Do you find that your performance at the driving range is the same as when you play on a course??
Why do you think the reason is for this? (ie. nervousness)

I found that i play better at the driving range than on the course for some reason…just wondering whether i’m alone…(i would hit straight at the range, but slice it on the course).

I’m conducting this survey as part of an assignment, any replies would be greatly helpful!
Thanks

I’m gonna take a punt and say that your hypothesis is that it does vary from driving range to course. I don’t see too much difference in terms of confidence. I just think hitting ball after ball (range) you get into a rhythm. Sort of like getting your eye in in cricket. I also tend to think that we focus on the negatives too much as golfers and that is why we remember the bad shots more than the good ones, on the range however it is the absolute pearlers that stick in your mind. I think I have just tainted the pool here and made it more complex, but they are my veiws.

I’m the same, I seem to find that you can concentrate better being on your own and focused on what your trying to practice with…
On the tee box all sorts of distractions come into play, your playing partner(s), people waiting behind you to tee off, fairway distractions water/bunkers/trees weather etc etc…
that’s golf I guess..

Thanks for that Mr Consistency….
I guess you dont have too much problems on the course/range – i mean, you are MR CONSISTENT :)

thanks FudgeGolf

Haha yea well I guess that does kind of diqualify me :-) I am curious about the assignment, can you elaborate on it a little more? P.s. Welcome to the site!

It’s one that we are doing for science.
We had to do an experiment on something of our choice – they recommended to do something that we are interested in – so i picked this topic.

I’ve been going to the range quite a lot of times in the past few weeks, hitting LOTS of balls and measuring it (distance, accuracy (slice, hook, straight etc.) then going to a course, and similarly measuring each shot i take, trying to find any relationship.

Ahh cool experiement.

It’s one that we are doing for science.
We had to do an experiment on something of our choice – they recommended to do something that we are interested in – so i picked this topic.

I’ve been going to the range quite a lot of times in the past few weeks, hitting LOTS of balls and measuring it (distance, accuracy (slice, hook, straight etc.) then going to a course, and similarly measuring each shot i take, trying to find any relationship.

I think most golfers at a driving range will hit say a dozen 7 irons and probably hit the last 6 as they would like
then they go to another club and do the same
so after a while you think you are hitting pretty well “given the crap quality balls you probably have”

what you should be doing in reality is to only hit a club once and put it back in the bag regardless of how ugly or well you hit it , then grab another say a wood or hybrid this will give you the effect of playing at a course taking one shot at a time
that is when you will see the ordinary shots and in theory they count like on the course
I suggest you try that for your assignment

It’s one that we are doing for science.
We had to do an experiment on something of our choice – they recommended to do something that we are interested in – so i picked this topic.

I’ve been going to the range quite a lot of times in the past few weeks, hitting LOTS of balls and measuring it (distance, accuracy (slice, hook, straight etc.) then going to a course, and similarly measuring each shot i take, trying to find any relationship.

I think most golfers at a driving range will hit say a dozen 7 irons and probably hit the last 6 as they would like
then they go to another club and do the same
so after a while you think you are hitting pretty well “given the crap quality balls you probably have”

what you should be doing in reality is to only hit a club once and put it back in the bag regardless of how ugly or well you hit it , then grab another say a wood or hybrid this will give you the effect of playing at a course taking one shot at a time
that is when you will see the ordinary shots and in theory they count like on the course
I suggest you try that for your assignment

driver…cobra f speed aldila shaft reg
3w…....cobra f speed aldila shaft stiff
hybrid…cobra dws 20 aldila shaft stiff
irons….srixon I-506 4-pw dg r-300
wedges….srixon w-504 56
vokey oilcan 52 @ 60
putter ..odyssey dual

Yea ok, i might try that. Thanks

This is an interesting topic, because it’s something I was complaining about today!

I hit a bucket of balls – only about 50 or so – every day on the range as a minimum, and around double that on a good day. I regularly play 18 after 3 hours of driving range, chipping, and putting practice.

I don’t think there’s a close relationship between my practice performance and my on course performance.

When I’m hitting down the range, I hit at most three in a row with a club before changing to something else – I go from 3 iron to pitching wedge, 6 iron to lob wedge, lob wedge to driver, whatever.

Almost always, I hit well on the range. I can hit the ball long and straight, or work it as I want to. Around 10% of my shots are not what I want direction/shape wise, and I guess they’re miss hits. Few are true miss hits – fat, thin, toe, heel, shank, etc.

