MENTAL SPOTLIGHT

Getting It There

How to hit it as well on the course as you do on the range

John hits the ball great on the driving, but when he on the course, he loses it. A golf swing is golf swing, right? If you can hit long, straight shots on the range, why can’t you do the same on the course?

            The problem is focus. It changes from the range to the course. When you practice, you focus on how impact feels or how the ball looks flying off the clubface, often disregarding, distance and direction, the two mandatory ingredients for successful play on the course.

            You know how it goes:

            “How you hitting ‘em, John?

            “Great—getting “em up in the air today. Feels good”. What hasn’t realized is that the ball actually is sailing about 15 yards left of where he’s aligned, so he is getting about 10 more yards than usual.

            John’s also relaxed on the range. He doesn’t care about the one or two fat shots or the duck hooks sailing into the trees: The bad ones don’t count when you practice. But when you get to the first tee, everything counts. Those trees on the left loom large, and suddenly hooks are a real threat. Since John hasn’t done anything on the range to prepare himself for this reality, his muscles and mind fill with tension.

            John’’s neglecting other important parts of the game on the range, too: playing from different lies, creating shots and shotmaking, and addressing the ball with his playing companions watching him. Like John, you must prepare yourself for these things when you’re on the driving range to stepping to the first tee will be shock to the system. Here’s how to make sure you’re ready.

Be Precise and Careful

            Pick a target out on the range. Judge its distance just as you do on the course. Take the appropriate club and go through your usual preshot alignment routine for each swing. Carefully and deliberately hit the shot to the target. Keep doing it until you get it right.

            If you’re practice with the driver, imagine a corridor defined by land features to serve as your fairway. Trees, flags, humps in the ground, whatever they are—align yourself precisely and hit the ball down the “fairway.”

Prepare Under Pressure

            It would be great to take a relaxed, carefree driving-range swing to the course. But face it, it just doesn’t happen! Rather than fight your feelings around the course, change your practice habits. Put some demands on yourself on the range. For example, if you topped a ball on the course, you wouldn’t move cheerfully on the next shot. Instead, you’d stop, take a practice swing, and give serious thought to what could have gone wrong. Treat bad shots on the range the same way. Practice is no joke, so don’t laugh off the bad ones. Expect more from yourself, and prepare full for the next shot.

            Think about one-course-situation on the range. You’ll be faced with difficult shots out there, so get ready. Hit some knock-down short irons, a few shots out of divots or bad lies, and some deliberate hooks and slices. Find a place to hit from sidehill or downhill lies. Hit a couple from the rough. These are situation you’re face during a round, so take your time and prepare completely for each one.

            Have you heard the adage “Quitting on a good one?“ that’s backwards. It should be “Hit a good one when you quit.” The last ball in the bucket may be the most important. The pressure is real: Only one ball left and you want it to be good one. You hate to leave the practice tee with some ugly flight pattern in mind. So bear down, concentrate, and hit the shot you want, just as you have to do out on the course.

Inoculate Yourself to Social Influences

            Golfers joke around on the range and socialize with their playing companions, casually swatting a few balls at their leisure. This demeanor violates everything discussed above. It also comes back to haunt you when those jovial buddies suddenly become deadly serious on the course. The jokes stop and everybody’s watching. Are you ready?

            Don’t yuck it up with the guy next to you during practice. Focus on what you are doing in our own quiet little world. Or alternate with a playing companion, hitting precise practice shot while watching each other. This is how it is on the course. If you want to experience social pressure on the range, ask a friend to watch you hit a few drives. Tell him—out loud or to yourself—you’re going to show him how it’s done (that is after all, implication on the course). Remember, a good golf swing on the range doesn’t do much for you if you can’t perform with it on the course.

This article is from the book “The Complete Golfer: Physical Skill and Mental Toughness” by Dr. Tom Dorsel, the sport psychologist.