Hi Derek, like many beginners (I assume) one thing that I find hard to replicate out on the course is the same level of consistency I have at the range in hitting solid shots all the time. I reckon one of the reasons for that is that on a golf course the lie is never as perfect as it is on the range mat. By that I don't mean when the ball is in a bunker or at the bottom of the tree or in thick rough because of a poor t shot. Quite often even when I'm on the fairway there could be a certain degree of slope that creates an uneven lie, and when that is the case I struggle to settle into a stance where I feel comfortable and confident swinging the club. That in turns creates more stiffness in my body, which, coupled with the difficulty of finding a good balance, results in possible mis-hits (mostly thick or thin shots) or hooks or slices because my swing plane is totally off. Is there any way to try and replicate similar conditions in practice, to basically train myself to be more at ease when facing challenging lies? Cheers, Pat
Great question Patrick. This is a challenge all golfers face. The best thing you can do is get creative. Go to the end of the range tee and hit balls from the edges where the tee starts to taper off. That will help with ball above or below your feet. Uphill and downhill stances may be possible at the very front of your range tee or the very back. If you are practicing from artificial grass these stances become very difficult to find. The best option in that case may be to get on the course late in the day, when it is quiet and work on those shots out there. Be sure to replace or fill in you divots to avoid the wrath of the green staff. I hope that help. All the best with your golf game.
Chipping is costing me 6 strokes a round. I tend to blade the sand iron when chipping?Keith
Hi Derek, like many beginners (I assume) one thing that I find hard to replicate out on the course is the same level of consistency I have at the range in hitting solid shots all the time. I reckon one of the reasons for that is that on a golf course the lie is never as perfect as it is on the range mat. By that I don't mean when the ball is in a bunker or at the bottom of the tree or in thick rough because of a poor t shot. Quite often even when I'm on the fairway there could be a certain degree of slope that creates an uneven lie, and when that is the case I struggle to settle into a stance where I feel comfortable and confident swinging the club. That in turns creates more stiffness in my body, which, coupled with the difficulty of finding a good balance, results in possible mis-hits (mostly thick or thin shots) or hooks or slices because my swing plane is totally off. Is there any way to try and replicate similar conditions in practice, to basically train myself to be more at ease when facing challenging lies?
Cheers, Pat
Great question Patrick. This is a challenge all golfers face. The best thing you can do is get creative. Go to the end of the range tee and hit balls from the edges where the tee starts to taper off. That will help with ball above or below your feet. Uphill and downhill stances may be possible at the very front of your range tee or the very back.
If you are practicing from artificial grass these stances become very difficult to find. The best option in that case may be to get on the course late in the day, when it is quiet and work on those shots out there. Be sure to replace or fill in you divots to avoid the wrath of the green staff.
I hope that help. All the best with your golf game.