Yesterday I hit a couple of buckets while my coach was giving a lesson several metres away. I was flushing irons, bombing the driver, and the group of novices he was instructing even watched me for a few minutes to see what a fluid swing was. Even with an audience talking about me as I was hitting, I didn’t have a problem. I’d call what I was going to do, and do it. One shot that sticks in my mind was preparing to hit a 3 iron, then walking away because I felt uncomfortable. After some confusion between the novices I heard my coach say “he walked away because he wasn’t comfortable, now he’ll go through his routine again and hit it properly.” I walked away again, and then flushed it straight down the middle. I was being scrutinized by 4 people who knew what I wanted to do, and I did it… if I wasn’t nervous then I’m not going to be nervous on the course!

I warmed up with a bucket today, and was hitting well. I putted well for an hour on the putting green, and I was chipping well enough for me to be happy.

I went out and shot 9 worse than my already astronomical handicap.

After dominating my driver on the range, I hit 6 shots with it and 5 were unwanted fades. I’d cop my irons thin, fat, and shape them when I didn’t want to. I even shanked a 7 iron off the tee. I haven’t shanked an iron on the range for months. I couldn’t make a putt, and I couldn’t get my wedges to grip. I even sliced my 5 wood without wanting to – and that’s never happened before. Ever.

It happens regularly… I dominate on the range, but can’t string together a few decent shots every hole when it counts. Sometimes the opposite happens – I hit terribly while practising, then play well and score far better than my handicap.

I’ve a few theories. First is that the fairways are different to the range, and are almost never flat. The ball is usually either above or below my feet, but there’s nowhere to practice shots like that at my club other than on the course fairways. The course – greens and even the sand – are different to that of the practice facilities.

Second is that I was pissed off with the people I was playing with. They treated the game as a joke, had poor etiquette, and screwed about when I was preparing to take a shot. I should have been able to think my way through the obstacles, but I can’t. I think a large part of my poor performance was mental.

The third theory is simply that I’m a rubbish golfer.

It’s the most frustrating thing in the world.

Thanks Finch, that will be sure to help me with my assignment survey. And I’m sure you’re not a rubbish golfer, you seem pretty good…better than me

One thing you have to keep in mind are the differences between th range and the course. MrConsistency touched on a few, but there are many more. And differences that make a huge difference to a golf shot. Firstly, EVERY shot at the range is from the SAME LIE. There may be some variance if you’re using a grassed tee area, but it’s essentially a very similar lie every time. The area is always flat and you always have a good lie. Especially off the astro turf. If you think about what happens on a course, you very rarely get those kind if lies. Uphill, downhill, sloping left or right, the lay of the land has a signifigant impact on a golf shot.

Also, as mentioned above, I think a players focus at the range is much more specific. Most people using the range productively are working on one area of their game only. Even the great Tiger sprouts this philosophy.

Another aspect of the range that I think might make a subconscious difference is that there is no score. No birdies or bogeys, no hazards, no OB and no lost balls. So there is a LOT less pressure in this reguard. Combine this with the little tee boxes seperating each of the astro turf hitting mats, and each player has their own little cocoon to exist inside of.

A few things worth considering anyway.

Thanks for your advice Golfinator, i might consider those.

Hugeslice
At the range i tend to hit worse shots as the range hires out irons to people who like to muck about and belt golf balls. Always noisy big crowds. It is distracting but has made me stronger to shut out distractions. I always practice to a plan,go through shot routine, aim and execute. I also practice hitting draw shots (which i don’t often use in comps). This helps me straighten out if I am cutting the ball.
I never practice with the big dog.
I play a lot of public courses and the shite lies never faze or surprise me
Thats my range exp, hope it helps
Kiwi

Thanks for your response Kiwi, your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Yesterday i went to the driving range, and i actually hit straight.
So lets see today when i play on a course whether i will perform the same or not.

Yesterday i went to the driving range, and i actually hit straight.
So lets see today when i play on a course whether i will perform the same or not.

The range is for making swing changes and to loosen up before a round of golf.
If you are making swing changes, then be patient, the results sometime can take longer to come out on the course.
After a big practise session, go home and take it all in, don’t rush out on the course looking for a miracle.
If you are warming up, stretching before a round you shouldn’t need to spend that much time, an hour on the putting green is just over kill.
Jon…

Thanks GolfGuy…
But no, i am not making swing changes and i dont spend an hour on the putting green before i play.

But thanks for your concern and advice.

Anyway, the same thing happened today – i sliced all my driver shots (except one which i pulled).

My quote was about what Finch did on the range, not you.
Jon…

ps: It was meant to help you understand why.

My quote was about what Finch did on the range, not you.
Jon…

ps: It was meant to help you understand why.

Ohk, sorry..
and thanks again

It’s one that we are doing for science.
We had to do an experiment on something of our choice – they recommended to do something that we are interested in – so i picked this topic.

I’ve been going to the range quite a lot of times in the past few weeks, hitting LOTS of balls and measuring it (distance, accuracy (slice, hook, straight etc.) then going to a course, and similarly measuring each shot i take, trying to find any relationship.

