# range balls...



## Up North (Jul 3, 2008)

Before you start your round do you hit some balls on the range and if so, is it a warm-up bag, small basket, or large basket?

I used to run from the truck, pay my greenfee and head straight to the teebox. That was up until about a year ago, now it seems I must hit a few balls before starting off my round. I love the warm-up bags, usually 25-30 balls, just enough to loosen up and hit the wedge, 8,7,5,4 iron, 3 wood and driver.

Buck


----------



## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

Depending on the course I will normally try to hit a few balls before teeing off a warm up bag would be good normally we just have a bucket or a large bucket. Normally between my playing mates we would just split a bucket if we get one I think that it does help. At least your loose before teeing off at the first tee with everyone watching.


----------



## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

Nope. Almost never. I prefer to go to whatever the course has for a chipping green and chip and pitch for 15-30 minutes if I have the time. Otherwise I just stretch, swing an 8I for a few minutes, hit some putts and go. All I ever do on the range is get bored and lose focus, so I've just quit even going there. :dunno:


----------



## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

I'll go to the range prior to a round some times after I see a problem or my golf buddy sees a problem and I might putt on the putting green not as much as I should. so its mainly car to tee


----------



## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Surtees said:


> we just have a bucket or a large bucket. Normally between my playing mates we would just split a bucket QUOTE]
> 
> is that with the blue shovel or the yellow?:dunno:


----------



## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

ok Bob just for you I'll Dumb it down we get a large bucket of balls or a medium bucket of balls it's only you that takes a bucket and spade beach towel to the course.


----------



## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

At 60 years old, and not being too flexible anymore, I often go to the range to loosen up, splitting a bucket of balls with my partner. It isn't real critical practice, just loosening up so when I step on the first tee, I can keep the ball on the world.

I don't often go to the practice green at Calusa, where I play most. It's OK to practice your line, but the speed of the green is vastly different than those on the course.


----------



## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

DennisM said:


> At 60 years old, and not being too flexible anymore, I often go to the range to loosen up, splitting a bucket of balls with my partner. It isn't real critical practice, just loosening up so when I step on the first tee, I can keep the ball on the world.
> 
> *I don't often go to the practice green at Calusa, where I play most. It's OK to practice your line, but the speed of the green is vastly different than those on the course.*



Your comment abut the putting green is a pet peeve of mine. I rarely play a course any more where this is true, but it used to be quite common. For whatever reason, the course used a different turf, different mowing... something that made the practice green completely different from the greens on the course. My home course has a fairly good putting green, identical to the ones on course except when I'm playing early. They don't mow the putting green until they have finished mowing the greens on the course, so early in the morning it will be slower than what you see in your round. But that is just a timing issue. Once it's mowed and rolled, there is no detectable difference.


----------



## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Fourputt said:


> Your comment abut the putting green is a pet peeve of mine. I rarely play a course any more where this is true, but it used to be quite common. For whatever reason, the course used a different turf, different mowing... something that made the practice green completely different from the greens on the course. My home course has a fairly good putting green, identical to the ones on course except when I'm playing early. They don't mow the putting green until they have finished mowing the greens on the course, so early in the morning it will be slower than what you see in your round. But that is just a timing issue. Once it's mowed and rolled, there is no detectable difference.


That is a valid peeve Rick and I think thats why I've stopped using the green unless its the afternoon.


----------



## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Surtees said:


> ok Bob just for you I'll Dumb it down we get a large bucket of balls or a medium bucket of balls it's only you that takes a bucket and spade beach towel to the course.


You forgot the Sun tan lotion:cheeky4:


----------



## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

Yes I hate it when you go to a new course and have a practise putt to get your eye in and once your right off for the round you go and wam you hit the first green and its totally different to the prac green... very annoying!


----------



## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

One place I don't like to hit balls to warm up is at Killian Greens Golf Club, another place near here. Due to very restricted space, they use Cayman balls, the lightweight ones with bumps instead of dimples. I might hit a driver 125 yards with one of them. It messes up your head and you tend to overswing, looking for the distance you expect from a real ball.


----------



## Up North (Jul 3, 2008)

DennisM said:


> One place I don't like to hit balls to warm up is at Killian Greens Golf Club, another place near here. Due to very restricted space, they use Cayman balls, the lightweight ones with bumps instead of dimples. I might hit a driver 125 yards with one of them. It messes up your head and you tend to overswing, looking for the distance you expect from a real ball.


hmmm...I'll bet my bag is full of those balls, think I may have just solved one of my problems. They bite the green really good though...

Buck


----------



## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

Gee thats a funny prac ball I've never seen them.


----------



## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Cyan golf balls...I think I have a plan for the steak dinner it might work for one hole.


----------



## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

Surtees said:


> Gee thats a funny prac ball I've never seen them.


