How to use The Driving Range to Improve your Golf Game
A driving range is a great place to relax and practice your swing, in fact, visiting the driving range is a popular recreational activity for many people in the UK… But how can you best use the driving range to improve your golfing ability?
In the following 10 point list (which is the product of extensive internet research) I'm going to give you some tips that will help you improve your overall ability. Meaning, when you’re on the course, you’ll be able to land your ball on the putting green in fewer shots.
1. Meaningful Shots
A lot of people use all of their balls too quickly at the driving range, not really taking the time to think about their shots. You should take your time to work on your swing and perfect your technique. Instead of hitting 100 wreckless shots, hit 100 that mean something. This way you’re using your time more efficiently, and you’ll progress faster.
2. Pick a Target, and then Stick to it
If you are constantly switching between targets or not aiming at any targets, you won’t be able to review your technique. You should consistently aim for one target and tweak your technique until you are hitting that target every time (or close to it).
3. Friendly competition
Playing with a friend will add an element of friendly competitiveness to your practice session. This is always good, as competition goes hand in hand with progression. It’s also useful to have someone who will comment on your technique, constructive feedback is always beneficial.
4. Get out of your Comfort Zone
Use the club that you struggle with the most. A lot of people spend all their time using their favourite golf clubs, but this is not beneficial to your game. To become an all-rounder on the course, you need to use the clubs that challenge you the most and put yourself in situations that you struggle with. This way, when you need to use the clubs you’re less confident with, you’ll be much more prepared.
5. Watch Yourself
If you really want to improve your technique, you need to be able to visualise your swing so you can adapt and improve it. This will help you when you're playing real games too. There are lots of golf centres with mirrors, and if yours doesn’t have any, why not record a video instead?
6. Plan your progression
Set yourself targets and then challenge yourself to meet your goals. You should plan each of your visits to the driving range to work on different elements of your game. This way you can speed up your progression and ensure that your all round technique is improving equally.
7. Split Your Balls
Split your balls up into practice groups. For example, if you had 100 balls, you could split them up into groups of 10 and use each set of 10 balls to practice a different technique. This way you’ll get an all-around workout. By working equally on all of the elements of your game you’ll become a better player overall. Don’t worry if you have a weak area (mine is chipping), just allocate more balls to improving that area.
8. Use the Driving Range to Warm-up Before the Game
Make the most of your practice facilities, it’s always good to loosen up before a game. Taking a few swings at the driving range will help you relax into the game and lessen the chances of a poor first shot.
9. Start Short
Starting with your short game and getting into a nice tempo with your swings will help you hit the ball more accurately when you move on to long-range shots. Driving range balls are not good, that’s a fact, but getting a feel for the right swing eases you into the session, and you’ll probably feel more relaxed for it too.
10. Visualisation, Practice like you’re playing
When you're at the driving range, try to visualise the golf course that you regularly play on. Start with a drive from the first tee and play the driving range as you would play the hole from there. Work your way through clubs and shots, always keeping in mind how it would be on your regular course and then when you actually play it, you'll be more prepared for the shots you face in real games.
Will you be using these techniques from now on?
Now you know all of these useful tips, it's time to put them into practice. If you manage to use your time well, you’ll progress faster than the competition and you’ll be unbeatable on the golf course.
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