In any sport, as with golf, there is a need to practice the things you do during competition. Whether it’s putting, chipping, or driving, you need to practice. You can practice two of those three things at the driving range. Driving ranges are great because they are relatively inexpensive, and you have all the time you want to practice. In this blog, we will talk about some tips to maximize your time at the driving range.
Take your time:
The driving range is the place where no one is going to dictate your pace. You can relax, work on what you want, and take all the time you need. Golf is one of the hardest sports that you can play and taking the time to work on it is one of the best ways to get better. Take your time when you approach the ball, take your time on your swing, and take your time hitting the balls. The driving range is where you should work on your swing and take time to work out the kinks. The driving range is equivalent to a batting cage, it is a place to work on your swing, so make sure you take your time.
Have a routine:
As with on the course, have an approach to hitting the balls. Having no routine and just hitting balls will not help your game. Recreating or tweaking the approach that you have on the course is the best way to have a good session at the driving range. The old saying “practice makes perfect” rings true in this scenario. The more that you work on your pre-shot routine, the more it becomes ingrained with you, and you will set yourself up for success on the course. Approaching every shot on the range is important and you will have better results in the long run.
You don’t have to use every club:
Depending on when you are at the range, you don’t have to hit every single club you have. If you are hitting the range post-tournament or even right before a tournament it may be more beneficial to you to hit the clubs you have been struggling with. This isn’t to say that you have to totally neglect other clubs, but the driving range is the perfect place to work with clubs you aren’t doing well with. Think about it like this, if a basketball player was really good at layups but struggled with free throws, they would make sure to work harder on free throws than layups. The same mindset should be applied to golf. Work on the things you struggle with the most so that they will become easier. Work on what you feel is something that you could benefit from getting better at and turn it from a struggle on the course into a strength.
Pick targets:
According to golf.com a good way to improve your game while at the range is to pick targets and work on hitting them. You should not go to the range willy-nilly and just hit balls. Work on picking a spot somewhere on the range and go hit. This goes back to our other tips about approach. Approach the range the same as the course. Use your routine and go hit a spot that you have picked. It is the same as a basketball player working on hitting a three-pointer. No basketball player goes to the gym and just starts shooting random shots. They work on shots that they want to improve and you should do the same at the range. Pick a spot out on the range that you want to shoot at and pretend it is a shot on the course.
Do you want more tips and tricks on how to better your game physically and mentally? You should sign up to attend our Growth Conference in July! We will have multiple guest speakers who will provide insights on golf and life outside of golf as well! Register here before March 31st for early bird pricing. We hope to see you in Kissimmee Florida in July, and stay tuned for more tips on Tuesdays!
