I decided to start a new thread to co-exist with "How was your round?" in which the focus is on range practice/lessons, etc. This way we can hopefully reserve posts in the "How was your round" topic for actual rounds played. Here we can however discuss a range session, practice, or lesson. (You ARE still going to the range, or practicing, or getting lessons aren't you?)

As mentioned in the "round" topic, today I had the final of a 6-lesson package. I hadn't had a serious range session in almost 2 months (and it's been at least 4 months since my last lesson...) Though I have been playing regularly, and fairly well at times; I have been having moments of uncertainty in a couple areas. The first is the new "miss" I have mentioned; which is a PULL. The second issue was "what is my grip/plane doing at the top of my back swing?" And, "what should it be doing?" So today that's what I told my instructor, and he really helped me anchor my swing; it was tossing around a bit...

We worked on a number of things; and after he left I practiced them diligently for another hour. (Very promising improvements!) And when I finally pulled out my driver, I was hitting more solid straight drives than ever (and though the ball flight was slightly lower on average than my normal drive) it seemed more consistent for the 9 degree driver I'm hitting! If I could hit it like that all the time, I would be plenty happy. Hope it's the start of something, but it felt like a natural product of the lesson.

I spent the final 2 hrs putting. After a while, I started experimenting with letting the putter make slightly more of an ARC during the stroke; depending on the distance. (I have always semi-enforced a more straight back/through stroke.) However, once I began to let it happen, my putts started rolling straighter than ever more consistently. And I found I was holding my lines a LOT better. I sank a surprising number of long putts, and left most others close "enough." It actually felt like a bit of a revelation! My earlier lesson had been so productive, and now the putting improvement... it had a feel of things coming together.

Today I arrived at the course around noon. My lesson was at 4:30p. I practiced putting for an hour. Then practiced on the pitching greens for 45min (including sand.) Then more putting. Finally off to the range for an hour. Then I took a break and putted for a while, until my lesson. After the lesson, practiced on the range for an hour. Then finished the day practicing putting for almost 2 hours, like a golf demon.

During that time, I had a game against one of the marshal's, and later against one of the pros. I lost to the marshal... but beat the pro! The marshal made 3 aces during our 9 hole round... which is VERY hard to beat. However, I made two! One time, we actually BOTH aced a long putt! It was just a super practice day, I felt a few more things falling into place, and before I go ruin it all, I'm going to list my clubs on eBay tomorrow before I have a chance to play another round and become utterly disillusioned...

p.s. I promise in the future to not be so "wordy." It's just that I type very fast, and sometimes can't believe, after a post, that I went on sooo long... so if you'll forgive me this one last time; I promise to try to be more concise in the future. But I had a lot to report, after all... (there's just NO hope for me.)

Wade, you spent 6+ hours at the range with lessons and practicing? Wow! Honestly, my back wouldn't hold up for that much practic but I'm impressed. I'm usually limited to about 2 hours and unfortunately my course has 2 practice areas, neither close to each other, and one has the bunker and the other the putting green. So I can never practice everything without treking across the place. But that sounds super. I actually putt more with an arc than total straight back and forth. Always have, just feels more comfortable to me.

Glad you're getting your swing in place. You have about a month to grove that change before the GGR which should be just enough time...I can see it now, you won't be getting any strokes!

Went to the range last night. Was a total opposite from Sunday night. I had a rough time hitting anything for the first hour. Pulled 90% of my shots. Last 30 minutes and final 50 balls, I seemed to be hitting better. 2/5 good drives, one of them with a 1-bounce to the 200-250yd back net (I still have no idea how far the back net is). The other 3 bad shots were fades that would put me in the rough or tree lines on a 50yd-wide fairway down about 180-200yds in my imaginary course.

Irons stop pulling when I realized I wasn't turning enough on my backswing.

Scott, yes it was actually well over 6 hrs; I was feeling the fatigue towards the end, and felt pretty tired last night. I was going to sleep in this morning (8-8:30a) but my cat hopped up beside me at 6:30a and let out a couple meek meows, (I was thinking, "please be quiet... I need sleep... please...) THEN the unforgiving feline SNEEZES in my FACE! Well, I was up...

