What is better practice? The range or the course?

Pyzik · June 17, 2010

Well, I went out for my third time yesterday. Did horribly, but that's kind of expected.

A guy told me that it would be better practice for me to keep hitting the driving range, than it would be to hit the course.

What do you all think? Is the range better practice for a newb than a game?

For the three times I have been played, I have been to the range about 10 times.

Hope I am not beating a dead horse here.

**RIduffer** · June 17, 2010

Hope I am not beating a dead horse here.

You are, but no rules against it on this forum. Anyway, I think the range is useful if you have something specific to work on. I don't like beating balls without a purpose, and I will never hit off mats unless it is the dead of winter and I have no other choice.

**Able Hands** · June 17, 2010

Both options have their place. If you have a SLOW course (not many other players) in your area, I'm an advocate of course work rather than range work. However, this early in your game, you would be well served by a lesson or two and then try to groove that swing on the range. Trying to "figure it out on your own" will most often result in frustration.

If you choose course work, pick a specific part of your game and work on it in real world conditions. Many ranges use limited flight balls, making it hard to gauge distance. The two ranges I occasionally hit at both use this type of ball. I prefer to hit my ball on a real course, and work on specific parts of the game. For instance I am hoping to get out tomorrow, and my plan is to work from 100 and in. I will play the round completely differently to ensure that I have 2nd, or 3rd shots from that distance.

Take your time, enjoy the process, and don't expect to be on tour any time soon!

Pyzik · June 17, 2010

Thanks for the replies and having Patience answering a repeated question.

Ha ha, I don't see a tour in my future... Thanks for the bit of info about the "limited flight" balls, didn't know that. When I went yesterday I was with a few guys from work who were pretty good and I did feel a bit rushed. Felt like I was holding them up. I think I would have done better going to the range yesterday.

**The Recreational Golfer** · June 17, 2010

You go to the range to learn how to hit shots. You go to the course to learn how to play golf. Those are different skills, and you need to devote time to both.

**JML22** · June 17, 2010

Chipping + putting > driving range with mats hands down
usually solid hitting is teh goal of most people and chipping putting gets left in the dark

**Paz** · June 17, 2010

When playing alone, I find it to be FAR superior practice. If there is a group in front of you moving pretty slow or even nobody on the course, you have plenty of time to work on your game. I generally don't hit more than 1 drive unless I really didn't like the first one. If I play more than 1 ball I pick up the 2nd and take it over to where my "in play" ball is. I hit my 1st ball for the real shot, then usually hit another 3-4 approach shots into the green, especially if I don't like my first one. I find this kind of practice so much better because you are using REAL golf balls and it's much easier to learn your yardages. If I don't hit the green I'll play my 3rd shot and then usually chip another 3-4 balls from that same spot, especially if it was a poor chip. I don't ever hit multiple lag putts from 30+ feet unless I miss it by 5 feet or more. If I miss putts under 10 feet I'll putt it until I make it.

Of course, this is all dependent on the pace of any group that may be behind you.

Also, at the range it is very easy to get accustomed to hitting one certain shot, since usually there are only a select few targets to aim at from a fixed distance. It's rare you will play the same club for your approach shot from hole to hole.

The range is cheaper, however, and is MUCH better for working on technical parts of your swing. IE, thinking through your swing and the mechanics of it a lot more than how you want to play the shot. Just don't expect the same ball flight from the range to the course. Range balls are for contact practice only really. At my range I hit my 9 iron 125 but with a real ball its a 135 club.

**Boyder** · June 17, 2010

I completely agree with Paz on this one ... I have been luck enough to play on a course I can often play slow and work on my game. In the past 2 months i have dropped from a 25+ HC to a 21.7 and still improving. I do spend 1 day a week on the range and try to play on the course at least 3 times (9 holes min.).
One thing I do like to do is play 2 or 3 balls per hole a couple times a week - but at least once in a week I play ONLY 1 ball and play for score. That way I can better tell just how much improvement I am getting in my game.

**alomar123** · June 17, 2010

I take the range before as a warm up, then hit the course.

