Driving Range VS Green

Hi All! I have this weird issue about my range and green. At the range, my irons never give me any problems. I'm always able to hit straight shots with a good trajectory. But on course, i kept topping the ball with my irons. I tried to lower my stance but still have the same result. Sometime that im really puzzelled about is why at the range i can hit good shots while on the course i cant even hit a shot with a good contact just like practicing at the range?

Need help!!!

I asked the same question a couple of months ago, and the conclusion was that need to go out to course more often. Always like to raise the waist level to see where the ball fly etc. Now going to a course in a more relaxed manner helped. That's for me

My suggestions;

1) Keep a cool head and relax mind

2) DO NOT even try to correct your swing form on the green, just imagine you are at the range, hitting good shots

3) Pre-shot routine, keep swinging until your club actually cause a divot on the ground. Get familiar with that and move on to actual shot.

Additionally;

4) Plan your game for every hole; for example, for a 4 par hole (380m) - try driver (180m), wood/hybrid (160m) to lay-up, pitch/chip (40m), putt.

5) Aim specifically at a target

6) Play every shot, without caring about the previous or the next

7) Play Par-3 courses more often - cheaper, can play alone to fine-tune your psyche, improve confidence and master your pre-shot routine

wat r u thinking of when you practise at driving range? if it is the swing, most probably you will do the same on the course. I'm not saying you should not think of the swing at driving range, you should allocate some balls for practise without thinking of the swing. Basically, target, type of shots (high low, draw, fade or maybe top?), amount of swing. once you identify all these, address the ball and swing.

ironstarz wrote:

I asked the same question a couple of months ago, and the conclusion was that need to go out to course more often. Always like to raise the waist level to see where the ball fly etc. Now going to a course in a more relaxed manner helped. That's for me

Thanks Bro! i guess it is my head just shifted away after impact.

ringrain_78 wrote:

My suggestions;

1) Keep a cool head and relax mind

2) DO NOT even try to correct your swing form on the green, just imagine you are at the range, hitting good shots

3) Pre-shot routine, keep swinging until your club actually cause a divot on the ground. Get familiar with that and move on to actual shot.

Additionally;

4) Plan your game for every hole; for example, for a 4 par hole (380m) - try driver (180m), wood/hybrid (160m) to lay-up, pitch/chip (40m), putt.

5) Aim specifically at a target

6) Play every shot, without caring about the previous or the next

7) Play Par-3 courses more often - cheaper, can play alone to fine-tune your psyche, improve confidence and master your pre-shot routine

Hey! Thanks!!! Your suggestions really help me a lot.

weesern wrote:

wat r u thinking of when you practise at driving range? if it is the swing, most probably you will do the same on the course. I'm not saying you should not think of the swing at driving range, you should allocate some balls for practise without thinking of the swing. Basically, target, type of shots (high low, draw, fade or maybe top?), amount of swing. once you identify all these, address the ball and swing.

THanks! i guess my thinking is too greedy. Always wanted the ball to fly high and far but most of time i failed!

I was once like tat too....and though I had improved a little bit..to date. What I had done are:

1. Buying 50balls only.....try to give no leeway for mulligan at range

2. Don underestimate the importance of course management and dealing with nature challenges...like wind, like uneven lie etc etc...that cant be learnt at range........talk to more better players on the differnt situation you were in...and pick their brains....in other words, be humble and asked. Sometimes, need to pay tution fee..but heck, one learnt after tat.

3. This might be a bit extreme but just my philo,.......don waste your good shots at the range,,,,,make sure you leave some for the actual game....(Disclaimer: Do not practise this without professional advice......sometimes work, sometimes don.......)

Duval_S wrote:

I was once like tat too....and though I had improved a little bit..to date. What I had done are:

1. Buying 50balls only.....try to give no leeway for mulligan at range

2. Don underestimate the importance of course management and dealing with nature challenges...like wind, like uneven lie etc etc...that cant be learnt at range........talk to more better players on the differnt situation you were in...and pick their brains....in other words, be humble and asked. Sometimes, need to pay tution fee..but heck, one learnt after tat.

3. This might be a bit extreme but just my philo,.......don waste your good shots at the range,,,,,make sure you leave some for the actual game....(Disclaimer: Do not practise this without professional advice......sometimes work, sometimes don.......)

Thanks Duval! I did pay 100+ for a lesson with my pro but it somehow got worse! The problem lies in me. Do u know any books that teach course management?

Quote :

z01z01 wrote:

Duval_S wrote:

I was once like tat too....and though I had improved a little bit..to date. What I had done are:

1. Buying 50balls only.....try to give no leeway for mulligan at range

2. Don underestimate the importance of course management and dealing with nature challenges...like wind, like uneven lie etc etc...that cant be learnt at range........talk to more better players on the differnt situation you were in...and pick their brains....in other words, be humble and asked. Sometimes, need to pay tution fee..but heck, one learnt after tat.