They aren't generally available for sale around here, at least not easily found. A number of years ago, Jack Nicklaus designed the first golf course on Grand Cayman Island and the intention was that you would use these lightweight balls, which he apparently also had the idea for.

Since then, there's been a plan to build another golf course there, Safe Harbor, but it's more like an executive par 3 course from what I've seen. I don't know whether it ever got built or not.


----------



## Cajun (Jan 17, 2010)

I have lower back issues, so, I have to warm up or I don't get into the "swing of things" until about the fourth hole. I've also retriggered the injury by not warming up in the past, so, ...we never had warm up bags, so I use to hit about half of a small bucket then give the other half to a buddy or someone else at the range. I only hit with my 7 iron and hit all but the first few with full swings. The last couple of rounds, my wife and I have shared a small bucket. 

The local course I play also has the practice green to playing green speed problems for sure. It's so much different, that I've taken to using the first hole as a practice green if no one is waiting. I play my shot, but I drop a couple more balls and putt them in and call it good. I've never resorted to that before, but the comparison between the greens are terrible.


----------



## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

I'm not physical therapist, but do you stretch prior to swinging the club?


----------



## Cajun (Jan 17, 2010)

broken tee said:


> I'm not physical therapist, but do you stretch prior to swinging the club?


Yes, I do a series of stretches before I begin swinging, I can really screw my back up if I don't so I'm really careful. I normally start at home sitting on the floor doing lower back and hamstring stretches, then some twists and toe touches before I start to hit at the range. The old injury causes muscle spasms in my lower back if I twist the wrong way, it really debilitaing for about a week when it flairs. I don't take any chances, I stretch and warm up everytime.


----------



## Up North (Jul 3, 2008)

broken tee said:


> I'm not physical therapist, but do you stretch prior to swinging the club?


just putting on my shoes gives me all the stretching I can handle for the day...

Buck


----------



## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

Nice one Buck and welcome Cajun I don't have back problems but even I find that if I dont give it a good stretching before teeing off it takes a few hole for me to warm up.


----------



## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Up North said:


> just putting on my shoes gives me all the stretching I can handle for the day...
> 
> Buck


I thought I was out of shape, but you must be exhausted when you change into your golf shoes after putting on your street shoes.:cheeky4:


----------



## Up North (Jul 3, 2008)

you guys didn't know I was gymnast and put my shoes on bending over backwards??? 




Buck


----------



## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

Theres one in every crowd.....


----------



## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

Time permitting, I will hit a few putts, and then range balls before my first tee antics. I can chip, pitch, and full swing on the range as long as there is a target to aim at. Another thing I do is always make the last club I warm up with, the same club I am going to hit off the first tee. If it's a par 4 or 5, then I will finish up my warm up time with my driver, or 3w. Maybe even my 5w. If by chance the first hole is a par 3, then that distance tells me what club to finish warming up with.

If I don't have time to warm up, then I might cut the hole distance in half, and use the same club twice to get to the green. If it's a par 5 I might break the distance into thirds and use that club three times. Very seldom will I start off a round with my driver with out a few warm up shots.


----------



## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

I agree I wont use my driver on the first tee. I dont use it even when I do warm up.


----------



## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Surtees said:


> I agree I wont use my driver on the first tee. I dont use it even when I do warm up.


Luke: Stop using the putter off the first tee you're not playing miniture golf any more... I'm just going to have a chat with your wife about you.


----------



## Up North (Jul 3, 2008)

Yeah Luke, you gotta stop thinking you're going to drop that 400yd putt...you know with your luck it's gonna "Lip out". :cheeky4:


Buck


----------



## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

come on guys if I keep trying sooner or later I'll drop one


----------



## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

Does anyone ever find it more useful to hit balls before or after you play?

Warming up is one thing, but I'm sure we've all heard on TV that some pro has gone to the range after a round to straighten something out that wasn't working for him during the day. Do any of you do that? Personally, I just tend to go home and hope a shower and sandwich will cure whatever I did wrong that day.


----------



## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

I have done the post round driving range thing on a few occasions. I tend to play most of my rounds in the afternoons, so it's a time permitting type of deal with me. A lot times I will just go to the practice greens to get some putts, chips, and pitches practice in, or maybe something more specific that I struggled with on the course. Sometimes after a round, if my energy level is still high, I just want to hit some more balls.


----------



## Cajun (Jan 17, 2010)

DennisM said:


> Personally, I just tend to go home and hope a shower and sandwich will cure whatever I did wrong that day.


That's my normal cure too, although there may be a little Crown in the cure as well.


----------



## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

Cajun said:


> That's my normal cure too, although there may be a little Crown in the cure as well.


You wear a crown in the shower???? I knew things were different down on the bayou, but..... :laugh:


----------



## Cajun (Jan 17, 2010)

Fourputt said:


> You wear a crown in the shower???? I knew things were different down on the bayou, but..... :laugh:


Well, to be honest, it's more of a tiara.


----------

