Before we learn how to practice at the driving range, let’s talk about common mistakes made by golfers. Let’s call them “how not to practice”!
Yes, it is very exciting when you hit the poor kid who is trying to pick up the range balls but is that going to help you break 90 for the first time?
One drink, while you are hitting golf balls, is fine, but if you have more than that, you might as well stay in the 19th hole or visit a high-tech driving range.
A trip to the driving range (Top Golf) is a decent idea for a “date night”, but if you are trying to impress your significant other, we wouldn’t call it practice.
Now that we have gotten that out of the way, we should learn how to practice at the driving range.
One challenge is taking your game from the range to the golf course. To make this easier, try to simulate the feelings you get on the course when you practice.
This makes sense but is easier said than done. We want to help. We have 6 things for you to try to get the most out of your bucket of balls.
6 Tips To Learn How To Practice At the Driving Range
#1: No Rapid Fire
It isn’t a race. You don’t win a prize if you finish your bucket of range balls first. Take your time and make the balls last.
The best approach is to try and play at the same pace you would play during a round of golf.
Learn how to practice at the driving range by working on your patience. Find ways to slow yourself down.
Bring a bottle of water and take a sip between shots. After each swing, take a moment to clean off your club.
Resist the urge to immediately grab another ball and swing after a bad shot. Rapid firing your range balls is a waste of your time and money.
Get more bang for your buck by taking your time on the driving range!
#2: Stick To Your Routine
This may be #2 on our list, but it is probably the most important tip if you want to learn how to practice at the driving range.
Before each shot, you should follow your pre-shot routine. In other words, what do you do on the golf course before you hit a shot?
Pre-shot routines are like fingerprints – each one is different. That being said, there are steps you should consider using.
Some examples are picking your target, visualizing the shot, and taking practice swings.
The first step is to identify your routine. Keep it simple – long routines can cause pace of play issues.
Think about the last time you played on the golf course. How do you prepare for each shot? Do you take one practice swing, look at your target, and swing?
Regardless of your specific process, you should do it on the driving range before each shot.
Not only are you making your golf swing more consistent, but you are also learning the importance of a pre-shot routine.
This will take discipline. You will catch yourself smacking shots on the driving range without taking a practice swing or without picking a target.
Learning how to practice at the driving range is not easy. It is a skill that will take time to master.
#3: Work Your Way Through Your Bag
Part of learning how to practice at the driving range is determining what to practice with your bucket of balls.
A common mistake is standing on the range and using 75% of your balls to hit your driver as hard as you can. This might be fun, but it is not a great practice routine.
A high-quality range session should include all of your clubs. Once you get loose, work your way through your bag.
Learning how to practice at the driving range with your 7-iron is just as important as your driver.
Show all of your clubs some love and work on different types of shots.
Practice hitting high shots, low shots, draws, and fades. Developing different shots on the driving range will give you more options on the course.
If you ever get the chance, watch professional golfers on the range. You can learn how to practice at the driving range by watching the best players in the world.
#4: Challenge Yourself
We get it. Hitting balls on the driving range can be boring and it is easy to lose your focus. One way to fight this is to challenge yourself.
Learn how to practice at the driving range and have fun while you do it. One idea is to develop a game you can play with yourself.
Most driving ranges have greens for you to aim at. Start with the closest green and see how many shots it takes for you to hit it 5 times.
Once you complete this challenge, move to the next green. Before you know it, you will have hit most of the clubs in your bag.
Ready for a driver challenge? Pick a target at the back of the range and hit 10 drives. How many would have hit a typical-size fairway?
The great thing about these challenges is you can keep a personal record book. How many balls did it take to hit all of the greens? How many fairways did you hit?
Learn how to practice at the driving range by challenging yourself!
#5: Bring A Buddy & Have Range Battles
Creating the stress and nerves you feel on the golf course is a great way to learn how to practice at the driving range.
Nothing creates stress like one of your golf buddies talking trash. Bring a friend and compete shot for shot on the range.
Who can hit the best 7-iron? Who can hit the longest drive? Who can hit it closest to the pin? Who can hit the biggest hook?
The type of challenge you play doesn’t matter – the key is to get yourself to focus the same way you do on the golf course.
Learn how to practice at the driving range while having fun and you will get more out of your session.
You will start to see your scores and your golf handicap drop!
#6: Play Some Holes
We are serious – you can play some golf holes without leaving the driving range. All you need is to remember your favorite course and be able to visualize the holes.
It’s quite simple. Think about the first hole at your local course. What club do you hit off the tee? Hit that club on the driving range.
Where did the shot go? If you were on the hole, where did your ball end up? What iron would you hit to the green?
Hit that iron – would you have hit the green or been forced to chip?
Move to the second hole and repeat this process.
This is a great way to work on visualization, your pre-shot routine, and how to properly assess the quality of the shots you are hitting.
To learn how to practice at the driving range you always need to be assessing how well you hit each shot.
There are no consequences on the driving range, but to get better you need to understand if you are hitting the ball solid or not.
We love the idea of finishing your range session by “playing some holes”.