Scott, I prefer the Griffith Park as a practice location because it has everything close to the clubhouse. There's the 2-level driving range out back, 2 chipping greens (1 bunker,) and 5 putting greens (3 large ones.) Also, from the putting greens you can watch players tee off on one course; and also watch them come into the 18 holes from both courses. The course is in and surrounded by mountains; which is also beautiful. So it's really an ideal place to escape and immerse oneself in golf-world.

DocT, stop pulling those shots! You must have been watching me too closely last Saturday? Too bad we couldn't have hit together on the range, or spent some time practicing. I don't think yesterday's practice would have been as fruitful without the lesson. I needed some tweaks, and my instructor made some surprising observations in areas I was blind to; but now I see.

The two most crucial observations were:
1.) at the top of my backswing, my grip would loosen in both hands at different times, way to much wiggle. That's one area I was feeling uncertainty, at the top before my forward-swing. So we firmed that up, and PRESTO. We also worked on better finding the "slot," and better lagging of my release.
2.) I was leaving too much weight on my right leg through my shots. (Funny how unaware of that I was!) My turn was fine, and I was driving my right leg into the shot well; BUT I was leaving almost half my weight on the back leg through the shot (and could suddenly "feel" the tension in my right calf!) So we did a couple drills to get my weight transfer and lateral move (turn) more in place. This also resulted in immediate improvements. These two issues alone would explain a lot of PULLS...

(...having said previously I would try to be less "wordy..." oh well, I might as well try to be "taller" while I'm at it...)

DocT, one word of advice...if it ain't happening, stop and go do something else you love. The worst thing you can do is keep banging balls and getting more frustrated. Just stop, pack up the clubs and go enjoy yourself and try again another time, or go work on putting or chipping and then call it. Seriously. I've done that many times. Glad you got through it and saw some improvement by the end though...

As I read my Rotella book again, he has a section on practice and his suggestion is that we should practice on course. Now I know he doesn't mean in the beginning stages of our learning, but rather once we've hit a level where we know we want to improve and we're willing to make the sacrifices it takes to get better and we have a reasonably sound and repeatable swing. But his point is that at a certain point, hitting to a vast driving range doesn't simulate the environment on-course. No rough, no trees to hit from behind, no pressure of having to hit a fairway or avoid water, etc. So I thought that was an interesting thought.

I go bang balls once or twice a week and try to hit to targets but in the beginning I'm just trying to grove a swing and then I play to targets, except the driver which I bang see how far I can hit it, though I do try and estimate if it would have found my typical fariways. Sometimes I'll "play" a course by pretending I'm on a course I know and I hit my driver then grab my approach club, etc. Just to break up the session. Plus hitting 30 balls in a row with anyone club gets tiring.

Wade, be as wordy as you like; I enjoy it. Besides, we've got Bill for brevity.

Great topic idea, given that I'm always practicing. I can overwhelm you all with the development of my swing. I'm out for a week, right now, though. Driving with my son to San Diego to get set him set up to start law school. So if you don't hear from me much, that's why.

Laney,
You should stop by the Los Angeles area during the weekend, then we can have a 3-some at a course that Wade is always playing at.

I hit a small bucket before playing 9 last night...thought I might need to warm up. Hah...with it being 90+ at 5pm I was soaked. Focused on irons, since I felt my contact has been a little inconsistent. Swing tempo (not accelerating so much on the downswing) and holding position were the key. It was really just realizing that I was rushing the swing most of the time and not giving myself time to make solid contact thru the ball (as opposed to hitting at the ball).

Doc, it's a possibility. The first order of business is to find him a place to live. If that goes smoothly, I may be able to get away. It's more likely to be on a weekday next week though. If it works out, I'll PM you guys.

Laney, come on up, most surely do, and DocT and me and you will wack-a-doo! It would seriously be great if you could make it. Just put your kid up in a motel if you he doesn't find anything... or bring him along as your caddy! But do get up here if you have the chance, I'm sure we'd have fun with DocT...

