I think it is fair to say that all of us at some point in our golfing career have been to the range and thought we have cracked golf. Irons fizz like arrows straight down the range and every drive we hit flies straight, high and long. Leaving the range you are excited for the weekend Medal at your club the next morning.
You arrive at the first tee ready to go, you’re feeling good with the thoughts of last night’s range session still fresh in your mind. You tee up the ball and take your address but something is different, you don’t feel comfortable, you suddenly think you may be aligned slightly right and the thought of the pond up the right of the hole creeps into your mind. You pull the trigger and to your dismay see the ball soar 80 yards left straight over the oob markers. You go to your bag to get another ball and under your breath utter the words ‘why can’t I hit it on the course like I do on the range?’
This is one of the most common questions I am asked by my pupils, the problem is there are many different reasons why and in this article I hope to shine a light on some of the key reasons why you struggle take your range swing to the course.
Good alignment is key to consistent ball striking and I think we have all been guilty of smashing balls away at the driving range without actually picking any kind of target.
Alignment needs practise as much as any other area of the game. Aligning your body poorly often leads to you compensating with other movements which often cause swing faults and mis strikes.
Getting an alignment aid down by your feet and varying your targets will prepare you for the course far better than aimlessly hitting balls into a field and will also help you avoid any nasty bad habits creeping in due to poor alignment when you play.
Aside tee shots, how often do you get a perfectly flat lie in a round of golf? Probably not that many. The driving range hitting areas are usually flat so it goes without saying that hitting hundreds of balls from a flat lie isn’t going to prepare you very well for your upcoming knock out match.
Now I know what you are thinking ‘I can’t exactly make slopes in a range can I’. Agreed and I am sure the driving range owners would appreciate it if you didn’t!
What you can do however Is practise being able to control and move the low point of your swing arc. If during the downswing you can brush the ground at any point you desire, you are in control of the low point of your swing arc. It sounds easy but most golfers really struggle and those who cannot do it will always have far greater issues hitting from awkward lies than those who can.
Making flat out 100% golf swings in the range may be good for the ego and stress relief however it won’t do much for improving your golf.
Here’s a thought, look back over your last 18 hole round, how many times did you hit a shot at 100% speed? Probably not that many. You are regularly required to manipulate the balls flight in a round of golf, hitting it higher, lower, under branches, around trees etc. It is very rare however to see players practising this at the range.
Many amateurs can only hit 1 club 1 yardage ie a 7 iron 150 yards. I know that I can hit 3 clubs 150 yards by varying the shape and flight of the shot. By having a greater variety of shots at my disposal, it allows me to navigate my way around the course far more effectively by avoiding danger and being able to attack most pins.
As well as practising ball control, it is equally as important to practise using all of your clubs throughout the session. One thing I always used to do growing up was play golf on the range. Visualise holes at my golf club and playing the holes with the clubs I would use. Ie The first hole requires a driver then a 9 iron then an 8 iron for the par 3 second hole etc.
Practising this way helped put me at ease on the course as I felt far more confident I could execute the shots the hole required. I believe this helped me start my rounds solidly in pressure situations.
