Bringing the Range to the Course

One of the most asked questions I get as a golf professional is “why can I hit it so well on the range yet when I get to the course it all falls apart?” My answer; it’s one of the great mysteries of the golfing world! I say that with some humor because there are certainly ways to bridge that gap which I will share with you in this article. However, should you take a survey of 50 different professionals my guess is you will get a variety of theories regarding this much debated topic.

Let’s get right to it! What is the reason for success on the range and then the lack-there-of on the course? In a word….Pressure! Let us examine further. You go to the range, get your bucket of balls, find your spot and off you go! You progress through a variety of clubs in your bag and at some point maybe you hit your stride and string together maybe 8, 9, even 10 good shots in a row and you’re feeling good about your swing and your practice then you start asking yourself why this same success doesn’t duplicate itself on the links.

The range, although the BEST place to work on your game provides little stress or pressure on your swing. Stress or pressure meaning a tight tree lined fairway or a 200 yd body of water that has to be carried or a green surrounded by 6 bunkers. When those objects are staring you in the face you swing feels the pressure that it doesn’t feel on the range. And when the swing feels pressure it changes, and not for the better unfortunately.

So unless you favorite practice facility installs water, trees and lots of sand, how do we overcome this lack of obstacles? Use the most powerful tool in our bag, your mind. To truly carry over your success from the range to the course you need to create a practice routine that in many ways replicates being on the course.

For example, visualize a fairway in your mind, pick two objects on the range (maybe two target flags that are spaced apart 25 to 35 yards) and that now becomes your fairway. Hit 10 drives trying to keep the ball within that “imaginary” fairway. One of my favorite ways to bridge the gap is through alignment. When practicing, change your targets often. Hit 10 balls at one flag then change your target and hit another 10 balls. This process should continue throughout your practice session. Too many times a golfer gets to the range and spends the entire session hitting to one target. Again, just like on the course your target is ever changing and so to should your target always be changing on the range.

Another area I see golfers neglect all too often is the development of a pre-shot routine. Use the range to develop a pre-shot routine and then execute it while you practice. Very rarely do I see amateur golfers execute any type of routine (from start to finish) during their practice time on the range. If you were to ask a tour pro how they maintain consistency in pressure situations a majority of them would tell you “by sticking to their routine.” By going through a routine and sticking to it greatly helps with rhythm and tempo (which is ultimately what breaks down between range and course).

So if you’re looking for a way to get your game to the next level, you might want to start with revamping how you conduct your practice sessions. Anything you can create on the range that can in some way simulate what happens on the course will go a long way in the development and improvement of your game.

                                                     Blog written by Vince-Director of Instruction at VJF Golf Academy