Hah, it truly is amazing how the ball does exactly what you want it to when this feeling comes over you.

I am also an expert on this feeling - my swing has the flattest takeaway you've ever seen until the club gets to the top, where I get it in a pretty good position and go from there. However, until I've been routinely practicing/playing, I get a bad case of the shanks on the range to the point where it can be rather embarrassing if anyone is around. It takes a lot of repeated swings before I get my timing down to hit the ball where I want it to. No idea if this will work for you, but earlier this season I found that going out and playing rather than beating balls on the range actually helped alleviate this problem. On the day in question, I was shanking balls on the range for literally an hour with maybe one or two good shots for every five bad ones. Finally, I decided that it wasn't doing me any good staying there and getting frustrated, so I went out to the course. Ended up shooting 35 (-1) on the front 9, which at that time was my best score ever on that side.

Since then, it's happened numerous other times, so I'll just head to the first tee in an effort to clear my head and change my mental focus. I don't know if actually hitting the ball towards a hole rather than a target I choose is what helps, but I can almost always hit the ball much better on the course rather than the range. Also, when I'm finished playing, I find that my swing will be in a groove such that I can head back to the range and actually have a very good practice session.

Also, it sounds like you're doing this already, but make sure you're committed to your pre-shot routine on the range. It really does make a difference once you've engrained that sort of focus into your game. I've been hitting my irons better than any point in my life this year, and I think that is a big reason why.

Sounds like this is purely mental. I have a 13* TaylorMade R9 3 wood that I hit well *maybe* two times out of 10. The other eight I have no idea where they're going, but I've come to a point where I don't care before the shot. I just focus on what I'm trying to do, and execute the swing to the best of my ability. Just as long as I know that I can't get in trouble if I spray the ball to either side, I just accept where the shot ends up and move on. That's all you can do, really.

Interesting situation yesterday that I imagine could have been approached a variety of ways depending on personality:

Had a fishing trip planned by my uncle in Sunriver, Oregon, this past weekend, and my dad, brother, and I decided to tack on a round at Tetherow in Bend. We booked the tee time a month ago, and I was excited: Tetherow is ranked #66 by Golf Digest for public courses, and has received quite a few other accolades.

First off, the course IS a blast. The lay out is ALL about course management, which I think is a lot of fun, and 16 of the 18 holes would be most courses' "signature" hole. Here's the deal: 95% of the greens were DEAD, and in HORRIBLE condition. Like, have to be totally replaced condition. We were told this before we teed off, but not when we booked the tee time, even though it happened over the winter/early spring. Apparently (this is from our caddie) they ordered some stuff from China to kill one of the two types of grass that grows in the greens, but it ended up killing both types. Major, amateur, **** up, leading to "the worst greens in Central Oregon" (again, from our caddie).

We got a discount, and still played, still love the course, and still had a great time, but I thought it was pretty darn deceptive.

Ungh, the shanks. Thankfully they don't plague me these days (knock on wood), but I struggled with them a lot in my first few seasons. I still hit one every now and then, but I don't get worked about it.


Thanks for the suggestions. I hit balls basically 100% of the time before a round, but like you, it doesn't always do me any good. I might forgo it next round and go back to the range after instead.

I actually don't have a pre-shot routine for full shots anymore. I used to have one but I was playing with a bunch of really slow golfers and dropped the pre-shot routine so that I could be the one to help with pace of play. I know it's stupid, but that's my situation. I thought about it this weekend and started putting it back into play, we'll see how it goes. Putting is the only thing I consistently approach with a pre-shot routine in mind; you could actually set a clock to my putting routine as it is always exactly the same.



Agreed, it's at least 90% mental. If I drop the "oh noes, this one is going out of bounds" thinking that plagues me I would probably hit it better. I really found my rhythm on the back 9 in my Sunday round last weekend and played it in a couple strokes over par. One of the best shots I hit was a 220 yard draw with my 3brid for a layup to a par 5, I don't think I've been able to hit that shot once this year so it was really positive.

As someone who hits balls about 50% of the time before a round, I have absolutely no evidence to suggest that it does an ounce of good. In fact, if I had to guess I would say it is slightly negatively correlated to good scores.

