Driving range EVERYDAY bad for your golf?

[Salty Dog]

I got bitten by golf bug lately and started going driving range everyday. The problem is, I have reach a point where the more frequent I go driving range, the worse is my swing. I usually hit 100 balls during each visit. Today, my swing is so bad that I decided to quit half way through. 95% of my balls were sliced.

Does going driving range everyday actually have detrimental effect on your golf skill? Should I go there less often? What is the ideal number of time per week?

[mellojoe]

I'm sure you've heard that "practice makes perfect". That's not true. Trust me.


"Perfect practice" is the only kind that can "make perfect."

[CoolBreeze20]

You have probably exhausted all your muscles that power your swing, and in turn, it is now very inconsistant. Do you just go out there and pound balls, or do you actually take your time, go through your routine, and pick targets to aim at?

[SiamGolfer]

You could also be ingraining some bad habits into your swing.
I normally only hit off 1 small tray at a time and think about every single ball hit, and work through some different clubs. Generally the people adjacent to me seem to have hit off 3 small trays by the time I have finished mine. But as the person above stated , quality of practice.

[DDBowdoin]

if you're on a grass range then no, there isnt such a thing as to much practice

if its artificial mats, then yes... limit that as much as possible, at my local range I'm the classic range pro

if I could transfer shots from mats to the course I'd be scratch in a week

[CG031]

100 balls seems like a lot everday, like someone said, it's probably making you a bit fatigued muscle wise.

I go about 2 times per week and hit about 25 balls there each time...not too much, and than I play another 4 times per week on the course...I find this practice routine has worked very well over the past year as many handicap has drop 10 strokes since July 2007.

[bcp]

I have found that I get lazy on the range. It is not helpful to practice if you are not focused. When I practice, I try to have specific goals as to what I am working on. I used to put in a lot of time, but I was going through the motions, which was not helpful at all.

[caseycase]

It depends on how u practice at the range. U must have a plan when u go there ( a rutine.) There are all kinds of rutines you can do u have to find the one that works for u. Also I find that a range with real grass helps. The mats give me a false sense of security.

[dave s]

Like the old saying goes: Too much of ANYTHING is a bad thing!

When I feel the wheels coming off, I put down the sticks for a week or two and the 'good stuff' comes back somehow.

dave

[Salty Dog]

The range i go to only have artificial mats. You are right about muscle fatigue. I can feel my arms sore from shoulder down to my fingers.... not to mention blisters on my hands....what a stupid way to play golf you may say. :(

Should I reduce it to twice a week then?

Also, I just finished a course from the pro. I realized that during the lesson, with the couching from the pro, I could swing a lot better. When I go to the range alone, I keep making a fool of myself and it is so frustrating....

[damkader]

I have been hitting the range a lot lately also. I am in the midst of getting lessons to get me back to where I was 10 years ago when I played somewhat seriously.

I find that I go back to the tendencies that I had when I first started playing OMG 25 years ago. Sometimes I do tend to hit too many balls I think. Ussually about 200 a day. My swing is coming back around and think that I can get back to about 15 by the end of the summer.

I found that I got the most improvement when I took lessons and hit a bucket of balls a day. Though like others have said that when I am taking lessons it ussually takes me 3 times as long to go through a bucket because there are specific things that I am working on.

[Bourbon and Coke]

It depends on how u practice at the range. U must have a plan when u go there ( a rutine.) There are all kinds of rutines you can do u have to find the one that works for u. Also I find that a range with real grass helps. The mats give me a false sense of security.

The "O" key is in the top right corner of the keyboard between "I" and "P" and only 2 to the right of that "U" key you love so much.

To the OP: you're getting lazy through repetition. I would guess you probably hit multiple balls and then make a practice swing when you get poor results or switch clubs. This causes you to lose mental focus, and makes the range environment about as different from the course as possible. My advice is to maintain your pre-shot routine for EVERY ball. If you normally take 2 practice swings on the course, expect to swing the club 300+ times at the range. Also, pick targets on the range. When you setup on the ball and swing and say, "oh that went straight" without knowing what you are aiming at, you're really getting no feedback. Would you line up your approach shot without looking at the green?

[Slim 11]

Range practice can be a problem if you do it like most people and just grab driver and hit 20 balls, then grab 5 iron and hit 20 balls, etc.

A great tip I got that helps my game is to practice at teh rang as if I were on the course. Imagine a hole in your head, let's say a 400 yard par 4. Hit your driver. No matter the outcome, hit the next ball as if your on teh course. If your drive went 200, imagine you are 200 out. If you sliced or hooked it, your playing from rough. What club would you hit next? Maybe 7 iron to lay up to PW approach. Hit your 7 iron. If you hit it like you want, then you hit PW. If you skull it or duff it and it only goes 50 yards, you now hit as if your 150 out.

Use a flag or sign or something to serve as a focal point on your approach shots.

This methos will slow down your range shooting and help you focus more. It also helps you hit as if you were actually on the course. You don''t get to hit 20 balls with the same club in a row on on the course, do you?

[Klean]

If you are just hacking away at 100 balls per day, I can't say that's a good thing. Practice is suppose to have a purpose. Just swinging the club won't do anything but possibly ingrain bad habits.

Make a routine for yourself. Practice 1/2,3/4 shots. Practice on a hitting a certain taget with each club etc..

Also mats are bad.

[chrisgolf37]

I have had the same problem going. To start my season I was hitting pretty solidly especially with my woods. I decided my irons needed work so i went to the range 3-5 times a week. Now Im having trouble hitting my Irons and have been finding myself slicing drives. Is it the driving range all the time? I dont know but its what im pointing to right now.

[chris408]

A great tip I got that helps my game is to practice at teh rang as if I were on the course. ...

I use this approach as well. I use an extra scorecard and used that as my practice "course" and play with the yardage markers at the range.

I do find going everyday, at a mat range, does wear on your body. I find my elbow and shoulders are becoming more sore. I currently working with a pro to fix some kinks, in my swing so going everyday, even with a small bucket, helps keep the lesson in memory. And as said before, doing your setup routine at each shot as well as using targets and setting goals each time you go out, all help ingrain the process.

[The Rambler]

There is such thing as too much of a good thing

[worst_shot_ever]

I agree with all the prior recs regarding practicing with purpose, specific goals for each shot, etc. Another issue is that the mats allow you to bounce your clubs and still strike the ball where, in turf, that wouldn't be possible.

If the golf bug has you, it may be more helpful to practice putting during the time you would be hammering balls, or working on your pitch and chip play. Developing "feel" for the putter is one of those things that can benefit from repetition in a way banging at range balls does not help the full swing.