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The Official Driving Range Session Thread

Instead of working my way through the bag I focused a bit on my driver and it was just okay. But I was striking irons nicely and absolutely crushing the 3W (240+ and straight off the deck). If I had to game this swing I think I'd leave the driver in the bag. I also spent a bunch of time on the practice green doing a drill I saw on tv that emphasizes 3', 4' and 6' putts. It was good to work on the flat stick.
 
I may have done myself more harm than good today. I have been striking the ball really well lately, and I just wanted to swing by the range to groove that feeling, and to work on my putting. Hit a handful of iron shots that I was pretty happy with, but I had a bit more hook on some of them than I would like. Started trying to straighten that out, and things started getting kind of ugly. I moved on over ot the putting green, and didn't do great over there, either. A few more diappointing iron swings, and it was time to get back to the office.
 
I hit 120 9-3's today... Slowed my swing down a bit and focused on small things. Worked out great and had a very good session.
 
Hit about 100 balls today mostly working on the 3 wood and 18" Mashie. Focused on my posture as sometimes I have the tendency to slouch over the ball. Nice easy swings, more erect posture worked out really well.
 
Finally was able to get a good solid range session in yesterday and work on 2 things - 1. Ball flight (draw vs cut) and 2. 50-70 yard wedge shots.

I have been drawing the ball as of late and I really perfer to hit cuts off the tee and into greens. I like to hit with an open stance and my shoulder slightly open to the target line. But what's been happening is a slight draw started to sneak into my game with my TM MC's and recently with the RBZ irons. Then it snuck into my wood game. So I started playing it a bit more and closing the stance and trying to get the shoulders more in line with the target. Now the snap hooks off the tee and over drawing the ball into greens came around more and more. When I would go back to trying to hit a cut I would still draw the ball. This needed some attention.

Finally figured out that the club was coming through impact before I was clearing my hips and mid section. Went back to the open stance, taking the club a little more straight back to a bit on the outside and really trying to get my hips and legs moving out of the way before the club arrived at impact. Well, hello cut again. And a controlled cut at that. Still needs work but it was a big move in the right direction.

Wedge play. Been working on my 50-80 yards wedge shots. I have a history of hitting some close wedge shots fat (see VHOTD). Well, it started creaping in yesterday at the range. No control. Fat shots. After trying a couple of things I finally just choked up on the 52 degree wedge towards the bottom of the grip. Clean contact! And again. And again. Not one fat shot in about 35 more shots. Something so simple that I just never thought about it.

I left the range very satisfied with the work that I put in but need to duplicate it next weekend.
 
Went to the range today with my boss and we did my yearly review after about 200 balls :) Was pretty fun, as we had some closest to the pin contests at the 5 or so greens located on the range. swing felt pretty good and got the horrible performance yesterday out my my system.
 
runpuddrun said:
Went to the range today with my boss and we did my yearly review after about 200 balls :) Was pretty fun, as we had some closest to the pin contests at the 5 or so greens located on the range. swing felt pretty good and got the horrible performance yesterday out my my system.
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That's a pretty freaking cool boss you have there, Run.
 
I had the type of range session that made me feel like I can actually improve and play this game.
 
Since I've been nursing sore ribs for a week and a half, my last few trips to the range have been restricted to using their practice green for chipping.

Today I was working on controlling distance for short side chips and pitches over trouble.
 
My goodness, my right ribs and shoulder blade hurt so badly last week. I might have overdone my swing. Still nursing the injury, so I can only work on my putting.

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ugh. that about sums up my practice session today. Actually, I shouldnt be so judgemental, my short game and putting was on fire, and even my full shots with a wedge were decent, and my driver is so-so like alot of days were I struggle to get my weight forward.


I'm still so far gone with my irons I dont even know what I'm doing at this point. I feel like my timing is off, my setup is off, my takeaway, backswing, and swing are all on vacation with no plans to come back. I haven't hit a solid iron shot in months, and am really wondering if they'll ever return, especially since my irons used to be the best thing in my bag.

oh well, C'est la golf!
 
