How to Practice at the Driving Range So It Actually Helps

Why driving range practice often doesn't help on the course

A lot of golfers hit a big bucket at the driving range, feel great by the end, and then play the same way on Saturday. The usual reason is that range practice and course golf are different activities. At the range you hit the same club at the same open space over and over. Every ball gets a do-over a few seconds later, so you are really just fine-tuning a groove for that one session.

On the course you get one swing with a club you haven't hit in ten minutes, at a real target, with something on the line. Range practice that never looks like that won't transfer very well. Hitting golf balls is fine. The fix is to make some of your range time feel more like a round.

Pick a target for every shot at the range

Picking a target for every range shot is the simplest change most golfers can make. Aiming at "out there" teaches your body that anywhere is fine. Pick a flag, a sign, a dark patch of grass, anything specific, and pick it again before every single ball.

Then set up to it. Lay a club or an alignment stick on the ground along your target line so you can check your feet and shoulders. A lot of what looks like a swing problem is really an aim problem, and you can't spot that if you never aim at anything.

After each shot, notice where it finished compared to the target. You don't need a launch monitor for this. Left, right, short, long, good contact or thin is plenty of information.

How many balls should you hit at the driving range?

For most amateur golfers, a small bucket hit with intention beats a large bucket hit fast. I'd rather see someone hit forty balls taking real time between each one than a hundred and twenty in forty-five minutes. When you start raking the next ball over the second the last one lands, you've stopped practicing and started exercising.

One easy way to slow down is to step back after every shot, look at your target again, and take a practice swing before the next ball. If you notice you're getting tired or sloppy, stop. A tired swing at the end of a session is the one you'll remember.

A simple range practice plan for one session

A simple range practice plan has three parts. First, warm up with a few easy half swings using a short iron. Second, spend roughly half your balls on one thing you're trying to improve, like contact, start line or a single drill you were given. Pick one thing. Three swing thoughts at once usually means none of them stick.

Third, use the rest of your balls to play pretend holes. Picture the first hole of a course you know. Hit a driver at a target that represents the fairway, then switch to whatever club you'd have left for the approach. Go through your full pre-shot routine every time and only hit each shot once. This is the part most golfers skip, and it's the part that feels most like a real round.

Write the plan down before you leave the house, even if it's three lines on your phone. It's a lot easier to stay on task when you aren't deciding what to do between swings.

Should you practice short game instead of hitting drivers?

Most new and mid-level golfers would see more change on the course from chipping and putting practice than from another bucket of drivers. Short shots around the green happen on almost every hole, and they're easier to improve with a little focused work. If your practice area has a chipping green, give it part of your session.

That doesn't mean skip the driver. It means balance it. If you can only practice once a week, splitting your time between full swings and short game usually helps more than full swings alone.

Getting more out of range practice in Utah County

If you practice around Orem, Vineyard or anywhere in Utah Valley, the same rules apply year-round. Pick targets, hit fewer balls, and know what you're there to do. When I teach lessons, I want the practice between lessons to be the place real improvement happens. That's why every lesson ends with a written practice plan you keep, so you show up to the range knowing exactly what to work on.