Weekday huh? Hmm, I might not be able to get out of work. Unless... I may be sick that day and have to take a sick day off.

So last night range session was almost a waste. I got there with only about 20 minutes before they closed which really sunk me because I started off like I needed to be in a hurry. Should have just went to the chipping green and done nothing but that. It wasn't all bad though, it actually started well as I began with wedges and working on alignment using a club laid across my feet showing my target line. but when I got to the 3W my tempo was a bit rushed and I was hitting 8 out of 10 balls right. New driver did pretty well though the couple times I hit it.

Well today's session at the range was much better. My thought for the round (and my rounds of golf starting tomorrow) were "Easy like Ernie"...to keep my tempo in check. Did that and had a generally good day. Worked out some kinks with the 3W that I hope will last. I had been hitting it well until 2 days ago...so maybe it's run it's course. Also had a good session with the dreaded 6I. Tried to make sure I kept my tempo smooth and didn't rush or slide...I hit probably 6 out of 8 shots pretty well. Would have taken them on the course that's for sure. The others were a pull and a fade.

So I left feeling better than the night before and ready to test the courses at Myrtle Beach tomorrow thru Wednesday. Wish me luck! My goal is to keep my tempo smooth, make good decisions, try to hit solid shots and let the score fall where it may! Hopefully, I'll hit some really good ones!

Scott, enjoy your trip.
Easy like Ernie, Smooth like Freddy...
Drink like Daly!

Yeah, and also how about Daly's quote, something to the effect of "nicotine plus caffeine is my protein..."

Scott, enjoy Myrtle Beach, sounds like fun! Swing, drink and be merry; and let us know how it goes. Don't hit your 6i...

I've had range sessions both today and yesterday. Towards the end of yesterday's session, I made a discovery which has improved my shots dramatically. I had to leave fairly soon after (dinner plans...) so was eager to get back again to a range today, and hopefully validate my improvement.

The key was my grip. While I was doing some exercises and stopping my swing at different points (to observe my position) I began stopping at the impact point. Then I began to adjust my grip to better accommodate that desirable position. Suddenly it began to feel so much more "correct" for a proper impact position; and though it was changed from my normal grip, I had finally made a "connection" between my grip, and a proper impact position. It has suddenly improved my ball striking, consistency, and everything else.

I think I've always had a fairly acceptable grip, but it has never had such the feeling of "correct" that it now has. It just suddenly makes sense, and has swiftly began to feel more natural as I take the club and set-up. It makes me feel like I have somewhere solid to go, or return to. And much of it does begin with the grip... so I consider this a delayed discovery of a major fundamental, which I had just been grasping for until now. And it has simply made other things I was trying to achieve fall more easily into place. So, I of course CANNOT wait to play again!!!

Yeah, its always the fundamentals that we overlook. It's easy to correct on the range, but just remember to take it out to the course too.

I went to the range over the weekend, and went back to fundamentals myself. I slowed down my swing (not forcing the club on the downswing) as Wade's friend, Kevin Spacey, had mentioned to me in the past, and have also shortened my backswing to 3/4 instead of full. I'm getting better contact and consistency. My main problem is still the occasional head-bob on the downswing, which leads me to top the ball.

When I hit 3-5 bad shots, I stop, step back for a minute, and then go back to hitting. And I'm back to normal again.

I've been contemplating on past course plays and wondered why I can't replicate my range practice on the course. I now realize that when I'm on the course with other people, I'm self-conscious about my lack of distance, and try to muscle my swing to catch up to the others in my group as I'm always the lagger. I need to stop that, and go for 3 shots to the green with a 2-putt on a par-4 for a bogie, instead of being an aggressive tree hugger on bad slopes punching my way to the green in 5. But then again, I do get my money's worth.

Well, hit the range today with mixed results. Irons were very solid, wound up hitting only about 8 shots total with irons since I was hitting them so well. And the other clubs..not so much...Really went to work on wedges and finding out why I wasn't hitting them were I was aiming. Finaly think I got that worked out, had to do with my take-away. Now I feel better that those shots were more online than they were. Worked also with the fairway wood and am slowly getting more confident to pull out the 3W in the fairway. 5W was rock solid but 3w was all over the place. Oh well, k-sarah-sarah they say...