I had a very encouraging session. I went back to some fundamental drills from early on in my lesson series and there was vast improvement. I worked my way through the irons and hit virtually every ball crisp and straight. Not perfect but clearly in the acceptable range and significantly better than the horrific swing I have been putting on the ball. The 3W was okay and the driver was a little worse than that. They will come.
 
GolferMahn said:
ugh. that about sums up my practice session today. Actually, I shouldnt be so judgemental, my short game and putting was on fire, and even my full shots with a wedge were decent, and my driver is so-so like alot of days were I struggle to get my weight forward.


I'm still so far gone with my irons I dont even know what I'm doing at this point. I feel like my timing is off, my setup is off, my takeaway, backswing, and swing are all on vacation with no plans to come back. I haven't hit a solid iron shot in months, and am really wondering if they'll ever return, especially since my irons used to be the best thing in my bag.

oh well, C'est la golf!
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Been there, GolferMahn, and it's an awful feeling. I'm generally a smooth swinger, and my swing is all about tempo and feel. I have a few tricks I use on myself at the range when I get off like this. 1) Try a much, much slower take away and force myself not to make an abrupt transition to the downswing. (this is to try to get my tempo back). 2) If that doesn't work, I take my 5 iron and try to hit it 100 yards. (this helps get out of over-swinging), and finally 3)I work on hitting fades and draws. I know the last one sounds odd. Why would you work on fades and draws when you can't even hit one straight. :banghead:Well, for me, it helps me to feel the swing plane better, and it tends to improve my straight shots too.

Good luck, and I hope your swing returns from vacation rested and ready to go soon.
 
I tried something new today at the range. I worked my way through my bag hitting 3 or 4 balls with a club then switching to the next club in the rotation. The rotation went like this: SW, 3W, PW, D, 9i, 3W, 7i, D, 5i, FW, 6i, D, 8i, 3W, AW. It worked great. My iron swing has been really pretty nice of late. Each time I rotated back to an iron it was like a chance to refresh muscle memory. I started off just so so with the woods but by the end of the session I was hitting the 3W pretty darn well and although the driver wasn't where I want it to be it was much better. Also, the session felt much more productive than those times when I've just banged balls with one or two clubs (i.e., FW or driver).
 
Went to the range twice over the past 3 days. First session left a lot to be desired so had to go back yesterday to make sure I'm not as bad as it seemed.
Started off great with my irons but moved to driver and hit the first few good. After that the lefts & rights came out and it got me frustrated. Smoked my last one dead straight so figured that was enough for the day and went back to my wedges for the last few balls.
 
I went to the range over lunch today. Second session with new RBZ driver (was still playing an old orlimar tri-metal steel shaft). Started out hitting horribly, banana slices, duck hooks. Took a break. Concentrated on slowing down my back swing and getting a good shoulder turn. Then started really pounding it and last 15-20 balls were about 80% really good.
 
Today's range session has been the best this year by a mile. Not back to where I was last year but a major improvement after having advice from a pro online.
 
About to go take my new irons to the range for the first time... so jacked!!
 
I have been having really bad range days I've noticed that I am playing better than practicing now!
 
I'm having a hard time gauging distances. How do some of you dial in your distances with your clubs?
 
Hit my driving range right after I picked up my new irons. I also bought a new wedge. Got to the cartpath and my darling fiancé dropped my brand new Cleveland CG15 56* on the concrete!

I must have looked silly with just a bundle of irons, sneakers, and a t shirt but it was worth it...I hit the new irons awesome.
 
pmoa said:
I'm having a hard time gauging distances. How do some of you dial in your distances with your clubs?
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Do you mean on the course or in general?
 
pmoa said:
I'm having a hard time gauging distances. How do some of you dial in your distances with your clubs?
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I do for example, I know I can hit my 7 iron 150 and my 5 iron about 190, I also work on my distances with different wedge shots! I also know I can hit my 5 wood about 230 and 3 wood 260.
 
I had one of my worst range sessions ever the other day. I started with my wedges and worked my way up to my driver. I hit everything fine until my driver. I normally hit the ball a long way, but I was really struggling. I pulled or hooked every ball I hit with my driver. Nothing got over 220 either. Needless to say, very disappointing. I guess its time to put the big stick up and just hit my hybrids off the tee again. :(

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