WannaBeProGolferGuy wrote: ↑Sun Jul 31, 2022 5:06 pm
Weimy Froob,
Thank you for the advice. I am unsure if you are a veteran of golf but you provided a perspective that I had not previously considered.
I go to the range and practice a variety of shots since, taking up the game in 2019, I am self-taught. Never had a lesson. Rather, I would watch You Tube videos from Rick Shiels or MeMyGolf or the Golf Channell and then go to the range and figure it out. My goal in 2019 was to consistently make solid contact with my irons. Eventually, I did with 6 through Wedges via daily time on the range but struggle with my 4 and 5 iron. I purchased a used driver for $100 on Global Golf but sprayed that all over the place.
I did not play much in 2020 because I was working from home and decided to remodel my upstairs and downstairs.
In 2021, I purchased a 4 wood with the hope I could hit that off the deck since I was unable to hit my 4 or 5 iron consistently. With lots of range time I eventually was able to hit my 4 wood off the deck. I played a lot in 2021 and ended up using the aforementioned 4 wood as a driver since I could hit it straight 200-220 vs spraying my driver all over the place. The light bulb dinged off for me and my crazy thinking was how much better my golf game could be if I could drive 250 -270 which leaves me with a mid-iron or short-iron instead of a long iron ( 4 or 5 iron) onto the green.
So last December I got fitted for a driver and in addition, I purchased a 3 wood. Both of which, I have been practicing on the range this season in an attempt to consistently hit my driver in the fairway along with teeing off with 3 wood (when needed) and 3 wood off the deck (primarily as a 2nd shot on Par 5s). The result is better than expected as I can hit my driver 270-280 and 3 wood off the deck roughly 230-240 which means I can reach the green in 2 on Par 5s. Upon playing this year, I have been able to do so at times when playing 18 holes. So I know I can do it.
My point with this long doctorate-esque dissertation is, all I know is go to the range with the mentality that practice doesn't make perfect. Rather, perfect practice makes perfect. If I had an ugly shot on the range then I would make basic adjustments to my grip or move the ball back in my stance or decrease the width of my stance. I am not one of those guys who grabs 2 buckets of balls and only hits driver, or the guy that swings 1 after another after another. I practice like I play in that I take a break between swings similar on the course. I love spending time on the range since hard-work and attention to detail are my keys to success. I enjoy the grind, the sweat, the frustration, the turmoil, and the satisfaction when my game improves. That is the reason why I go to the range.
your range work is kind of hoganesque. you should really pick up his five lessons book this winter. he was all about the long game. the answers are all in the dirt.
Whenever Ben Hogan was asked about the “secret” for his consistency on the golf course, he would answer,
“I dug it out of the dirt.”
That is golf-speak referring to the countless hours he spent on the driving range honing the perfect swing. Even more importantly, however, that practice built a swing that he could replicate with the upmost confidence coming down the stretch of a major championship.
Yes, Hogan had a few basic swing principles that he developed over the years, but it wasn’t one specific secret. The arduous practice sessions made him confident, that even under the most extreme pressure, he could hit any shot he needed.
The second lesson from Ben Hogan is given in his explanation of how he figured out the nuances of his golf swing. Hogan stated that he “ dug the answers out of the dirt”. You too can do so as the dirt, or the divot hole that you leave in the ground, hides a lot of information that pertains to your swing.