Also, nothing worse than striping it on the range, and then duffing it all over the course. Absolutely maddening.

range definitely counter productive for me before playing. i'm a small guy and there are a limited number of swings in there. can't waste any on the range.

I felt the same way until I started playing more often. Now that my stamina is a little better I find that the first 3-5 holes are better because I am already warmed up. Course was "closed" yesterday (meaning open to members to walk, range closed, no carts available) and had to tee off with only some practice swings to get loose. First hole was ugly.

I feel the same way, but I don't really practice Monday to Friday as I live about a 45 minute drive to the range or any golf course, so I see my pre-round range sessions as a way of getting practice in and loosening up my body.

Agreed, it's infuriating. On the other hand, I shot the best 2 rounds of my life after bad range sessions, so there is always that possibility.

Never really felt that range or no range pre-round has impacted my scores.

Don't get me wrong, I love to hit the range before a round. It definitely helps me on the first few holes when I'm warmed up and ready to go. However, if I'm going to practice my swing for any appreciable amount of time, I find there's a point where just heading out to the course does me more good than beating balls for two hours. Not sure what it is, but I can't just practice for hours on end.

Today was a good example of this - I went out to the course around 2:30 but it was packed and there weren't any holes to jump on as a single. I decided to make it a practice day instead. I hit balls for an hour and had my swing going pretty well. I then went to the putting green and talked to another member about my stroke for awhile. He gave me some tips and mentioned a few other things about the golf swing that I thought I would try. Sure enough, when I went back to the range to hit some more shots, a few shanks came out. I eventually corrected it, but I can't say that going back and practicing more did me any good.

it's a shame you didn't get the complete experience, but tetherow even with dead greens would probably be in my central oregon top 5. that course is eagerly waiting to kick you in the nuts. i hope they gave you a healthy discount.

i posted this in the golf pics thread last september while standing on the range one chilly oregon morning (yes, this view is of the driving range...can you imagine what the actual course looks like?).

Woah. Dick's Sporting Goods laid off all 500 of their PGA Pros today. That's roughly 2% of PGA jobs down the drain. Ouch.

miss target for sales of golf merch, lay off PGA pros that sell golf merch.

if i wasn't on my phone right now i might attempt to make a sadly-funny meme jpg, but it's probably best that I can't.

sounds to me like they'll just focus on selling apparel, balls and tees from now on. you can buy your clubs elsewhere. gjge dicks.

Just texted my dicks PGA pro now to see what he has to say and see if he indeed get laid off too

Edit: He indeed get laid off and was completely blindsided

That's terrible. I have a few friends who are Dick's pros.

Dicks is a POS company that I hope goes bankrupt now. I wont ever shop at another dicks again. They can kiss all their major company contracts goodbye too. Shame the PGA didnt release any kind of a statement in support of these guys

Unfortunately the head of the PGA is quite possibly one of the biggest scumbags around. It's truly embarrassing the guy is actually running it.

Article says fewer and fewer Americans are golfing every year. Then why am I paying $80 a round and dealing with 5 hour rounds?

I believe you've discovered what's known as 'the cause'.

Need to go back to building old school park style courses. Yes, a PGA Tour player would average 62 on those courses. And you won't sell houses. But Joe-hacker won't lose a dozen balls and quit the game either. But I guess it doesn't make financial sense to do this anymore?

Casual fan take is that you are correct. Cost of land, Property taxes, cost of water in a lot of places, number of courses exceeds demand in many places already. Building a public golf only golf course doesn't seem to make any financial sense.

The public course by me is doing far better than any of the country clubs around me and its not even close

The public courses around here that are kept in good shape and maintain a reasonable pace get tons of play.

Only one course made money last year in my hometown and that was the City course.

It has 36 holes + an 18 hole par 3 course. It's always in ok shape but always packed with tee times.

It's rather inexpensive and they do a good job of having multiple beer carts driving around to make sure you are hydrated. It's also an easy walk.

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Isn't Dick's the owner of Golf Galaxy?

Yes they are. GG sales were down too