Driving Range Playbook To Play Better Golf

It’s important to always go into a range session with a practice plan. As they say, prior planning prevents poor performance.

Too many golfers go to the driving range and just blindly hit a bucket of balls. You know the guy that whips his driver out of my bag and hitting a whole bucket.

That’s not the best way to capitalize your time at the range though. You should be strategic about how you practice. Develop a routine and follow it.

In this article, I’ll review some golf driving range tips and give you a practice guide to follow it.

One of the first things we tell our students is to use the driving range to work on new things. Use their range time to focus on what it is they're working on. Then, when they’re on the course, they should only be focusing on one or two things.

For me, that is the main difference between playing a round of golf and hitting some balls on the range.

The range is for practice and the course is for applying what you’ve learned to compete at the highest possible level you’re capable of.

Keep that mindset and you will set yourself up for the game you've always Imagined!

Driving Range Playbook To Play Better Golf 101...

1. Set Up Alignment Sticks

Setting up alignment sticks (one at your foot line and one on the opposite side of the ball from you) that are aimed at your target is a great way to ensure that you're lined up straight and your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. Now you'll know if you miss your target...it's your swing and not your alignment.

2. Know The Yardages

You can't have worthwhile practice time without knowing how far your targets are. And most driving ranges get their yardages very very wrong! Pick up a good golf rangefinder.

3. Use A Pre-Shot Routine

Having a consistent routine that you go through before every shot will help your consistency out on the course. But if you don't use it at the range, it will feel unusual and uncomfortable when you get to the course. So develop your pre-swing routine and use it with EVERY shot.

4. Vary Your Shots & Clubs

Just hitting the same club the same distance over and over again is usually a waste of time (unless you just want to warm up). Just like you need to incorporate your pre-shot routine into every range shot, you also should be varying your club choice to create more realistic "game" conditions.

5. Make It A Game

Either with a friend or by yourself, making it a game will add a little on course pressure. Any game will work as long as you set certain rules and stick to them.

Try grabbing a scorecard from a course you play often (or are planning to visit) and "play" each hole. See how many greens you can hit in regulation by estimating the distance you would need for each shot and then adjusting it based on how well you hit the previous shot.

6. Track Results Over Time

Tracking how well you do (by whatever metric you decide is important to you) and comparing it to the last range session will tell you a lot about your improvement, consistency, and what you need to work on the most. Make sure you keep track of your improvement with each type of shot (drives, long irons, mid-irons, short irons, and wedges).

7. Establish Goals

After a handful of range sessions doing all of the above, set some goals for yourself. Then write them down. If you use a notepad to track your results then put your goals right in that same notepad so that you can see them every time you go to the range. And when you hit those goals...set new ones!

This is Golf as You've Always Imagined!

Daniel is the Head of Golf Instruction at IMAGEN Golf the area's leading golf instruction and advisory firm, host of the IMAGEN Golf Podcast and Best-Selling Author of "Unleash The Golfer Within".

For more information visit www.ImagenGolf.com or call 215-595-6299 Reach out to Daniel directly at:Daniel@ImagenGolf.com

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