i figured out golf.....wait no i didn't (frustrating)

i play golf at least 3 days a week hitting 200 balls a day at the range ( i don't want to play at a course untill i feel i am more consitant). some days i am "feeling it" and it can drive 300+ and i think i have captured the swing thought that helped me hit so good only to find that the next time i go to the range my drive is only 230ish! i try to impliment those swing thoughts i had that i though made me hit so far but alas that doesn't worka and only makes it worse..... so i try new things and try to "start over" and i suck and then a week or so later i feel something different and i am back to hitting 300+ again, so i try to capture that new feeling which ends up not working the next day i am out and i am back to 230ish again.

anyone else experienced anything similar??? or know how to help?

You are probably hitting too many balls at the range and most with your driver. Secondly you are focusing too much on long drives.

Not many golfers can hit a ball 300 yds consistently and 230 ish would be quite acceptable. Long hitting is OK sometimes but many many low handicappers can return low scores without hitting the skin off the ball. I would suggest your quest for distance is breaking down your swing.

I would recommend that you should not hit more than 60 balls an hour on the range, take plenty of slow practice swings, sit down and have a coffee and think about what you are doing now and then, practice with a range of shots and clubs, concentrate on your mid to short game as well, use a 7 iron to groove your swing.

Finally you need to also get out and play golf, you will also learn a lot on the course.

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

hi, i felt the same some time back and was fearful of going on to a course. what i learned is golf on a course and golf on a driving range are two different animals. go to a course soon. you will find more stuff than 300 yards to challange ya. i.e uneven tee boxes that will push your balance to the limit, just to name one.

I think we amateurs grossly overestimate the length of our drives. If you can consistently hit 230 yard drives and keep the ball in the fairway, you can play this wonderful game, and play it well.

That said, most of us understand the frustration of seemingly having it together today only to find that tomorrow you're not certain which end of the club to grip. However, with persistence and patience, our poor shots become often better than our good shots of the past. Hang in there.

Bill

Well I want to eventualy play pro or on the nationwid tour, and I have looked and I see that to about 80th place even nationwide tour players avg about 290 yards on their drive, so if I want to be good enough to go pro I need to get my distnace up. and I know that the divers is not that important but if you have short drives, then all your clubs probly really short too. I think they hit their 6 iron about 200 and my 6i is about 150ish, and that is terrible, you are going nowhere with those distances I dohn't care how acurate you are.

Hi Golfing Guy,

I don't disagree with you. You are obviously a very good golfer, much better than the typical amateur. What I'm trying to point out is that few regular amateur golfers are capable of belting 300 yard drives more often than the once a round or once a month drive that everything happens to work just right. Yet, I see and hear guys all the time talk about their 300 yard drives.

If you're going to play on the Nationwide tour, more power to you. I hope you do well. The only tour most of us will see is outside the ropes, and those of us in that category can play the game at a respectable level with 230 yard drives.

Hope you the best,
Bill

ever heard of the guy jim fyurk? no. 3 in the world ranking, winner of multiple tournaments and a major. he hits the ball only 270, not to mention he has a off the wall swing

dont worry about distance get out and play a course, and for godsakes dont hit so many balls, practice your short game 75% of the time you are at the range

thank you for your advice. I should practice my short game more. but if fyruk hits his driver 270 then his 5i is probly 200 well my dirve is 230 then my 5i is about 155. so on a par 3 220 he is hitting a 4 or 3 iron while I am hitting my 3 wood/driver? I think that is a huge disadvantage do you really beleive that a someone could play on any tour with thoose short distances?

as far as me playing on the tour I have had the luxury to mooch off my parents for another 2 years and i have only been playing for a year, and I figure I am decent for only playing for a year and hope i will be good enough to play on a tour 2 years from now. though I do not enough money for professional lessons, I am very dedicated to making this happen, and even if I dont' make it at least I tried.

Keep trying and work towards your goal. I would finally say that you need to manage your practice well and play some golf, if you work on a good swing with a smooth tempo the distance will come on it's own.

Good luck.

Personally, I think practicing on the range is something you do either when you are a beginner and need to groove a useable swing or when you make changes to your swing. Other than that, I believe range practice can be more negative than positive, especially if you hit off mats.

I almost never hit balls at the range and if I do, it is mostly precision shots < 120 yards. If possible, I hit off grass not mats.

I practice putting, chipping, pitching, bunker and trouble shots almost exclusively.

When I am playing a round of golf, I first warm up with about 75% short game, hit a few longer irons and woods (no more than about 20 balls) with a smooth swing and finish off with 4 or 5 shots with the club I am going to tee off at the 1st hole with.

This works great for me.

Peter

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Regards, Peter
(WITB)

Hi Peter,

Well, what ever works for you. Most tour professionals spend hours a day on the range working on their game and if this guy wants to be a Pro then he will have to do the same, there are no shortcuts. You are absolutely correct in that it is important to practise all your game (including and most importantly putting).

Well, if golf is your job, then you are in a different situation. But for us regulars, once we have a useable swing, short game is where we can save strokes so that is where the majority of practice should be concentrated.

You are right in that pros do spend an awful lot of time on the range, but they also spend an awful lot of time on the course, in bunkers, on the putting green etc etc. If you are going to practice like the pros and hit 200 balls a day, you also need to spend the appropriate amount of time on the rest of the game, including playing on the course.

Peter

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Regards, Peter
(WITB)

Peter,

Yes goes without saying! This guy wants to be a Pro though, he needs to practice until his hands bleed

yes but practice makes permanent not perfect in golf, if he doesnt have a good swing and he practices so much with it he is only permantizing a bad swing, believe me u need to get a little job or something and get some lessons, 50$ an hour lessons, go cut grass in your neighborhood, get a good swing and then practice it, believe me then the distance will come

i am like you ive been playing golf for little less than a year, i can shoot par and occasional under par but i need lessons, i want to be shooting constant 5 or 6 under a round before i even try to get on a mini tour

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going through the rough

"Perfect practice makes perfect" (well! not perfect but you know what I mean) Keep taking lessons from a coach you have faith in (even Tiger does that), practice intelligently, play golf as much as you can afford to, learn to work with what you've got and the course you are playing, most of all "Enjoy"