Your practice session at the range?

[Frito]

Was wondering what everyone does when they hit the driving range. What clubs they use first/last and how many buckets they usually hit.

[tws1098]

Was wondering what everyone does when they hit the driving range. What clubs they use first/last and how many buckets they usually hit.

If the OP doesn't mind me adding, I'd like to know what everyone focuses on during their session?

[Easy]

I've been working on my changing my swing to S&T.; So at the moment I've been working on two things. Weight forward and left shoulder down. I only work on two areas of my game at one time.
I usually start with the Pitch, then go to 9i, then 7i, then 5i and finally the 3w. I don't bother with the driver yet cause I suck with it.
Sometimes I will pretend I'm playing a hole. Start off with the 3W, go to the 7i then pitch or whatever.
I hit around 70 balls simply because I can't afford 120 balls every second day.

[nuck81]

I too have been integrating S&T too my swing. I haven't hit in about a week due to being out of town, but my practice sessions always run about the same.

There are about 70 balls in a bucket. I use ten to go through a specific drill where I am breaking down a fault and really work on it. My last few have been not shifting on my backswing and not flipping on contact. I typically exaggerate the correct movements as much as I can so that when I relax and take a smooth swing my muscles react better. I rotate my beginning drill club from 6, 7, and 8 iron.

My next forty or so balls I work on integrating the fixes on a smooth consistent swing with the same club. I pick a target with that club and try to hit it every time. if I have a swing fault I may use a ball or two to reinforce the drill but most of these are full smooth swings.

With about twenty balls left I switch to a lower iron like 4 or 5 and hit about two or three off the deck and two or three off a tee. I do the same with my hybrid or 4 wood. With about ten balls left I bring out the driver. I only hit five balls with the driver no matter what, and if I hit two or three good ones in a row I put it up. My remaining balls I try to hit the 100 yard sign with my PW.

Typically takes an hour to an hour and a half.

[Forest]

I hit around 90 balls, and they go 9-4i, hybrid, driver, sw gw.

I mostly focus on making good contact and staying on plane.

[ezmorningrebel]

i usually start at my gap wedge and work my way up hitting at a specific target on the range until i feel some consistency. i have a bad habit of mindlessly hitting a bunch of balls though. it would be time better spent if i hit less balls and went completely through a preshot routine before hand.

[ChipShot]

90-100 Balls and start with the wedges and work my way up to driver. I have been trying to concentrate on making solid contact and aim.

[acegolfer]

36 balls (= 1 token).

Before range, I hit 20 chip/pitch shots to loosen up. Then at range, start with 5-6 shots with GW. Then about 10 with 6 iron. Then 5-6 shots with 5 wood. At this moment, I'm ready to go.

The rest can be anything from driver to chipping. For example, if I am playing, my last 3 shots are the first tee shot of the day.

For each shot, I go through the same preshot routine with a specific target in mind.

[AceDunk]

All driver just trying it cream it as far as I can and/or hit the ball picker.

[WUTiger]

Back about 2000, I took a couple of lessons from a Division II college golf coach. One useful thing he told me:

Your driver is the most exhausting club to practice. So on Driver day, hit a dozen warm-up shots with shorter clubs, and then go directly to the Driver. Follow up with shorter clubs.

Seems to be good advice.

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On original question: When I go to the range, I tend to emphasize one of the three: Woods, full irons, or wedges. I usuallly hit a small bucket, 30 or 40 balls depending on the range. Takes me at least an hour to hit these. My goal is to hit range twice a week, but reality lately is about four times a month.

In my back yard, I close-cut a "green oval" and a "tee box" and practice short chip and pitch shots, along with some swing drills with wiffle balls.

I'll stop by a putting green on way home from work for a half hour once a week.

[ChipShot]

36 balls (= 1 token).

I did the same thing the other day while at the range and liked this routine. Going to do it more often. I noticed it slowed me down while practicing and rather than just whacking away at ball after ball because I would have to think about the shots I was taking.

All driver just trying it cream it as far as I can and/or hit the ball picker.

