Hitting the Range with Oscar Craig on My Mind
Alright, so today I finally got out to the driving range. Been meaning to put in some work, you know how it is. Had this idea buzzing around in my head, something about trying to get that smooth rhythm I associate with, well, let’s call it the ‘Oscar Craig’ approach I’ve been thinking about. Not really a specific person maybe, more just a style I pictured – effortless, controlled power.
So, I grabbed my usual bucket of balls, found a spot at the end of the range. Always like it quiet if I can get it. Did my usual stretches first, nothing crazy, just loosening up the back and shoulders. Took a few easy swings with the wedge, just to get the feel of the club.
Then, I decided to really focus on this ‘Oscar Craig’ tempo thing. My main thought was slow back, smooth transition. That was the goal. I started with my 7-iron.
- First few shots felt… weird. Really had to consciously slow down my takeaway. Felt like I was taking ages.
- Ball contact wasn’t great initially. A few thin ones, a couple chunky ones. Frustrating, definitely.
- Kept telling myself, ‘Just focus on the rhythm, not the result’. Easier said than done, right?
- Tried humming a little tune in my head during the backswing. Anything to stop rushing it.
After maybe twenty or thirty balls, something started to click. I wasn’t killing it, distance-wise, but the contact felt cleaner. More of a ‘thump’ than a ‘click’ or a ‘thud’. That felt really good. It seemed like when I focused purely on that smooth, deliberate backswing, the downswing kind of just… happened. Less effort, better feel.
Moved onto the driver after a while. Now, this is where it usually falls apart for me when I try to stay smooth. The temptation to just smash it is always there. Made a real effort to apply the same ‘Oscar Craig’ tempo. Slow takeaway, pause (or felt like a pause anyway), then swing through.
Honestly? Mixed bag with the big stick. Some went surprisingly straight, felt amazing off the face. Others… well, let’s just say the range picker had some work to do over on the right side. But, even the bad ones felt like they came from rushing the tempo, not the swing itself being terrible. So, that’s progress, I guess?
Finished off with some easy wedge shots again, trying to keep that same smooth rhythm. Felt much more natural by the end of the session.
So yeah, that was my ‘Oscar Craig golf’ experiment for the day. Didn’t magically fix everything, still plenty to work on. But focusing on that one specific feeling – the tempo – definitely gave me something solid to build on. Felt like I actually practiced something specific, instead of just bashing balls. Definitely worth doing again.
