If you stood and watched people enter the driving range, you would lose count of how many simply pull out the driver and start hitting balls. Yes, it is called a driving range and there is nothing wrong with using the driver. However, there are better things you can be doing, to get the best out of your practice time.
Firstly, you should always begin your practice session by completing some short warm-up exercises. The last thing you want do is step onto the driving range, attempt to hit your driver has hard as you can immediately and do yourself an injury. Just spend a few minutes stretching and warming up your muscles before you take your first swing.
Start your practice session with some very easy shots. Take out your pitching wedge and play a few short chips before moving on to your other shorter irons, then your longer irons and finally the driver. Think of how players warm up before a tennis match. They don’t step onto the court and start hitting 130mph serves immediately, instead they stand closer to the net and play gentle shots to each other before building up to the more powerful strokes. This should be the same for you when using the diving range.
When starting your practice at the driving range, you will have a bucket of balls. If you begin hitting them without any thought, the number of balls will soon diminish and before you know it, you will have none left.
You are better off splitting your basket of balls and using 50% of the bucket for your short game, 25% of the bucket for mid-to-long irons and 25% of the bucket for drives. Your short game is the area which will help to lower your score fastest but this ratio still gives you time to strike balls with the driver.
If you play a golf course regularly, you can take that course with you to the driving range. Take a scorecard with you the next time you play and always keep it in your bag. When you arrive at the driving range, take it out and imagine you are on the first tee. Choose the club you would use if you were there and play the shot in the same way. Assess from how you played the shot, where the ball would be sitting for your second shot and do the same again.
Clearly you cannot make a putt on the driving range but continue until you are on the green, including any short chip shots you may need to make and move onto the next hole. Doing this will give you more purpose and motivation on the driving range plus improve the way you play next time you are on the course. Not only that but it will have you using all the clubs in your bag, rather than just the driver.
You may not have the time to dedicate to playing a whole round of imaginary golf on the driving range, in which case its recommended you concentrate on your shot game. Over 65% of total shots in a round of golf are from short distances, therefore, if you want to lower your score quickly, you should practice your short game more often than anything else.
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