Turning Range Practice Into Real Practice

Many golfers tend to get all uptight about the look of their swing or the trajectory and shape of their ball flight. The fact is that not every golfer has the prettiest posture or swing but so long as it gets the job done does it really matter?

In a sense the answer you come up with may be affirmative. We do know that there are certain basic elements of stance and swing that make the likelihood of hitting a sweet shot greater. If your swing however is not the prettiest but nevertheless provides a fairly consistent and desirable end result, should you really care what it looks like?

A lot of golfers do not really like to practice on the range and would prefer to instead spend any extra time that they have actually out on the course. This does not mean that they do not practice.

Playing on the course in itself is good and valuable practice. It is practice in a real environment where you, as a golfer, are faced with different lies, ground conditions, the visual illusions of the course architecture and also peer pressure. One might argue that this is in fact the best practice of all.

This type of practice is not designed to build a pretty and perfect swing, but it will enable you to learn how to adapt to different conditions and find your way around the course in the best way that you can. It is practice that is goal oriented and results driven. This forces you to find your own way to achieve the desired result and many would argue that this is in fact the best form of learning that there is.

This type of practice is also less confusing in the sense that your focus is not darting around between the different elements of a perfect swing but rather upon the real task in hand - that of hitting the ball towards the target. You are focusing upon one task as opposed to many.

I'm sure you know what I mean here. When you are working on your swing upon the range you are thinking about your grip, your hand position, your spine angle, balancing on the balls of your feet, not over-extending your back swing, not throwing your shoulder at the beginning of the downswing, keeping a straight swing plane, making sure the clubface is square, rotating through the swing and transferring your weight optimally, getting a good release and finishing with a good follow through!

When your mind is darting between these many different elements of the golf swing (and more than I have listed here!) it is pretty difficult to also think of the main task of hitting the ball towards the target. Your mind is in fact "all over the place", and the ball is likely to follow that intent. This is not a huge issue when on the range, but it does become a big problem when out on the course.

When playing on the course it is important to have clear focus on the real task in hand. You have to choose your shot, dial in upon your target, take a practice swing so as to feel your intended shot and then set up to the ball and commit to hitting that ball towards your target. There is no room for doubt or questioning when you are actually taking the shot. Golf requires of you to make a 100% commitment to each and every shot.

Very few golfers actually practice this on the range. They can, but rarely do they think to do so. If you wish to practice this mental side of the game then you can practice on the range in the same way as you play on the course.

By this I mean that you dial in your focus and pick actual targets and create fairways in your minds eye down the range. You choose your shot, take a practice swing as if you were on the course. Only when you can feel the swing that you think is most likely to work do you put a ball down in front of the club. Then you commit fully to hitting that ball towards your target.

This is a far more productive manner of practice and prepares you better for the reality that you will face upon the golf course. For further practice on the mental side of this game you could also use hypnosis to assist in zoning in your focus and building better muscle memory.

Roseanna Leaton, avid golfer and specialist in golf hypnosis mp3 downloads and author of the GolferWithin golf mind training system.