[Richie3Jack]

Welcome back, Richie. Thanks for posting.

Great to see you at the PGA Show. Know your thumbs are in a number of different pies -- http://3jack.blogspot.com/2011/02/yoda-at-summit.html.

Keep on tasting.

And . . .

Posting!

Thanks, Yoda. Always a pleasure to meet you.

One thing that I do hear a lot of on the course is 'I was hitting it great on the range, but I can't bring it to the course!'

I think that's another case of not practicing it. From what I observe, golfers usually do 1 of 2 things on the range:

1. blindly hit balls with no specific target in mind

2. they have a specific target that they are hitting to, but it's from the same spot on the range and they hit to that particular target on every single shot.

I think we have heard #1 as being a bad way to practice. But #2 I think is just as important.

IIRC, Lee Trevino said that the range is essentially the golfer's scientific 'laboratory' and that the problem that most golfers have is that their lab is usually sterile and on the golf course it's a completely different story.

I agree wholeheartedly. That's why I may find one target to hit at in order to get into a rhythm and warmed up, but once that has been established, I'll aim at different targets after *each* shot.

I'll aim at the stick on the right side of the range, then on the next shot aim at another flag that is 60 yards left of that. Then another flag 30 yards right of the last one. And to get real 'crazy', I'll hit a shot with a 7-iron, then the next shot grab my 5-iron, then grab a driver, then a PW. All to different targets.

With my 'computer', I'm always trying to feel comfortable with my mechanics and alignments, and I'm *not* trying to get comfortable with a target on the range. That's a big reason why I think we see those golfers who tear up their home course, but can't play a lick anywhere else. Too comfortable with targets, not comfortable as they think they are with mechanics and alignments.






3JACK