Practice Range Routine

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

So when you go to the range to practice your ball-striking/work on your swing, what sort of routine do you follow? I'm not really interested in how you split your time between hitting balls vs. putting/chipping practice, I'm more interested in what you do when you're hitting balls.

The routine I've fallen into is:

1)Hit balls with my 7 iron until my swing starts to feel comfortable and I'm not catching the mat first or topping the ball consistently.

2)Move to a shorter iron, then to a longer iron, then to a hybrid, then to the driver, taking long enough with each club that I hit a few good shots and feel like I've reached that "comfortable" level with it.

3)Play a simple little game I invented where I start with my lob wedge and define an imaginary fairway on the range. I hit the lob wedge until I hit 3 shots in a row where I make good contact with the ball, get a decent looking ball flight (slight unintentional draws and fades are okay, but worm-burners and sky-balls off the top of my woods are not), and land in my imaginary fairway. Once I've hit the lob wedge three "good" shots in a row, I move to my sand wedge, and up through my bag until I get to my driver. I try to keep a running average distance for each club, because I'm still learning my yardages.

4)Hit my driver for a while. I love hitting my driver once I'm nice and warmed up and loose. It's just intoxicating to hear the loudness of the hit and see the ball zooming out into the distance.

5)If I still have some balls left in the bucket (or time to hit another bucket) and I've hit my driver until I'm satisfied, I'll go back to whichever clubs gave me the most trouble during the "three good shots in a row" game.

I feel that at my skill level, I'm rapidly improving as a ball-striker no matter what I'm doing at the range as long as I'm focusing on hitting each shot with a good swing, but do you all have any suggestions for better ways to structure my practice?

-Andrew

[v3rs3]

I usually start out just taking half swings with my 60 degree until I form a rythym in my swing(that's what a former PGA player said he did before rounds so I've adapted that into my routine). Then I start making full shots and just go up from my 60 degree until I reach my driver.

[Fourputt]

First, I won't practice on mats for any reason. Just a waste of effort IMO.

Second, I don't really have a routine, because I only spend time on the range when I am working on some very specific part of my game. If I'm going to work with my driver, I'll take the 7I along to warm up with, otherwise I just take the club or clubs I need to use for that particular goal.

I don't spend that much time on the range in any case, because I would rather use my available time on the course. The way I see it, my back only has so many swings left in it, and I want them to be used where I have the most fun.

[mdouet]

I will warm up by hitting some pitches with my LW and SW, then will move to half shots and then full shots with each club starting with PW and working my way up to my Driver.

After that I play a imaginary round with the clubs I would hit during one of my rounds to get used to switching between clubs, my hope is this will help me take my range practice to the golf course.

[meenman]

I only use the range as a warmup before playing in the morning - 3 clubs at different ends of the spectrum for about 10 swings each.

First off, I would never hit off of mats and most of the ranges out here are so torn up it is not the same as hitting a club on the course. For the most part it is the equivalent of hitting off of a dirt road.

[mdouet]

I guess I'm lucky then, my range always has plenty of fresh fairway grass to hit off of, they keep it up pretty well at my course.

[ZaPPPa]

I changed my routine a couple of times, but this is what I have been doing recently.

1) Stretch! Very important

2) Hit ~5 balls with the PW to get in a rythm.

3) Move to odd or even irons. I move down as soon as I make good contact.

4) The meat of the practice session. I once read some great advice on practice. It stated: "Don't spend too much time in your comfort zone. You can only improve by pushing yourself." I am doing very well with my PW-8I and the driver. So I spend 70-80% of my time working on whatever needs work most. If I get frustrated I move back to the PW for a couple of shots and then return to the hard stuff.

5) I might try some game or drill:
a) Hit a driver. Depending on how well it is hit I'll hit a second with anything between a 3W and a PW. Then I'll do a pitch between 50y and 100y with a wedge.
b) Pick a random club, pick a target and try to get within 10y or so.

6) Bomb the driver.. I like to end with a kill-it massive drive.. Makes me feel better.


Then off to the chipping and putting.