3. This might be a bit extreme but just my philo,.......don waste your good shots at the range,,,,,make sure you leave some for the actual game....(Disclaimer: Do not practise this without professional advice......sometimes work, sometimes don.......)

Thanks Duval! I did pay 100+ for a lesson with my pro but it somehow got worse! The problem lies in me. Do u know any books that teach course management?

yes, OJT....on the job training......experience cannot be learnt thru books lah......

Doesn't mean that he is a pro, he definitely a good pro.... ask for recommendations for Pro if you need. To me, in this forum, there a few committed and good pros to look for.

Slice and hooks are pretty much the same in range or course, it's the fat shots that really kill. On the mat, balls still fly a decent length even if we hit mat first before the ball. On the course, you will be punished. Fat shots go from 10% to 70% the intended distance in my case. My super fat shots go for 3m max, especially if balls are above feet

those who have the opportunity to practice at a proper grass range, I envy you...I practiced at Sentosa's range once....sooo good. Hit range or on the course, results sama sama. That's how we shud practice, if only we can. Only consolation is turf city range but damn the cow grass and the soggy ground are just off-putting...

z01z01 wrote:

Hi All! I have this weird issue about my range and green. At the range, my irons never give me any problems. I'm always able to hit straight shots with a good trajectory. But on course, i kept topping the ball with my irons. I tried to lower my stance but still have the same result. Sometime that im really puzzelled about is why at the range i can hit good shots while on the course i cant even hit a shot with a good contact just like practicing at the range?

Need help!!!

I have these problems all the time.
What I did was to practice my alignment at the driving range with different position of the "flag" with all my irons games?


Example. "white" flag around 100m. I will practice hitting my irons 5,6,7 in that direction. then in another direction, choose another flag for my same long irons.

repeat for my short game, irons 9,Pw,SW.

This helps me visually look at my positioning with reference to the target and the alignment of my clubs. My games improves a little, but it makes me focus on what I go to the range.

I use to hit 150Balls in the same direction. When I get to the greens, I do not get the same consistently.

now, I need to manage my course mentally. I can do it vs you think you can do it mentality.

z01z01 wrote:

Hi All! I have this weird issue about my range and green. At the range, my irons never give me any problems. I'm always able to hit straight shots with a good trajectory. But on course, i kept topping the ball with my irons. I tried to lower my stance but still have the same result. Sometime that im really puzzelled about is why at the range i can hit good shots while on the course i cant even hit a shot with a good contact just like practicing at the range?

Need help!!!

When you top the ball, probably there is a vertical shift of the head position.

I practice on both the range and green.. I faced the same problem. The problem with green is that the ground is never that even with the range. Every new ball that we hit, the terrain on which the ball sits and where we stand may change no matter how slight is it which affect our balance, shift in the weight which result in the vertical shifting of our head postion.

Practice and practice will give you the confidence and experience. I am sure in no time you would overcome it.

z01z01 wrote:

Hi All! I have this weird issue about my range and green. At the range, my irons never give me any problems. I'm always able to hit straight shots with a good trajectory. But on course, i kept topping the ball with my irons. I tried to lower my stance but still have the same result. Sometime that im really puzzelled about is why at the range i can hit good shots while on the course i cant even hit a shot with a good contact just like practicing at the range?

Need help!!!

Most people have the same problem. At the driving range, the tempo is good after hitting many balls, if one hit a bad shot, no problem, there is always another ball, but at the course, it is different, you only got 1 shot to make, no second chance so there is always the anticipation and trying to see how the shot goes. Staying calm is the key.

pushslice wrote:

Slice and hooks are pretty much the same in range or course, it's the fat shots that really kill. On the mat, balls still fly a decent length even if we hit mat first before the ball. On the course, you will be punished. Fat shots go from 10% to 70% the intended distance in my case. My super fat shots go for 3m max, especially if balls are above feet

those who have the opportunity to practice at a proper grass range, I envy you...I practiced at Sentosa's range once....sooo good. Hit range or on the course, results sama sama. That's how we shud practice, if only we can. Only consolation is turf city range but damn the cow grass and the soggy ground are just off-putting...

Agree!! At the range, the balls always have a decent trajectory, but at the green, everything changes. I would love to have a change to practice at sentosa. Just too expensive.

smallhorse wrote:

z01z01 wrote:

Hi All! I have this weird issue about my range and green. At the range, my irons never give me any problems. I'm always able to hit straight shots with a good trajectory. But on course, i kept topping the ball with my irons. I tried to lower my stance but still have the same result. Sometime that im really puzzelled about is why at the range i can hit good shots while on the course i cant even hit a shot with a good contact just like practicing at the range?

Need help!!!

I have these problems all the time.
What I did was to practice my alignment at the driving range with different position of the "flag" with all my irons games?


Example. "white" flag around 100m. I will practice hitting my irons 5,6,7 in that direction. then in another direction, choose another flag for my same long irons.

repeat for my short game, irons 9,Pw,SW.

