THAT guy at the range

[GolfBear]

So I go to the range tonight to hit a small bucket just to keep the muscles lose. As soon as I get there I notice that Mr. Driver Guy is there. I was curious how many of you frequent a range that has a Mr. Driver Guy?

Here's what Mr. Driver Guy did this evening. Two jumbo buckets (140 balls each) with nothing but the driver. If that's not insane enough, it's not the first time I've seen him do this. I literally have never seen the guy hit an iron....ever. I've seen him at least a dozen times and every time he's just banging on that driver.

It's not helping his game because he's blasting the ball all over the place but to each his own I guess. It must make him happy or he wouldn't keep doing it right?

Any of you have a Mr. Driver Guy at your local range?

[ohiolefty]

Anyone who hits more than 5-10 drivers in a row on the range must not care about the actual game of golf which, I'm told, involves trying to get a goddamn ball in a goddamn hole whilst hitting it the fewest goddamn times. Goddamnit.

[O.B. Right]

So this guy hit 280 balls in the time you hit your small bucket? Crazy!

I don't see anything wrong with practicing driver but that guy must've been like a gattling-gun out there.

[Fourputt]

I guess it depends on the range. If you have to hit from mats, then the only club I'll practice is the driver too. If it's grass, then I'm more likely to primarily use a 7I unless I'm working the kinks out of some other club.

But I don't really spend all that much time on the range anyway... for me it's the short game practice area, and I have my own peeves about that.

[Fat Slice]

Sometimes I hit a bucket with the driver just to relax, not really to practice.

[GaijinGolfer]

To each their own. How does some guy at the range hitting driver all the time effect you and what you're trying to work on?

[GolfBear]

  O.B. Right said:

So this guy hit 280 balls in the time you hit your small bucket? Crazy!

Well in the interest of full disclosure I did spend about 20 minutes trying to keep my 5 year old daughter from running out into the range. She LOVES to set the balls down for me so I can hit them, she gives me a target to hit to then cleans my clubs. I love her soooo much!

[Shorty]

I'd rather see a "Mr driver guy" pounding out drives than a hacker taking a minute over each shot, "visualising" a round of golf and making judgements about everyone else. And then coming onto a golf forum and saying that they've been hitting a "players' 2 iron" at the range to help with their "ballstriking".
And....if it's a range where you're hitting off mats, the guy who's hitting driver is the one who knows what he's doing, not the guy hitting irons.

Some people like hitting driver for fun. Knocking them makes as much sense as telling someone that the money they spend on new putters could be spent on lessons.
To each their own.:

[Game]

So much mat hate here! I understand that grass is the almighty practice surface but sometimes you just gotta hit off of mats because it's the only thing within an hours drive! If you know what you're doing and you know the difference between a chunk sound/feel and a pure shot then mats are really not that bad.

[design]

I used to be that guy.

A) It was the only club I could hit consistently.

B) I liked to show off a little.


I rarely hit more than 5-10 balls with the driver on the range nowadays.

[2bGood]

  Shorty said:

I'd rather see a "Mr driver guy" pounding out drives than a hacker taking a minute over each shot, "visualising" a round of golf and making judgements about everyone else. And then coming onto a golf forum and saying that they've been hitting a "players' 2 iron" at the range to help with their "ballstriking".

Hey that is me! (kind of). I found unless I am working on something I get better results at the range by playing 18 in my head. I end up rarely hitting the same club twice in a row and if I miss I hit 10 - 50 yard pitch or flop or whater, hell if I miss my driver, I hit a low 4 iron recovery shot.

I am sure people wonder what the hell I am doing, but it works for me.

[soloredd]

  Shorty said:

I'd rather see a "Mr driver guy" pounding out drives than a hacker taking a minute over each shot, "visualising" a round of golf and making judgements about everyone else. And then coming onto a golf forum and saying that they've been hitting a "players' 2 iron" at the range to help with their "ballstriking".

How is that in anyway bad? I mean, save for the judging others thing. If I go to the range, and I pay the money, stay in my stall, don't act like a fool and stay to myself, what does it matter if I choose to hit driver all day or visualize a round of golf?

[kurtbayne]

One problem with driver guy is some of those drivers are LOOOOUD! I should know cuz I'm driver guy sometimes, and should wear ear protection.

I personally feel that a golfer can learn a lot about golf by hitting just drivers (although I don't just do that). I have had days where I've hit 700 balls and often hit 200-300. I generally try to hit at 40% or less, with occasional 80%, and hitting mostly at 20% would probably be even better.

And I think the driver is the club most people need to master the most. And my theory is that driving is like driving and dunking in basketball. Everyone yaks about how defense and free throws are the most important thing in basketball, but you notice that everyone in the NBA can dunk. It's like, if you can't dunk, you can't play in the NBA. The same goes for golf. We all know that putting and short game is most important, but all pros hit effortless long drives.

[Tiger Spuds]

There was one of these guys on the range the last time I was there, tuesday.He got his though.About 15 minutes into spraying drives all over the place I hear this unusually loud thud, look up to see a ball flying off to the right and some other object I can't make out flying off to the left.Then I hear him say 'F**k, my Driver!', as the clubhead lands about 50 yards out into the range Was laughing my ass off for a good 5 minutes.

I hit maybe 5 drives per session at the range.They have mats with those little rubber things as tees.The ball's either teed too high, or two low, they're awful, can't make solid contact.

[Zeph]

  ohiolefty said:

Anyone who hits more than 5-10 drivers in a row on the range must not care about the actual game of golf which, I'm told, involves trying to get a goddamn ball in a goddamn hole whilst hitting it the fewest goddamn times. Goddamnit.

So if I'm working on my driver swing at the range, I don't care about golf?

I've got my own rubber tees, trimmed to the proper height for me.

[alf174]

Is this any different then hitting a hundred balls with a GW or SW, balls only going 10 to 80 yards? I'm guilty, that's what I did yesterday morning.

[JWL1957]

I know guys that do not play golf, but love going to the range and hit drivers. Why not??

[mikefitz]

OP why are you so concerned with how others choose to practice?

I may not be as crazy as Mr. Driver Guy, but I am new to the game and I've found myself practicing like crazy with my driver simply because it's my weakest club. I may hit thirty balls in a row with my driver because I'm getting tired of wasting strokes to get out of the woods and back on the fairway.

To each his own...