[GrahamD]

I mainly use my irons on the range because i hate hitting my driver off those dang rubber tees and im not allowed tee up on grass

[golf_junkie27]

Aside from stretching, great point by the previous poster, I start my session like this:

1) 3/4 swings with my 58* and follow that with full swings. Take a break.
2) I repeat that sequence with my 54*. Again, take a break.

With these clubs, my range is between 55 and 95 yards. I'll pick out four or five targets and go at them.

3) I go to my hybrid and try to hit various shots. High fade, draw, straight. I'll also play with the ball position and take various types of swings. Take a break.

4) I'll then hit my 8, 9 and PW. I'll hit these off the deck and off the tee.

5) I'll save the driver for last.

Generally, I'll practice just like I play. Line up my shot, make sure I'm aligned, properly and fire away. One thing I don't worry about at the range is distance. These are dead, practice balls that I would never play with. I know that my "game" balls will travel further. All I worry about is pure contact and making sure that I hit to my target.

[jeffhale08]

First of all, get off the mats. You'll never learn the proper way to hit down and through a golf shot off plastic "grass". After that, yes, always stretch prior to hitting balls. I use a weighted club that I made myself (old 8 iron, filled shaft with lead BB's, works great). I do what I call a 3 position practice swing. Everything is in slow motion for the first 10 swings, then I take a smooth slow swing to feel the 3 posiions I just worked on. Position #1 is taking the club back to waist high, checking the toe, making sure it is pointing up, also you want to check your shaft position here, either down the line or slightly outside the target line, never inside the line. Position #2 is making a full shoulder turn from waist high, front shoulder should end up directly under your chin, from there I check my left arm (should be fairly stiff), my clubhead position, pointing at an imaginary wall behind you, not over your head. Position #3, is a slow motion swing down from the top, feeling the cock in your wrist holding just before impact, then a smooth, solid finish with full body rotation through the shot, belt buckle and chest pointing at your target.
As far as a range strategy, I work up from my wedges through the odd number clubs, then back down with the even numbered. I only hit 3 shots per club, it really doesn't matter if you hit them well or not. If you keep hitting until you hit them well, you'll never get that feel on the course. Because, in a round of golf, can you keep hitting until you finally hit one good? No, or not without penalty shots! After working all the way back down, I head to hybrids, fairway metals and finally the driver. If this is a war up session prior to a round, don't hit anymore than about 5 drivers. the longer swing of the driver will throw off your tempo and swing with the irons. If it is a practice session, bomb away!

[Mr.Wedge]

I set a specific goal for each practice session. Just repetitive hitting does not necessarily translate into better play because you make a bad swing or two then adjust from there, which you can't do on the course. Practice goals, in my view, should be keyed to the fundamentals, such as dedicating one session to grip pressure, another to foot leverage and position, and another to maintaining spine angle, etc. This is how you discover weaknesses in your swing. Once establishing a goal for each session, I mimic the pace of play as much as possible. Play is one shot with several minutes in between which affects how your body feels as compared to repetitive hitting, so I take a walk around between each shot, then go through my exact preshot routine on every shot.

[907golfer12]

I warm up with wedges, then move up through the irons, then hit 5 shots with my hybrid, then fairway wood, then driver. Then hit different shots (cut, draw, knockdown, stock) to different greens, and then hit wedges from 100 yards and in working on hitting different shots from different yardage's with all of my wedges. This helps when I get to the course since I have different options depending on the pin location.

[ks8829]

80% short game
30 yards
50 yards
80 yards
100 yards

10% 150 yards or within

5% driver

5% fairway woods

focus on solid contact, distance control and good tempo.

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

Thanks for all the input, it seems like what I do is fairly in line with whhat a lot of people do, although everyone has their own variations.

As far as getting off the mats: I tend to hit a lot of shots fat. This hurts my wrists since the club digs in and really pulls at my wrists, rather than the unpleasant but more brief bounce you get off the fake grass. I always figured I'd move to the grass once my swing got more consistent and I have better control over how fat/thin I swing. I guess what I'm hearing is I should make that transition as soon as possible, since the grass obviously mimics the course better?

