I went to the driving range today, more for the exercise than anything else. I knew one bucket couldn’t possibly cure the problems I’ve been having with my driver, but I needed to pound something.
I’ll bet you’ve done the same.
Some days you just go out there for therapeutic reasons. Or because it beats working. Other times, you hit a bucket hoping to find that magic swing key that will unlock Tiger-like power and pinpoint accuracy. Totally different objectives, same results: You get your heart rate up, but that’s about it.
The fact is, there’s very little learning going on at the typical American driving range. For most people, it’s just a series of experimental swings where you try something, look at the results, and then correct that mistake with another equally bad idea. Occasionally you might actually happen upon a compensational move that provides immediate satisfaction, but it’s never anything you could replicate the next time you tee it up.
It’s a merry-go-round of guesswork, and the only way to get off is with some professional help.
For me, that means 15 minutes with my friend/coach/co-author Andy Heinly. That 15 minutes will be more productive than 115 visits to the driving range.
Like all good instructors, he won’t waste time trying to explain why Mr. Snappy is haunting me on the tee. He’ll just give me some simple drill that’ll fix the problem in no time. He’ll add purpose to my practice and eliminate the chances of me making things worse than they already are.
Andy says, “In golf, practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes Permanent.” In other words, if you don’t know what’s really wrong, and you keep practicing, all you’ll end up with is more bad habits.
“My job is to get people out of the fault and fix mentality that’s holding them back, and give them something more constructive to work on,” Andy says. “I give them tangible things they can work on that doesn’t invite a lot of analysis… stuff that will translate directly to the course.”
So I’m not going to waste any more time ingraining my newest bad habits on the driving range. Forget About It! I’m not going to practice any full swing shots until I get the guidance I really need to move forward.
I want off this merry-go-round of experimentation! It’s really no fun.
