Take Your Golf Range Skills To The Course
Transitioning from the golf practice range to playing on the course is a significant step in the learning process.
Early in my golf instructional career I was surprised to see his students successfully hitting controlled shots on the practice tee and then hitting errant shots on the course.
The students seemingly had mastered their technique until they hit the golf links.
I have since discovered that practicing a golf swing and playing with it on the golf course are two different learning processes.
The solution to effectively transitioning your swing from the range to the tee is easy, practice on the range using the same pre-shot routine and swing you use on the course.
Spend at least half of your golf practice session approaching each shot the same way you do on the course.
Take your time with each shot, use different clubs on each shot.
Try the following golf routine.
Stand down the line behind the ball looking directly over the ball to the target.
Facing the target, rehearse your swing motion.
You can and should get the feel for the motion during your this practice swing.
Next, reestablish your target line.
Approach the ball with the attitude that you are going to strike the ball solidly at the target.
Do not think about your swing mechanics.
Hit the ball solidly at the target.
Hit different clubs for each shot as if you were playing on the golf course.
This method will make your transition from the practice tee to the course successful.
It should be noted that some players have difficulty performing on the course because they are unable to relax and or focus while on the course.
These two problems will be addressed in a later blog entitled "Rapid Relaxation on the Course" One of the ways I have found most effective to transfer what I have been working to the course is to play a round on the course.
What I mean by this is to use a favorite course, the course your praticing on, or a course your are playing a tournament at soon.
Visualize each shot you are hitting beginning with the first tee.
If the first shot requires a driver, begin by hitting a tee shot.
If that shot happens to be errant vizualize where that shot would have gone on that hole and play your next shot from that position.
You'll find that you can play an entire round on the range quite quickly.
Use this skill to help take your practiced skills to the course effectively.
Early in my golf instructional career I was surprised to see his students successfully hitting controlled shots on the practice tee and then hitting errant shots on the course.
The students seemingly had mastered their technique until they hit the golf links.
I have since discovered that practicing a golf swing and playing with it on the golf course are two different learning processes.
The solution to effectively transitioning your swing from the range to the tee is easy, practice on the range using the same pre-shot routine and swing you use on the course.
Spend at least half of your golf practice session approaching each shot the same way you do on the course.
Take your time with each shot, use different clubs on each shot.
Try the following golf routine.
Stand down the line behind the ball looking directly over the ball to the target.
Facing the target, rehearse your swing motion.
You can and should get the feel for the motion during your this practice swing.
Next, reestablish your target line.
Approach the ball with the attitude that you are going to strike the ball solidly at the target.
Do not think about your swing mechanics.
Hit the ball solidly at the target.
Hit different clubs for each shot as if you were playing on the golf course.
This method will make your transition from the practice tee to the course successful.
It should be noted that some players have difficulty performing on the course because they are unable to relax and or focus while on the course.
These two problems will be addressed in a later blog entitled "Rapid Relaxation on the Course" One of the ways I have found most effective to transfer what I have been working to the course is to play a round on the course.
What I mean by this is to use a favorite course, the course your praticing on, or a course your are playing a tournament at soon.
Visualize each shot you are hitting beginning with the first tee.
If the first shot requires a driver, begin by hitting a tee shot.
If that shot happens to be errant vizualize where that shot would have gone on that hole and play your next shot from that position.
You'll find that you can play an entire round on the range quite quickly.
Use this skill to help take your practiced skills to the course effectively.