[RC]

After getting stretched out a bit, I hit a small bucket, mostly long irons. I think I hit more 4 irons than any other club. If the 4 iron is flying right, my swing is good to go. At the end, I will hit two or three scoring irons, then a fairway wood, and finish with a two or three drivers. Chipping, pitching, and putting are done in a separate area from the range. After playing a round, it is different... I will hit a bucket or two focussed on whatever shots seem to need it. Over the years, it seems to me a small bucket before and after the round is my best way to practice. Hitting too many balls (more than a bucket) before playing seems to take the edge off my concentration. Hitting specific shots after the round helps me fix issues I know about from the round.

[rholt168]

I usually like to start with a 6 iron, I don't know why, just something I always do. Then hit a few with the driver, then go with each club about 5-10 balls. Then after that, visual shots and hit to targets. Helps me work on my accuracy.

[Wheels309]

I like to start with my 3 or 4 iron simply because I am least accurate with these. If I hit a few good shots that boosts my confidence, and if not then i know I will get back to them later. I then move to my 9 and work my way back down. I finish with a couple drives and wedge shots.

[Comeback]

I hit about 100 balls a day 5 days a week, most days i will split my bucket 40 balls SW/GW 30 balls short irons PW/9/8/7, 15 balls long irons and 15 balls driver and 3W. And 1 day a week i will just bring the SW. Far to many people concentrate on the driver waaaayyyy too much, Being proficent with your short irons and wedges will start turning those 2 putts into one puts.

[zeg]

Mine varies depending on what I'm trying to do. I generally start by hitting 50-100 chips and short pitches in the practice area. That both warms me up and guarantees that if something cuts my practice time short, I don't skimp on short game practice. Lately I've been doing a chip-like drill to work on inside-to-outside swing action, so I replace some of the short game practice with that.

Then I go to the range. If I'm just there to work on playing skills, I usually start with a 4-iron (my longest iron) and hit that until I am warm enough that I'm getting good contact. I used to start with a PW or 9I, but after being inspired by a tip on here, I've found that I get into a groove faster with a longer iron because I have less expectation that it'll be "easy." Then I usually skip around through the rest of the clubs, alternating short irons/wedges with mid-irons, and woods/driver tossed in. I will usually try only to hit half a dozen balls or fewer with each club, and I don't get hung up on hitting every club in the bag. If I hit my 7I and 9I, I probably won't bother with the 8I.

Other times (lately), I'm working on something in particular. For that, I'll usually hit a few mindless balls with the 4I to warm up, and then hit most of a small bucket (~30 balls) with a single club, probably either the 4I or a 7I, working on whatever it is. Usually I don't use the short irons or wedges because I find it harder to diagnose ball-flight problems on such lofted clubs, and fixes with my longer irons seem to trickle down to short irons in a way that doesn't work backwards. If I've got time after the small bucket, I'll usually get a second and just use it for less focused practice.

Afterwards, I usually make a stop in the bunker for at least 3-5 shots, sometimes more. Then to the putting green.

[Zeph]

I always got a plan and a schedule. Not on what clubs to hit, I usually change it up a bit, primarily hitting mid-long irons. Whenever I play golf or hit the range, I have one or two things I work on. Like hip push, head staying still, backswing length, flying wedge etc. I don't hit balls on the range anymore without a goal on what I want to accomplish. If I keep a schedule like this, some of the parts are bound to stick eventually, making me a better golfer.

[2bGood]

I would like to coin a phrase: At the range you either testing or trusting . Since I came to this epiphany, it really helped my practice. When testing, I am working on position and building a swing. I don't worry about the ball as much, but worry about achieving the drills etc I am working on. When I am trusting, I work on the swing I will take to the course.

Mid season most of my practice is all trusting at the range. I warm up with about 10 shots with a wedge, and then hit the rest of my shots with a specific purpose, and never hit the same club twice in row. Most days I play imaginary holes. If I miss the "fairway" with my driver, I then a shoot under a tree branch, then play a short iron in etc. This helps me mix up my shots and forces my full routine for each shot. I hit about 1 ball per minute when I do this. My goal in these sessions is three GIR in a row. As the Fairway I imagine is narrow and the greens are rather small, this can take about 30 balls. When I accomplish my task, I walk away and leave what ever balls are left.

I do the same thing around the green with up and downs, I play 5 balls from all around the green and I have to get them all up and down. This helps with pressure as the 4th and 5th putt or even chip have allot riding on them. I do however have one little cheat, I don't have to get all 5 ball up and down, I just have to get the 5 balls in the hole in 10 shots, so if I do hole out a chip I have a bit more breathing room.