Cutting back on range time.

Anybody else intentionally cut back on their range time to help their overall game? I've decided that having never taken any lessons myself that spending a bunch of time at the range might be hurting my game, instead I put that money towards more time on the course. I still practice short game and putting frequently, but have cut back on full swing practice, unless I'm warming up for a round. This is going from 3-5 days a week at the range, down to about once every two weeks.

Has anyone else taken this strategy? What were your experiences?

I think you need to decide on the reason why you feel it's hurting your game and also the reason you go to the range to begin with. That should help you decide on the best choice.

For me I started out taking a lesson and then working on that swing change solely for several weeks at the local range until I had it down. At that point I went for another lesson and repeated until my swing was more or less correct enough that I wouldn't be paying out more on balls than it costs at the range (I lost 19 balls the first time I ever played on a course without any lessons!)

Once I got to that standard I joined a local 9-hole par 3 course to get as good as possible with my putting and wedge shots which was £100 for a year of playing as much as I like. I then continued with taking a lesson and working on that change but doing so on-course at the par 3 course.

I'm now at the stage where I mix and match where I practice based on time available and what I'm working on. For instance at the moment I'm working on hitting my 3W as a teeing club so practicing on course is of little use; I'm better off at the range where I won't lose balls, I still hit off a tee and I can see what I'm doing wrong with ball flight to tweak it on the next shot. If I were practing that on course I'd be out of pocket on balls, I'd only be hitting it once every few holes and the learning curve would be slower for me.

Good luck with your practice.

I tend to use the range less nowadays, I think its good to go regular for practice but you have to make it benficial, a lot of players just goto a range and smash away at the balls not doing anything to help themselves.

I always start with a mid iron, use allignment rods and go for targets. Sometimes try a different ball flight although I am crap at curving the ball flight intentionally.

then move onto long irons through to a driver and fairway woods etc.

Someone once told me "goto the range for practice" and go on the course to play.

I use this advice and saw some good advice the other week in a post on here in dont aim for the flag, aim for the green and your shots will fall off - it works beleive me.

I also hit the range if i have a problem while on the course, if I am miss hitting or just generally dont have a clue whats gone wrong, i get on the range afterwards to try and sort it out.

Good luck with your practice!

I rarely go to the range, I do carry a shag bag and wedges in my car and often stop at a baseball field/park/football field to hit shots.

I have this winter. I'm only going once a week to keep the swing in tune...and only hitting a few dozen full, stock shots every time. I spend most of the range session hitting wedges and doing the '100 yard drill' where I hit all my irons 100 yards with various trajectories.

i feel that going to the range is actually hurting my game.  May be just me, but i feel that hitting ball in the range is making me learn to wack ball as hard as possible, and i ended up losing my tempo.

Until i figure out a way to make my practise at the range mimic the course, i'm not going there anymore.

You can mimic a course by hitting your driver and aiming at a certain target/distance.  Then go to a mid iron and aim for a target/distance for that club, then go to a short iron and start over again...  keep cycling it and go thru all your clubs.

I'm curious how often you members go to the range and how much time each of you spend on average.  I think I'll post some polls on this...

Right now i am a range rat,Being as im right in the middle of a major swing change i need the repition of hitting the balls.Even if im not doing something like that i normally hit 1500-3000 balls a week