I think most golfers at a driving range will hit say a dozen 7 irons and probably hit the last 6 as they would like
then they go to another club and do the same
so after a while you think you are hitting pretty well “given the crap quality balls you probably have”

what you should be doing in reality is to only hit a club once and put it back in the bag regardless of how ugly or well you hit it , then grab another say a wood or hybrid this will give you the effect of playing at a course taking one shot at a time
that is when you will see the ordinary shots and in theory they count like on the course
I suggest you try that for your assignment

driver…cobra f speed aldila shaft reg
3w…....cobra f speed aldila shaft stiff
hybrid…cobra dws 20 aldila shaft stiff
irons….srixon I-506 4-pw dg r-300
wedges….srixon w-504 56
vokey oilcan 52 @ 60
putter ..odyssey dual

I remember a TV special where they said Vijay Singh practices a golf course at the range. He visualises the first hole, takes the club he would hit on that hole off the tee, hit it, decides where that ball would have landed, visualises the second shot and picks the club that he would then hit and hits that and so on. Apart from the putting bit, he plays 18 holes.

I must admit I am yet to put this to the test but it does seem like a very logical and progressive way to practise. it not only helps your ball striking, it helps your visualisation technique.

I believe the driving range is for acquiring a swing that is repeatable, with each club. NOTE, I said A SWING, not two different swings, or three different swings, ie one for woods, one for irons, one for wedges and one for your putter.

One swing to hit the ball,
one swing to find a score,
One swing you bring to all,
And on the fairway find them.

damn, I think I might have to ad that to my sig!

The range is about consistency, if you find your swing, the one that you can hit with all your clubs then that positive setup and swing will allow you to relax (relaxing is part of the swing anyway) on the golf course. and the score will follow.

For example I have only been on the range three times since christmas, and played two rounds of golf since then.

Three weeks ago I shot three over par, and I was hitting my driver on Saturday better than I ever have, not distance wise but I could do anything I wanted with it. I missed two fairways because of tees I wasn’t familiar with, they dropped off so my feet were lower than the ball so I hit the shots left. I must admit my wedges were off and I missed a lot of 100m approaches short because I was hitting them fat, but that is down to a loss of feel due to a lack of practice. How did I score? I shot 6 over on the front nine, and 6 over on the back nine.

Both of these games of golf were on courses I had never seen before on grass I have never putted on so I am more than happy with my practice routine, I know when I can finally get back out and practice three or four times at least a week, my game will come back to par.

Sounds like you’ve got a mental problem there mate. The fact that you are hitting it so well at the range may have put pressure on you to perform equally well out on the course. But as other posters have said, the course is a different animal to the range. IMHO you need to accept that not all your shots on the course will be as good as the ones you get on the range. Try not to think about your score while playing and just play one shot at a time. Don’t go out to the course thinking “I should get a low score today because I was getting a fan base for my hitting poweress last night at the range”. Once you don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself (the self-pressure does not help your game) you will swing better on the course. Also on the course try to minimise as many swing thoughts as possible. Just have one or two that will prompt your body to move in the correct manner. Or you can try using ClearKeys that many people on this forum have gained positive results from (do a search for ClearKeys in this forum). Good luck and let us know how you went i.e. what changes you made to improve your course performance!

Some really good points, Genki. Sometimes flushing the ball on the range the day before gets me so keyed up (a) I’m playing with a whole bunch of expectation = tension and (b) when I hit my first shot of the day really bad, I get an immediate sense of frustration i.e. “what’s the feckin point of practising!!” and your carefully practiced set-up and swing goes out the window.

On the range you can transfer feedback from one shot immediately to the next, i.e. hmm… I hit that a bit right, let me try xyz… On the course, you might have 15 – 30 minutes between drives or some other shot, so it’s hard to make small adjustments to fix something.

But I think the greatest enemy of the weekend hacker is tension, perhaps due to fear of hitting a bad shot which leads to tightness, steering, swinging too fast and too hard, looking up too early, stabbing at chips and putts, etc etc.

I’ve found my best golf comes after I’ve been able to bed down range practice out on the course. Works well when it’s daylight savings and you can hit a few balls around for an hour or so after work. There is less tension as the score doesn’t matter and you can always throw down another ball if you want to have another go at that 6 iron you just thinned into a bunker. That experience of hitting balls from a variety of lies into a real target gives you a set of memories that is easier to take into a 18 hole round.

A few questions for golfers that regularly shoot scores around a low handicap…

Was there a “breakthrough” point when your learning and practice suddenly clicked out on the course? Or was it a gradual transition that came over time? Or does it come and go, depending upon how well you follow a set of mental keys?

How important is a routine of warming up / practising before your round? (How many people jump straight out of their car onto the first tee, maybe with a few putts thrown in?) Does spending 15 minutes before the round hitting a few pitches and irons make any difference?