How to take Ranger Rick onto the Golf Course

Tiger Woods is awesome on the practice range, but he still can't consistently bring his new swing onto the golf course.  "Where's Ranger Rick?" yelled Tiger after a series of poor shots at the Dubai Desert Classic.  Most of us can empathise with Woods.  We can also hit special shots on the range, so why are they so darn hard to replicate on the course?

GOLF TAKES BALLS!

Golf takes balls, primarily because you only have one ball!  The range, on the other hand, has plenty!  Consequently, it is a relaxed place.  With a pyramid of balls in front of us if we hit an errant shot we just grab another and try again.  We seldom worry about shoddy strokes - we just move on to the next one.  This carefree attitude leads to free flowing golf swing.  Adopting a positive attitude will help us feel stress-free and thus become far more likely to produce great golf.  Too many golfers get wound up after a dodgy drive and then dwell on it for the next few holes.  This can result in a string of needless bogeys.

THE SOLUTION

Hit some balls without looking where they finish!  I know this sounds strange, but removing the result element means we concentrate instead on making a smooth repeatable movement.  Try this with short shots first and I am sure that you will notice a big difference in your consistency.  You should also focus on your follow-through.  A full, balanced one is what you must maintain in pressure situations.  Stick to your range style - don't add extra oomph for the sake of it at the expense of control.  Padraig Harrington has a nifty tip in this respect. He suggests you can happily swing the club as fast as you like providing you can hold your follow-through for two full seconds.  Try it - it is harder than you think and will instantly tell you whether you are swinging too hard on the shots that really matter.

Improve your putting aim, set-up and speed

Did you know that putting makes up 43% of our golf shots?  That's quite a large percentage, yet barely anyone spends 43% of time practicing with the putter!  As the old adage goes: you drive for show and putt for dough, so it is crucial to focus on the fundamentals - namely aim, set-up and speed!

AIM
I watch tons of golfers miss simple putts because they don't aim the face properly at address.  The brain (which instinctively loves to play caddie) won't let you get away with such a shoddy aim.  For example, if you point your putter to the right of the hole or intended target it will compensate by automatically making you close the putter face at impact to allow you to start the ball online.  However, this will lead to an inconsistent face angle through impact.  And an unpredictable sweet spot, culminating in poor putts!  Always try to aim the face squarely towards your target at address.

My advice, roll a few putts on the practice green and get a friend to judge your aim.  You can also check it by placing a tee on the face of your putter.  Keep your eye-line directly over the ball.  This will allow you to accurately align the putter at 90 degrees to your target line.

Consistency

Mechanical factors are often cited as the cause of good or bad shots.  We seem to forget what gives a golf swing an easy appearance is its free flowing rhythmical motion.  A golfer never really loses their swing - it just may be out of time.  We all have our own internal clock and it is vital you drive in sync with it.  Use the practice range to discover which repeatable tempo is best for you.

Our Advice:

Advanced players are well aware of their swing tempo and can thus blend a variety of swing mechanics into one flowing, in-time motion.

Practice Tip:

Take a swing with your driver at 25% of your normal speed, then hit one at 50%, at 75 and 100%.  Make sure you carry out a full swing through all tempos and don't change the length of your backswing.  Imagine you are going through four gears.  This should help you discover a tempo that suits both you and your swing.    

Improving Your Driving Distance

Distance

If you lack distance in your driving swing you may have a power leak at impact due to inefficient sequencing on the downswing.  Many golfers move their head and upper body past the ball during impact.

This will result in a major loss of distance and consistency.  longer hitters, and those with efficient swings approach the hitting area with a positive attach angle (on the slight upswing) with the driver.  Remember, an optimal two lever function of the left arm and club shaft is only possible if the left shoulder joint is behind the ball at impact.


Try to impact the ball with the driver slightly above the center of the clubface for maximum distance.

Practice tip:
Hit drives on the practice range with your head and left shoulder socket slightly behind the ball at impact.