And as far as hitting repeatedly until I get it right: I see what everyone means that on the range you can make a bad swing and then adjust it until it's better through repeated trial and error. So how can I use my time at the range to help me learn to make that first swing a good one, like playing an actual round of golf demands? Do you guys recommend bouncing between clubs at opposite ends of the spectrum with only one shot each, so that each swing isn't just an adjustment from the last swing? Are there other ways to accomplish this "only one chance" swing practice at the range that I'm not thinking of?

Thanks,
Andrew

[Fourputt]

And as far as hitting repeatedly until I get it right: I see what everyone means that on the range you can make a bad swing and then adjust it until it's better through repeated trial and error.

Play an imaginary round on the range and keep score. Picture the first hole of your home course in your mind. Hit a tee shot with the club you would normally use. Estimate what you would have to play for a second shot from where the tee ball ended up, and pick that club and stroke for your 2nd. Do that until you are on the "green". I usually assume a 2 putt. Mark your score for that hole, then move to the "next" tee and play that tee shot. Play all 18 holes that way, and see how you "scored". Do it on a regular basis and see how you improve. Keep those cards separate from your real rounds and use them to help identify areas that might need lessons or more focused practice.

[baal]

Warm up & Stretch: ankles, hips, shoulders, wrists. It's very very important unless you want to be broken in the end.

Then I do 5 buckets, one for a club, going from open face irons until the driver.

I usually go with my girlfriend, so between each two buckets, there's a cigarette break and some gossip about other club members

[Mr.Wedge]

...I tend to hit a lot of shots fat. This hurts my wrists since the club digs in and really pulls at my wrists,...

This question deserves a straightforward answer, so here goes. This is just my opinion, based upon years of experimentation, trial and error, then addressing the question of why it seems to take so long for the average golf aspirant to reach a satisfactory level of play (many many never do). What I have found and believe to be true is that the normal method of learning, namely going to the range (with or without a teacher) hitting balls, and making adjustments, actually is the point of departure between learning quickly and potential years of frustrating struggle. Consider that the movements, positions, and feels associated with the golf swing are completely alien to anyone picking up a club for the first time. One of the unique aspects of the golf swing is the coil, which causes compression in the body. Every beginner will resist that compression by raising up, swaying, or reverse pivoting (straightening the leg); it's just nature because it is uncomfortable and our nature is to resist that which is uncomfortable. That is just one example. Would it not make more sense to spend time preparing for these new feels and positions prior to actually attempting to swing the club? Fat shots are usually caused by loss of leverage with the ground (swaying). If you are practicing full shots and hitting a lot of fats, you are unecessarily extending your learning curve in a major way because you are subconsiously ingraining mistakes, even though you are able to at times make adjustments and hit a solid shot. In my view, you will save yourself a lot of time and frustration (years potentially) by taking a breather, learn how to coil without a club in your hands by reading or going to a teacher to show you, then rehearsing that coil with exercises to reinforce the feel, making sure you are doing it correctly. Then go to practice with a wedge or other short iron and practice nothing but 1/2 swings (with little wrist break) until you master that shot. In other words, keep it very simple and learn the basics of footwork, coil, and leverage before moving into other more complicated aspects of the swing. From there go to a 3/4 swing and introduce the dimension of wrist hinge. Do you get the picture? Make it easy for yourself to ingrain the correct basics then applying those to the full swing at a later point will make the whole process much more compact. Again, this is just my opinion, and others will say just grab the club and don't worry, swing it. Well, that's the way it has always been done, and the world is full of frustrated golfers who after years still do not know how to swing...for what it's worth.

[FortAsel]

For some reason I never warm up, I just can't get the feel for the club after it, so I warm up and stretch when I'm taking a shower at home.

Then, when I get to the golf course and I go there to pratice:
1) I always start with my 56º wedge. For some reason, this is the club that dictates my tempo. The 1st 3 shots are without a target, just trying to feel the weight of the club, and the swing.
2) I take any Iron that gets me to the 100 meters sign, and right now it is the 9 iron, which I can use from 90 to 125 meters. This is where it really starts. I can start to see where my tendencies are (eg: latelly I've had a serious pull hook problem) and try to work it out.
3) Move up at least 3 clubs and keep doing the same to a new target
4) Use the woods, trying to work the ball (draw, fade, high, low, bomb it...)