"Johnny Tour Player" on the range

So, you have come to me for a lesson and begin to describe all the trials and tribulations that happen on the golf course. You only hit 3 fairways and 2 greens in regulation. I ask what YOU think the problem is, and you start rattling off a checklist of swing thoughts you have remembered to be able to strike the golf ball. You tell me, "If I could just hit it on the course as I do on the range, everything would be great!" BINGO...Bells go off in my head as I stand there watching you hit, relaxed as could be, the majority of your shots the WAY you intend to. So what is the problem?

When someone comes to me and starts describing the exact scenerio, I usually test their STOCK SHOT to see if there is any consistency to what they are doing. As a golf professional, I am looking to see if the ball starts somewhere on the same line and curves in the same sort of pattern most everytime. If this is the case, then I would suggest that the player think of their golf practice in terms of:

* Improving Technique (20% of practice)
* Golf Scrimmage (80% of practice)

Scrimmage is a word that I like, because it assumes that the player (or team in other sports) is simulating "Game-Time" situations. It also means "Rough or Vigorous Struggle". This is important because, ideally, the practice situation should be a "struggle" and more difficult than the actual game.

So, since you are "Johnny Tour Player" on the range but can't break 95 on the course, we are going to start with some easy-to-understand techniques.

(1) Create your own Bubble. Think of the area around the ball. Imagine a circle 4 yards in diameter. This is YOUR BUBBLE. When inside the bubble, I want you to be 100% confident in what you are trying to accomplish. You are focused on where you want the ball to go and look forward to the challenge of the shot. When OUTSIDE the bubble, you are planning, preparing and understanding the type of shot best for this situation. If at any point you think of these while IN the bubble, step outside and start over.

* GAME: With a buddy, hit 10 shots while in the bubble. Your buddy's job is to try and distract you any way possible (keys jingling, laughing, taking a picture, coughing in your downswing, etc..). If you keep your concentration and pull off the shot, give yourself 2 points. If you lose your concentration but still pull off the shot, give yourself 1 point. You want to get to the point where you can focus on the shot, and not think about your buddy.

(2) Golf Scrimmage. Just like other sports, use this technique to prepare you for game time situations. Here are a couple of classic scrimmages:

* Play the course on the range. Standing on the range tee, your job is to set up the course in your mind's eye with the shapes of the fairways, boundaries of the course and all hazards. Ideally, you are going to hit a different club to a different target everytime...so don't forget to start your routine over after every shot. Let's also say your best score on the real course is 90. Play the "range course" with a total of 53 balls (53shots +36putts=new personal record of 89). If you get to the end of the course with balls still in the basket, then you beat your personal record. If you run out of balls by hole 15, then write in your golf journal where the problem lies.

* Play the HOGAN GAME. This is a putting game that imagines Ben Hogan hitting every green in regulation. What would he shoot if he had 6 short putts(<3yds), 6 medium putts(3-6yds), 6 long putts(6yds<). Imagine YOU are Mr. Hogan and play ONE ball with different variety of break and difficulty. Write in your journal the results of every time you play. Use the BUBBLE here as well to focus your concentration.

* Play Trouble Shot Par 3 on the real golf course. Let's find a time where there aren't many other players and use this time to practice on the course. You are NOT going to hit a drive from the tee, but rather think about where "JAIL" would be from the tee (the place you can not afford to it into..not water hazards of course). Anyway, drop a ball at this spot and play out the hole as a par 3. Keep track in your golf journal the different types of shots you had to imagine and your total result. Play as often as possible to get comfortable with these situations. Soon, you'll love hitting it deep into the woods.

(3) Put the results on the shelf. Far too often, people let their fear of playing a bad round or having a poor result prohibit their development as a good "course" player. Instead of using the result to judge yourself against other players or the course, try and shelf the results for a while (forget them). Instead, focus on having a different goal for each round (for ex. max 35 putts, hit 5 fairways, hit 6 greens in regulation, etc...). Increase the difficulty of the goal as you become a more accomplished player, but don't let the result be EVERYTHING that determines your abilities as a golfer. If you focus on sub-goals for each round, the result will take care of itself. So lose the results and the judgement, it's only information.

In summary, if you are better on the range than the course, you need to try some of the strategies here to get yourself back on track. Don't resort only to changing your technique, but rather, how you can use your technique to the best of your ability on the course. Soon you'll become "Johnny Tour Player" on the course. Good Luck!

- Steven