Do you feel like you’ve been putting time in on the range but not seeing the results? The driving range is a popular spot to find golf-obsessed people working on their swing in hopes of finally achieving those low scores.
However, very few can take what they learn at the driving range and apply it to the course.
If you are tired of being a range hero but that doesn’t transfer to the course, maybe these five tips will break the cycle for you.
Stop focusing only on the clubs you like
If you are headed to the range, stop bringing your favorite clubs. Maybe they are your pitching wedge 7-iron and driver.
It’s time to change things up a bit.
Give your 3-wood, 6-iron and gap wedge a chance. Learning to get more comfortable with each club is smart. If you need a general guide, try to alternate between even and odd irons on your practice days.
If you start hitting poor shots with clubs you don’t necessarily prefer, that’s fine! Keep trying to work them out on the range to feel more confident about and you will be more confident with them on the course.
Start aiming or using alignment sticks
When practicing on the driving range, many golfers forget to aim or don’t use alignment sticks. This can lead to several problems.
To start, you won’t be sure if you are hitting straight shots, pulls, pushes, etc., if you don’t have a specific target.
Most importantly, when you get out to the golf course, you may think you are hitting inaccurate golf shots when, in reality, you have just not aimed correctly.
Make it a habit to put a golf alignment stick down on the ground each time you are at the driving range. Pick a target for each shot and make sure you truly know how to aim your shots (many players don’t!).
Stop hitting the same club repeatedly
How many times during a normal round of golf do you hit your driver 15 times in a row?
Never!
But you often see golfers hit 20 drivers in a row on the range. They may figure it out after 20 swings in a row but that opportunity will never present itself on the golf course.
Smart players hit one or two drives, then switch to a mid iron for a few swings and maybe return to the driver.
There are slight variations between these driver and iron swings that you must make and when you practice them on the range, you’ll have an easier time repeating them on the golf course.
Rotate through your bag while you’re on the driving range and you’ll gain more confidence when switching between clubs on the course.
Start adding pressure when practicing on the range
Professional golfers have routines on the driving range. They challenge themselves to hit a certain type of shot before they can leave the range or go to the short game area.
Like them, you can create any type of driving range game that works for you. The key is to always add pressure to your practice.
When golf shots don’t matter, they are easier to execute but that doesn’t help you become a better player.
Start practicing your short game more
When we say it’s best to start working more on your shot game, we don’t mean those perfect little chip shots with your ball sitting on the short grass just off the green. The short game is much more involved than that.
When you work on your short game, you need to look at those 30-, 40- and 50-yard shots—the ones where your ball is stuck in the rough and you really have to control your distance.
The full swing sand wedges or little greenside chips are actually the easy shots. Practice longer bunker shots, difficult lies, slopes and, most importantly, learn how to control your distance.
If you’re not sure where to start, try recording your distances with a 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 swing using your wedges. This will give you a good matrix of yardages, helping you understand how to handle these shots on the course.
Final Thoughts
Going to the driving range is a step in the right direction. However, if you don’t know how to practice, you may end up exercising instead of working on your golf swing. The late famed football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” Make sure you spend your time wisely if you are truly trying to lower your scores. Pay close attention to the way your handicap moves once you start implementing a stronger and more effective practice routine at the driving range. It should be heading down!
