How to Practice Golf at the Golf Range
by William McCoy
Visiting a driving range can help you improve your golf game without the expense of playing a full round of golf. At a driving range, it’s possible to hit several dozen or even more than 100 balls in a relatively short period of time without any pressure. Depending on where you live, you might be able to visit an outdoor driving range all year, or you can take advantage of an indoor range during the winter.
- Stretch your shoulders, back, legs and arms for several minutes before taking a club out of your bag. Loosening the body helps warm your muscles and lessen the chance of a swing-related injury. After stretching, take several practice swings with a 9-iron. Practice swings continue to loosen your body.
- Hit a number of shots with your 9-iron, focusing on proper foot placement, hand placement on the grip, backswing and follow through. Avoid the temptation to race through shot after shot. Instead, approach each shot as though you’re on the golf course and the shot is important. Rushing yourself at the driving range can produce bad habits.
- Move through your irons from high to low. Next, select a hybrid club if you have one and then your woods from high to low. Note your distance with each club; knowing this information helps you select the proper club when playing on a course. Most driving ranges have yardage markers set up at 50, 100, 150 and 200 yards. Use these markers to your advantage as you hit each club.
- Hit at least 10 balls with your driver, noting the distance and trajectory of each shot. If you struggle hitting your driver, the driving range is the ideal opportunity to improve your consistency.
- Move to the driving range’s short-game area and practice hitting balls out of the sand and onto the green with your sand wedge. Practice chipping and pitching at the designated area, and finally, your putting on the practice green. Most of the shots you take in a round of golf are shorter shots; spend adequate time practicing with these clubs.
- TIPS
- Aim for specific yard markers and try to place shots as close to the markers as possible. Having a very specific target will help you focus.
- To simulate the routine of playing a hole of golf, tee off with a driver, hit a long iron and follow it up with a short iron or wedge.