Also hit the range, and had a 2 hr practice. I'm glad they finally installed mist machines to the stalls, it was warm out and felt great. I worked only on 8 thru 5 irons, and hybrids. Only hit one drive. Then later practiced putting. Everything felt good today, and it was a nice contained session.

Today I didn't really feel like playing if I could. It just felt like a range day. Relaxed, productive, and still sweaty. Today I practiced putting for the first time listening to my iPod. Put on some piano music, and it was enjoyable. Easier to tune out and tune in. Probably won't do it much, but found it helped me settle, or stay settled better.

Fitting for someone from Oklahoma, with a history of settler's; because in this game of golf, each shot could be considered "staking a claim." Vying for a piece of land or real estate (the fairway, the green, the hole, the clubhouse bar.) Anyway, I think the point is, I'm finding it easier to stay relaxed, and settle into the shots better. Feel better positioned and ready to pull the trigger! BOOM! Doh...

Had a real good day at the range Friday. After not hitting one fairway last time on the oourse, it was nice to hit 10 drives in a row right down the center at the range. Started working with my 3 wood for the first time in years. Not too bad either. Started off the day hitting 9 wood. Had a lot of nice shots that if it was a 200 yard par 3, I would have been looking at short putts for birdie. Maybe a few tap ins included. All and all, it was a good day at the range, and now I need to take it to the course.
Where have I heard that before?

Ok, made it out to the range for a quick session tonight. Hadn't hit anything since last weekend so I wasn't sure how things would go, but was plesantly surprised. Worked from wedges up to driver, interjecting wedges over and over every now and then to try and keep my tempo right. Banging driver after driver gets me off speed. Anyway, was still hitting irons pretty straight and crisp which was nice. Worked with the new 3W some more and that's finally starting to come around. All the problems I had the last time that I was finally solving by the time I left had me worried but I remembered what changes I made to my swing and that helped. Driver was a bit out of control in the beginning but it was mainly me. I was swaying too much in my swing. Once I settled down I hit several nice drives down the middle. Can't say how long as it was dark and not fully lite (the range not me!), but I could see them going straight out of the box.

So I was pleased. I wanted to play this week but work got in the way. Maybe next week.

Haven't hit a ball in a week and a half due to work. But I DID dream of being at the range last night. Does that count?

DocT, that's funny because yesterday while I was playing, I had a memory of recently placing the head of my putter into the cup, to help gauge the distance of "who's away?" Then I realized I never actually do that... or haven't. Then realized the memory was from a golf dream the night before. Seem to have them fairly often too (probably no big surprise there...)

Golf dreams are great, but still waiting to have the one where I become a birdie machine and qualify for the U.S. Open, then beat Tiger in the playoff for my 1st of many Majors titles... When I finally have that dream however, I hope I'm already close to my deathbed, because surely I will have a major heart attack and die in my sleep. (Blissfully happy, of course. *and probably no big surprise there either*)

I'm very concerned about you. You need therapy!

BTW, in my dream you didn't make it to the playoff with Tiger, because I dropped my putt, for eagle, on the 18th hole and won, putting you and Tiger in a tie for 2nd.

Went to the range yesterday morning before work. Boy, it's been over a week since I hit a ball.

Started off nice with my short irons. Started to pull with the 5i. Slight pushes on my drives. By the end, my drives were improving.

I noticed I started to increase my backswing speed and hip turn on forward swing at the second half. This, for some reason, stopped my pushes on my drives. Also, it stopped the pulling on my irons. Couldn't stay any longer to practice, as I had to head home to take a nap before going in to work.

I had a nice 200+ yard drive with 1 small bounce to the 235 yard net. I love seeing those shots, but wish I could be more consistent and shoot those at least 50% of the time.

I'll be playing this Sunday at Los Amigos golf course to prep for a mini-tourney in mid-September with my co-workers. I'm always voted for getting the "Most bang for the buck" all the time.