I am frequently told by my students that they hit it great on the range, but when they go out on the course and play, they lose it. There are several logical reasons for this, none of which is to say that a player can hit it great on the range and not take it to the course. The first thing we must realize is that there are different conditions and circumstances between the practice area and the course.

One of the most important reasons for success on the range is that you have a bucket of balls to hit from. If after a couple of swings the ball does not react the way you would like it to, then you will do something different to try to achieve a different result. Barney Adams of Adams Golf says, "The mind is the smartest computer we have and it will figure out in no more than three swings how to adjust." That is why when Barney fits someone, he never tells them what club they are using and rotates each club after three hits in order not to skew his results. We have enough balls in our bucket to figure out how to adjust and get better results. After a few better results we tend to forget the bad shots we just hit. This is different from hitting a bad shot on the course and having to stomp after it into the woods to find it (there are no mulligans on the course).

Another aspect is that when on the range you have the freedom to hit the same club over and over until you get it right. On the course, we hit and advance the ball far enough that we need a different club, and now we are faced with a different shot and perhaps a minute or more has passed before we reach our ball. The length of time plays a huge factor in this scenario. There is no waiting to make another swing with the same club on the range. On the range, the mind has a chance for another input and immediate feedback. So through repetition we have a chance to achieve better results.

The next aspect is that when you are on the range you can determine your lie. You can even tee the ball up for the best possible chance at success. On the course, we encounter all sorts of different lies, from divots to deep rough, depending on where our ball comes to rest. We also can find many kinds of uneven stances. All of which will have an impact on the success of each different shot.

Most people tend to practice only full swing shots when on the range, but that is not always what we are presented with on the course. The ball seems to find its way in-between the different yardages that we have for each club and now we are left with a partial shot. Partial shots are the toughest shots in golf. Most people have mistakes that occur early in their swing and have corrections that follow later in order to get back into position for a good hit. A shorter swing usually does not afford the player a chance to have time to make that correction, thus a poor result.

The final aspect of this explanation is that there are no hazards or out-of-bounds stakes on the range. You will not find many Nassau's being played there, so there is no pressure on the range. All the pressure is self-induced. A golf shot is a golf shot no matter where it is being played. Also, the course offers many different situations; be it hitting to a pin cut close over a bunker or a pin that is tucked way in the back. The hole may be on the far left or right side of the green, which requires that a ball be worked in order to get close to the pin with any percentage. Most people do not have targets in mind when on the range, so even if they hit the ball solidly, they do not know if it reaches its mark. All they know is whether or not the ball was struck solidly.

So you see, we do not necessarily lose the ability to hit great shots from one place to another, but there are factors and circumstances that greatly enhance or lower our chances of success.

Mark Moore, Head Instructor
Hank Haney Golf Center @ Cityplace
Dallas, Texas 75204
(214) 520-7275