How to Handle the Driving Range

I hit the driving range quite often. Mostly because I don’t have time to fit in a full round (much less just 9). I do use the range for a variety of things. I can tell you this, every time I go I see the same thing. The first thing someone does is tee off looking for that bomb shot.

Use it as a Tool to Help Your Game

Not saying that I don’t like hitting a couple of hundred yards, but it is not all that I work on while I am out there. The range is one of the best places to work on almost every facet of you game. The range should be one of the places where you work more on perfecting your game.

Use the Range Like You Were Playing a Real Game

Instead of getting a bucket of 100 balls and going to town (unless you are there just to kill time), just grab a bucket of 50. This way when you practice, it is more like a real game. Go through all the motions like you would always do.

Turn it into a Real Game

Of course get in some warm up shots, like you normally would and then act like you would if you were to head out to the course. Start off with your driver, move on to an iron, then the wedge like you would be pitching to a green. Every time you start over with your driver, turn it into a par four or five. This will get you more into a routine like you are playing a real game of golf. Never in a real game would you always just use the driver and putter.

Go for Specifics

Practice shots at different yardages to get more of a feel of your clubs. It is best not to just go for 150 yards 20 times in a row, try various shots like on the course. Hit one like 200 and then some at like 100 and aim at different targets. Practice fairway drives at different distances, but align them up trying to shoot through different markers.

Diversity is Key

Most driving ranges also have places for your other shots. The putting green is only good for putts, but it can also help you work on some of your small chip shots out of the rough. Practice here from various distances and angles. This will help you better read the greens and the greens are always something you will do every time you play, but most people don’t practice that part.

Bunker shots are always good to practice on. Try a couple or more shots like they landed in the bunker. Toss some in like they landed at random and if there is not a hole close, place some type of marker out there to see if it comes close to where you expected.

These are just some of the things that I do about half the times that I go out and shoot some golf. Ever since I have started these tips and to practice this way, I have enjoyed the range more in addition to improving my game. Give it a try the next couple of times that you go out and see if it helps out your game also. Happy golfing.