Looking to savor the remaining weeks of enjoyable weather? Make the most of this period by honing in on your golf swing at our driving range or visiting our course. To execute and maximize your driving range practice, enjoy the Saratoga Golf Course through October 31st and try out these tips! Keep reading to uncover these valuable insights to elevate your range of practice.
Did you think you could get better at golf by standing on the range and hitting hundreds of golf balls?
Unfortunately, you could hit millions of golf balls and not get much better.
As annoying as this may sound, knowing how to practice at the driving range is much more important than simply spending time at the driving range.
I’m a practicer, I love spending time on the range, and I’ve developed some strategies to help maximize the time that I spend there and ensure that it gets me to the next level.
I’ll share those tips with you and answer some general questions about practicing so you can start improving this area of your game.
How to Practice at the Driving Range (Key Takeaways)
Don’t have time to read my entire guide on how to practice at the driving range, here are the key points to remember.
- Take your time and slow down between shots; this is not a rapid fire sporting event.
- Use golf technology and training aids like HackMotion to speed up the process of learning how to play.
- Choose a variety of targets, and hit a variety of shots.
- Play the course in your mind as you practice.
- Don’t leave the short game out; putting and chipping practice is just as important as the full swing!
10 Tips for Better Driving Range Practice
Plan your practice session.
If you are heading to the driving range, there must be some reason behind it.
What are you attempting to work on? Do you have an issue with your game, or are you trying to improve a specific skill?
Whatever you are looking for, make sure you have it set in your mind before you head to the range.
I have found that the smarter I am about directing my practice and thoughts, the easier it is for me to improve my session at the range.
Planning doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out process.
Simply choose what your goals are, and then structure your session around them.
Most of the time, I work on a new skill or swing issue first, and then I follow up with specific skill practice, like shots under 100 yards or hitting a fade and draw with a driver.
Get Your Body Ready to Practice
Jumping out into the driving range booth and touching your toes twice isn’t getting your body ready to practice.
In fact, you are not even close.
Getting your body ready to practice includes making sure you are hydrated, your muscles have all been warmed up, and it certainly doesn’t hurt if you can get your heart rate elevated a bit.
Dehydration can be a major concern for golfers.
Standing on the driving range in the middle of the summer usually means a lot of sun exposure and the potential for dehydration.
Drink some water before your session, and bring a water bottle while practicing.
Do a variety of stretches to make sure your arms, neck, shoulders, back, legs, and even your wrists are warmed up and ready to hit.
Stretching can significantly reduce the chance of getting injured at the driving range.
Start With a Short Club
I really don’t mind if you like your 8 iron better than your pitching wedge; it doesn’t necessarily matter which club you start with, as long as it’s short.
When learning how to practice at the driving range, many amateurs miss the memo about stepping out on the tee and hitting driver after driver after driver.
Don’t do this.
Start with a shorter golf club that is easier to manage and will help you develop great tempo right from the start of your day.
I’ll also let you in on a little secret.
Shorter golf clubs are easier to release and square the club face, so if that’s something you struggle with, you will be off to a better start by using the shorter golf club.
Don’t Forget About Feedback Tools
Golf feedback tools can make a big difference when it comes to the effectiveness of your practice on the range.
After all, how do you know if you are getting better?
For most golfers, it’s really hard to tell.
Golf feedback tools like HackMotion can give you an idea of whether or not your club is even in the right position while you practice. It’s entirely possible to practice the WRONG thing at the driving range.
Yes, you can walk away from a practice session as a less skilled golfer.
Don’t let this happen!
Feedback tools give you real-time information about what you are doing right (and wrong in your golf swing). With HackMotion, you will be notified with an audio signal of whether your wrist is in the correct position in your golf swing.
Practicing with a feedback tool like this greatly improves your ability to strike the ball with consistency and to take it out on the course with you.
If you aren’t practicing with a golf coach or teacher, use feedback tools to take their place.
Add Steps to Your Practice
Have you ever been to one of those driving ranges where the golf ball is teed up for you? It comes out of the ground on a tee, and you don’t even need to put the golf ball on it?
Don’t let this ruin your practice routine.
When you practice, you need to move around and add some steps to your pedometer.
How many times on a golf course do you hit shot after shot after shot? Never!
So why would you practice this?
Hit a shot or two at the most, walk around a bit, and hit another one.
When I say to walk around, you may be able to do this simply by placing the driving range basket of golf balls just a few feet from you.
When I was a junior golfer, I practiced hard, and I had a coach come over once and take my basket of golf balls and place it 15 feet behind me.
At first, I thought it was a little ridiculous, but when I saw the impact it had on my results and the way it helped me focus my practice session, I quickly understood.
Make sure you are walking to get your next golf ball, even if it’s just five or six steps.
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Original article published on hackmotion.com