Im still striking the ball much better since I changed my grip. Spending some time at the range. I'm hitting a lot more good shots than bad and even when I don't make good contact the ball is still usually headed in the right direction now.

Have yet to have the opportunity to go out and play a round to see if what I've been doing on the range. Give me some pointers on how I should be practicing on the range rather than just going and trying to hit some balls at the flags scattered on the range?

I'd try to practice more like you play. People often get lulled into the notion they're hitting the ball well on the range when they make reasonably solid contact and see a certain general shape to their ball flight but then they're confused when they get out on the course and can't hit the fairway or the green.

The first thing I'd do is that, unless you're working on something mechanically, don't hit the same club to the same target too many times in a row. To keep it simple, pull out your driver, a 7-iron, and your sand wedge. You're going to play a game called "two in a row". Pick a specific target with your driver: it can be an area between two bunkers, two trees, two telephone poles... whatever. It just has to be specific. Hit two drives and try to land both balls in that area. Keep hitting balls until you do. Now pull out your 7-iron. Pick a more specific target. It could be a green or, if the greens on the range are huge, an area between the pin and an edge of the green. Bunkers also make good targets. Try to hit two balls in a row and land it on/in your target. Do the same thing with your sand wedge. Now repeat. See how many times in a row you can make it through all three clubs without error. It might be tough to do with the driver depending on the size of your range but with your 7-iron and wedge try to vary the direction of the target. If your driver's target is on the right side of the range make your 7-iron target be on the left side of the range. The point is to keep practice dynamic so you don't subconsciously become dependent on visual cues around you (the bucket of balls, your bag, etc) for aim and target awareness.

Beginner: keep hitting each club until you get two in a row and then move on.
Advanced: if you mess up with one club you have to go back to the prior club. E.g. if you mess up with your 7-iron you have to go back to your driver.

We used to set goals like making it through six times in a row and stay on the range until we had done that. The next day we'd come back and try to make it through seven times. I once saw someone go through driver, 4-iron, 8-iron, sand wedge fourteen times to very tight targets.

Keep in mind this is how you practice shot making. This is not how you work on your mechanics. If there's something specific you're trying to work on mechanically there's a different progression which I'll try to summarize: first you hit balls into a net until you can do what you want to mechanically consistently. Then you go to the range and alternate between two clubs hitting about ten shots in a row per club (maybe more, maybe less) until you can consistently do what you want to mechanically while hitting balls with an acceptable ball flight. Once you can do that you transition to practicing your shot making. If you fail there you step back. If you fail there you step back to hitting into the net. I'm sure you get it.

Last time I played was January. I'm supposed to play tomorrow but something tells me I'll come up with an excuse not to, haha. I think it's hard to enjoy something you used to be good at when you're naturally competitive. Plus I'm not nearly as flexible as I used to be so every backswing hurts lol.

I'd try to practice more like you play. People often get lulled into the notion they're hitting the ball well on the range when they make reasonably solid contact and see a certain general shape to their ball flight but then they're confused when they get out on the course and can't hit the fairway or the green.

The first thing I'd do is that, unless you're working on something mechanically, don't hit the same club to the same target too many times in a row. To keep it simple, pull out your driver, a 7-iron, and your sand wedge. You're going to play a game called "two in a row". Pick a specific target with your driver: it can be an area between two bunkers, two trees, two telephone poles... whatever. It just has to be specific. Hit two drives and try to land both balls in that area. Keep hitting balls until you do. Now pull out your 7-iron. Pick a more specific target. It could be a green or, if the greens on the range are huge, an area between the pin and an edge of the green. Bunkers also make good targets. Try to hit two balls in a row and land it on/in your target. Do the same thing with your sand wedge. Now repeat. See how many times in a row you can make it through all three clubs without error. It might be tough to do with the driver depending on the size of your range but with your 7-iron and wedge try to vary the direction of the target. If your driver's target is on the right side of the range make your 7-iron target be on the left side of the range. The point is to keep practice dynamic so you don't subconsciously become dependent on visual cues around you (the bucket of balls, your bag, etc) for aim and target awareness.

Beginner: keep hitting each club until you get two in a row and then move on.
Advanced: if you mess up with one club you have to go back to the prior club. E.g. if you mess up with your 7-iron you have to go back to your driver.

We used to set goals like making it through six times in a row and stay on the range until we had done that. The next day we'd come back and try to make it through seven times. I once saw someone go through driver, 4-iron, 8-iron, sand wedge fourteen times to very tight targets.

Keep in mind this is how you practice shot making. This is not how you work on your mechanics. If there's something specific you're trying to work on mechanically there's a different progression which I'll try to summarize: first you hit balls into a net until you can do what you want to mechanically consistently. Then you go to the range and alternate between two clubs hitting about ten shots in a row per club (maybe more, maybe less) until you can consistently do what you want to mechanically while hitting balls with an acceptable ball flight. Once you can do that you transition to practicing your shot making. If you fail there you step back. If you fail there you step back to hitting into the net. I'm sure you get it.

That's not bad. Most people take a couple of practice sessions before they finally make it through. It's deceptively hard. Your target size choice also impacts difficulty.

Stick with it. This type of practice will carry over to the course much better than mindlessly pounding balls out into a field.

my targets were on the generous side is size. Anywhere on the green around the flags and for driver it was anywhere inbetween the two farthest flags at the end of the range. Probably 30-40 yards apart or so. Really enjoyed the challenge of it. Headed out again later after work.

Did you play the other day?

Yeah I did. My back is not happy with me, lol. Managed to shoot three under on the front just playing conservative on a short course and putting well but once my back started to tighten up on me I folded. Ended up two over. I'll give it another go next year lol.

I need a new driver. What are all the cool kids using these days?

I've been playing a lot this year. Used to be pretty accurate with irons inside 160 - 170 and be scattershot long off the tee. Now I'm getting off the tee well but missing greens all over the place. I think this is more frustrating.

Still putting half assed.