**GolfBear** · June 17, 2010

You go to the range to learn how to hit shots. You go to the course to learn how to play golf. Those are different skills, and you need to devote time to both.

+1 This!

I'd suggest that you don't ever go to the range with the "I'm just going to hit some balls" mentality. Go to the range with a specific goal in mind, even if that goal is to play a pretend round and ALWAYS hit balls to a specific target. I'd highly recommend you never go to the range to just hammer a bucket of balls. I wince every time I see someone hit a bucket of balls with their driver.

**Gaviao** · June 17, 2010

I'm another newbie and I have to say that this thread has helped a lot as this was something I was curious about as well. The 1st time I went out it was too a course, and being that I don't have a decent swing at all, this proved to be fairly fruitless. Now I've hit the driving range twice with a 3rd time planned and I already feel better about going on the course. Now I see that going on the course is going to be another form of valuable practice that I can't get on the range. Also I didn't know about the range balls either... makes me a feel a little better about my distances

**jamo** · June 17, 2010

People ask this a lot, and it really depends on what you are practicing. There is no better short game practice than needing to get up and down to save par to break 90, or fading a shot around a tree to hit a short par 4. Those aspects (short game, course management) are best left for the course, but if you are making swing changes the range is where you want to be. On the course it is much to easy to hit some bad shots and get down on yourself and start reverting back to old habits. On the range you hit a bad shot and you just pick up a new ball, but you can't always do that on the course. Plus you can use video on the range.

**JetFan1983** · June 17, 2010

Agreed that there is a time and place for both options. The course is great when its empty and you're by yourself or with a friend also playing more than one ball. The range though is where you really work on your swing.

And don't overlook the par 3 course. It's a nice happy medium between the range and course, and most of the time, it's empty enough to play multiple balls on a hole.

**sean_miller** · June 17, 2010

We have a great practice range - there's no shot an any course that can't be duplicated and practiced there.

The thing is, you need to play enough rounds on the course to know what types of shots to add to the repetoire. Playing rounds on the course helps reinforce why the drills and practice sessions are necessary. Also, having a mental picture of the shot you're trying to perfect on the range, makes hitting practice balls less tedious.

**Fourputt** · June 17, 2010

You learn how to swing on the range. You learn how to play golf on the course. To a certain extent you can do some little swing practice on the course, but you can't really learn much about playing golf at the range.

One other thing that was mentioned above... when you take the time for a range session, put in at least half the time on short game practice. That's pitching, chipping and putting. Get that down, and not only will your scoring improve, but it will actually help your full swing, because the tempo for a short pitch or chip should be almost the same as the tempo for your full swing.

**sean_miller** · June 17, 2010

you can't really learn much about playing golf at the range.

If you have a good range and some imagination, a lot can be learned.

**Fourputt** · June 17, 2010

If you have a good range and some imagination, a lot can be learned.

Which applies to very few people. Both the good range and the imagination.

My course has an excellent practice facility, especially for what is technically a muni, but you still can't hit full shots from anything but a flat lie. I can practice hitting from divots (late in the day that's almost all there is in most hitting bays

), but otherwise its flat fairway type lies (about 50 hitting areas on grass). The chipping/pitching area has more lie options, but still no full swing shots. We also have the luxury of a nice, 9 hole par 3 course, a 9 hole Executive course, and the 18 hole regulation course. The par 3 course is good for practicing irons from all sorts of lies (holes vary from 80 yards to 200), but you have to hit it early (before 7:00 AM) or it starts to get loaded up.

**soloredd** · June 17, 2010

I'm starting to move from the range to the course for practice. There is nothing wrong with playing 9 and using specific clubs - i.e. bagging the driver and all woods and just using irons and wedges or whatever mix and match you want. I've been going to the range a lot in the past 2 months and I firmly believe it is part of why my game has suffered. It's too easy to just move from ball to ball and for me, it's tough to keep a good tempo going at the range. Also, when I play 9 or a full practice round, I try different strategies in order to work on different shots or clubs (layup to pre-determined distances to work on that 120 club).

Everyone is different, it might be prudent to try one and then the other and see what works for you.

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