This helps me visually look at my positioning with reference to the target and the alignment of my clubs. My games improves a little, but it makes me focus on what I go to the range.

I use to hit 150Balls in the same direction. When I get to the greens, I do not get the same consistently.

now, I need to manage my course mentally. I can do it vs you think you can do it mentality.

Thanks for the advise! i tried hitting 150 balls, quite tiring though, at some point of time sub conscious just kicks in.

goGoffy wrote:

z01z01 wrote:

Hi All! I have this weird issue about my range and green. At the range, my irons never give me any problems. I'm always able to hit straight shots with a good trajectory. But on course, i kept topping the ball with my irons. I tried to lower my stance but still have the same result. Sometime that im really puzzelled about is why at the range i can hit good shots while on the course i cant even hit a shot with a good contact just like practicing at the range?

Need help!!!

When you top the ball, probably there is a vertical shift of the head position.

I practice on both the range and green.. I faced the same problem. The problem with green is that the ground is never that even with the range. Every new ball that we hit, the terrain on which the ball sits and where we stand may change no matter how slight is it which affect our balance, shift in the weight which result in the vertical shifting of our head postion.

Practice and practice will give you the confidence and experience. I am sure in no time you would overcome it.

Thanks for the advise! Practicing on PAR 3s help me a lot. I guess most of the time im lack of confident of hitting a good shot!

Shaggy wrote:

z01z01 wrote:

Hi All! I have this weird issue about my range and green. At the range, my irons never give me any problems. I'm always able to hit straight shots with a good trajectory. But on course, i kept topping the ball with my irons. I tried to lower my stance but still have the same result. Sometime that im really puzzelled about is why at the range i can hit good shots while on the course i cant even hit a shot with a good contact just like practicing at the range?

Need help!!!

Most people have the same problem. At the driving range, the tempo is good after hitting many balls, if one hit a bad shot, no problem, there is always another ball, but at the course, it is different, you only got 1 shot to make, no second chance so there is always the anticipation and trying to see how the shot goes. Staying calm is the key.

Thanks for the advise! I found new ways to stay calm.
1) My mind will focus on my index finger throughout the swing.
2) My mind just keep chanting "practice-swing" even when i hit a ball just to keep the tempo constant.

Kinda weird but somehow it helps a bit.. I dont feel anxious when i make the shot on the green.
Result: 6 hits, 4 missed!

Hi z01z01,

It's not about the number of balls you hit, but the quality of the practice and each hit. Every ball at the range should be approached the with the same routine you would use on the course.

The routine gets you used to how you would actually do it on the course. Then when you follow that same routine on the course, your mind is familiar with it as something you practiced on the range. Therefore, less anxiety and easier to execute the shot at hand.

Over hitting balls just gets you tired, which leads to mistakes in setup and swing. It then becomes counter productive to what you are trying to achieve at the range, since you would be just practicing and ingraining your mistakes.

food for thought for your next practice session perhaps?

Birdman wrote:

Hi z01z01,

It's not about the number of balls you hit, but the quality of the practice and each hit. Every ball at the range should be approached the with the same routine you would use on the course.

The routine gets you used to how you would actually do it on the course. Then when you follow that same routine on the course, your mind is familiar with it as something you practiced on the range. Therefore, less anxiety and easier to execute the shot at hand.

Over hitting balls just gets you tired, which leads to mistakes in setup and swing. It then becomes counter productive to what you are trying to achieve at the range, since you would be just practicing and ingraining your mistakes.

food for thought for your next practice session perhaps?

NICE!! That will definitely be input into my practices. Thanks for the advise! how about overcoming the fear of long irons (example 5 iron). I do know that practicing is important but somehow when it's on the green. I wont touch my 5 irons because it is not as consistant as my 7.

If one can just based on range performance, I think today I will play < 15 HCP.

But then, such thought had proved otherwise for me......as I think I wasted many unnecessary shots.

Hi there, just to share, me just adopted a new way of practice at the range.
Just started for my last range session yesterday.
New year, new style!

After stretching and warming up of 15 balls of sand wedge, 7 iron and driver ( 5 each hor).
I then embarked on playing '18 holes' at the range.
I visualize hitting each shot as if I am on the course and on the sequence sans putting.

e.g where I usually play on Sat at Poresia, it's a par 4 at 1st hole. So I hit driver first, followed by iron or even a wedge if My iron shot is short. The shot you play after your earlier shot is dictated by the earlier actual shot at the range. So if you seriously OB, then hit another driver shot before other shots.

This way, I get to almost simulate golfing on course and not just hitting ball after ball with the same club before changing which never happen on course.

Me just started this so will see how it goes and if it improves my score.

asahi wrote:

where I usually play on Sat at Poresia, it's a par 4 at 1st hole. So I hit driver first, followed by iron or even a wedge if My iron shot is short.

Do you then proceed to 2 putt for bogey?

Nope. No putting done. Just the other clubs only.