Do you feel like you’ve been putting in the time on the range but not seeing the results? The driving range is a popular place to find golf-obsessed people working on their swing in hopes of eventually hitting those low scores.
However, very few can take what they learn on the driving range and apply it to the course.
If you’re tired of being a range hero but it doesn’t translate to the course, maybe these five tips will break the cycle for you.
Stop focusing only on the clubs you like
If you’re headed to the range, stop bringing your favorite clubs. Maybe they are your 7-iron wedge and your driver.
It’s time to change things up a bit.
Give your 3-wood, 6-iron and iron a chance. Learning to become more comfortable with each club is smart. If you need a general guide, try alternating even and odd irons on your practice days.
If you start making weak shots with clubs that you don’t necessarily prefer, that’s fine! Keep trying to work them out on the range to feel more confident and you’ll be more confident with them on the course.
Start aiming or using extension sticks
When practicing on their driving range, many golfers forget to aim or don’t use putters. This can lead to some problems.
To begin with, you won’t be sure if you’re hitting a straight shot, pull, push, etc. unless you have a specific target.
More importantly, when you get out on the golf course, you may think you’re hitting incorrect golf shots when, in reality, you’re just not aiming correctly.
Get into the habit of putting a golf club on the ground every time you’re on the range. Choose a target for each shot and make sure you really 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 hitting 20 drivers in a row on the range. They might figure it out after 20 swings in a row, but that opportunity will never present itself on the golf course.
Smart players hit a drive or two, then switch to a mid iron for a few swings and maybe go back to the driver.
There are small differences between these driver and iron swings that you need to make, and when you practice them on the range, you’ll find it easier to replicate them on the golf course.
Roll through your bag while on your driving range and you’ll gain more confidence when transitioning between clubs on the course.
Begin to add pressure when working on the beam
Professional golfers have driving distance routines. They challenge themselves to hit a certain type of shot before they can go long or go into the short game area.
Like them, you can create any kind of ray-directed game that works for you. The key is to always add pressure to your practice.
When golf swings don’t matter, they’re easier to execute, but that doesn’t help you become a better golfer.
Start practicing your short game more
When we say you better start working on your putting game, we don’t mean those perfect little chip shots with your ball sitting in the short grass 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 need to control your distance.
Full swing sand wedges or small green edge chips are actually easy shots. Practice longer bunker shots, difficult lies, slope 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 yardage matrix, helping you understand how to handle these shots on the course.
Final Thoughts
Going the driving distance is a step in the right direction. However, if you don’t know how to practice, you may end up practicing instead of working on your golf swing. The late famous football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” Make sure you spend your time wisely if you’re really trying to lower your scores. Pay attention to how your handicap moves once you start implementing a stronger and more effective driving distance practice routine. It must go down!
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