that drill a few times. And I do work on all the clubs (not in one session obviously) but I don't hit the same club 30 times in a row.

Honestly, think playing more and practicing a little less would be as good as anything, but don't have a ton of time during the week to play much. Them's the breaks . . .

 

[Catfan in Tn.]

I would never start with a driver and work my way down to a wedge.

 

[ukalumni00]

Something else to consider (my teaching pro taught me to do this) is go out when the course is slow and just hit balls on the tee box and course. I love playing a fade with my driver, but I really needed to develop a more consistent draw with that club. So, there is a hole where there is a busier road on the right side of the fairway. He made me go to that hole and hit several draws off the tee box. I used to be scared to death because I was afraid I was going to push/block a shot and hit a car and that is exactly the main purpose of practicing that way. It added fear/consequence to my practice and it has really helped me overcome that shot. Now, I have a lot more confidence pulling it off during a round when I need it.

My pro still plays competitively and spends a lot of his down time on the course by himself doing the exact same thing. So, if you can find a time when the course is slower, get a cart and take 10 or so balls, and find a good hole where you can practice different kinds of shots off the teebox and fairway. Put yourself into some uncomfortable shot situations and I bet you will start to gain more confidence on the course and get a lot more out of this form of practice that just whacking balls on the range. It will leak into your pre round routine as you will be developing more strategy in your mind than your heart racing as you walk to the first tee box and worrying about your mechanics and such.

 

[Lord_Crow]

The longest walk in golf is when the course is backed up and a dozen players are waiting behind you and you snap hook into the trees then have to walk to your ball whilst impatient eyes kill you a thousand different ways when you can't immediately locate it. Then you ricochet the next shot off a tree into the water and have to walk 300 yards to the cart to retrieve another ball then unzip 8 different pockets looking for one then when you hop on the cart to zip around and go back to your drop your bag falls off the back of the cart just as your partner screams "FORE" as he hits a knee high line drive onto the deck of the clubhouse then throws his club all the way to the green... then he has to walk all the way over to you to get another club... but pauses first to answer a text message.

 

[TheShowKiller]

Golf is just a weird game in general. I've had some of my best rounds when I was damn near shanking the ball on the range and some of my worst when I was striping before my round.

No other game is like that. When I would play pickup hoops, I could always tell shooting around if I was filling it or not and most all the time it carried over to the game. But, not so much in golf.

My theory is that when I am hitting it like crap, I focus solely on just hitting the ball crisp rather than the end result, slows you down and keeps you in the moment; forces you to focus on every shot. When I go out there thinking I'm going low, I start to get ahead of myself or get cute and that always spells trouble.

 

[Lord_Crow]

The harder you try the worse you play.

 

[TruBluCatFan]

The harder you try the worse you play.

Yep. I'm not a good golfer. I'm happy when I stay in double digits for the round. Will break 90 a handful of times a summer.

Hit Lakeside last night for the dusk to dark rate. Got in 9 holes. Shot a 40. No one around me. Just took my time and didn't worry about trying to beat anyone or hit it past anyone. Best I've played all summer. Or several previous summers for that matter.

 

[Phantom]

I use the foot wedge a lot. Takes a ton of strokes off my game.