Do you go to the practice range before every round?

[Mac62]

If I have time and the course has a decent range, I like to at least hit a few balls to get warmed up.  Start off with some easy half wedges, working into full wedge swings, then maybe a mid iron, hybrid and/or FW, then a few driver shots to (hopefully) give me some confidence and help take away the "first tee jitters".  I don't consider it as a time to work on my swing or do drills - it's more just to get the blood flowing and see which swing I brought to the course that day, lol.  If I have time left, I'll chip and putt a few before heading to the first tee.

[nick1998bunker]

To play well I have to warm up for at least an hour before.

[Yukari]

Not used to. But started going to the range before my round about a 2-3 years ago. Makes a big difference in the first couple of holes. Swing feels a lot loose.

[Mr. Desmond]

Yes.

Stretch, hit chips, go to range hit little pitches, half swings, full swings of 30 balls stretching in between swings, putt.

[Abu3baid]

Nope - I don't.

If I go and play on any day before work then it isn't possible because I have time constraints.  However, if I am playing on the weekend I'll convince my partner that we need to go early enough to get between 15 - 20 minutes on the range.. I'll spend about 10 of those working on my drills in slow motion and the other 10 minutes just hitting a couple different clubs to see what kind of ball flight I have going for the day :)

I have to admit that I prefer going to the range before though, it gives me a little more confidence that I can go out there and still make contact!

[MrDC]

I don't, but I plan to start going.

I have a tendency to overdo it at the range, it's hard for me to just do a few reps and walk away, so I've gotten tired too quickly on the course in past when I've gone, but it's time for me to learn how to warm-up the right way so I'll be going from now on.

[Shindig]

Regulation course, absolutely. Sometimes I don't for a par-3 course. My home course has a warm-up bucket of 30 balls that I pay $2.40 for. They last a lot longer when it isn't before a round (and are pretty much the majority of what I get at the range, round or otherwise).

[oregongolfguy]

I always hit some balls before I tee off.  Get the muscles warmed up.  Get some positive mojo of feeling some good ball strikes.

[davechen]

Nah.  I play in a golf league after work.  Just to make my tee time, I'm leaving work early.  So extra time to warm up isn't a possibility.

[RichWW2]

Voted no because I don't, but I really should as it takes me a few holes to get into rhythm.  15-20 balls at the most would be perfect.

[dkolo]

Virtually always go to the range. Only time I haven't was when I got the "well, there's nothing available for 2 hours, but there's a threesome on the tee you can join right now" and that was when I was playing daily during a vacation. I need to at least hit a dozen balls for my own mental calmness. Even if it means donating a few balls from my shag bag because I don't have time for a full bucket.

[nevets88]

Depends how I feel. Not a must do.

[Frank19]

Wish I could say that I did but a lot of my rounds are squeezed in either before, after...or during work so I'm usually limited on time.

[Dave2512]

Wish I could say that I did but a lot of my rounds are squeezed in either before, after...or during work so I'm usually limited on time.

This is my problem until it gets closer to longer days. Typically have to leave work an hour early to get there by 5PM. Often I am the last tee time of the day. If I stopped by the range before starting I'd likely finish before dark but everyone that works until closing would be waiting on me. Because I don't want to be that guy I play as fast as possible usually catching and playing through the other late afternoon golfers out there.

[dfreuter415]

For public course golfers like myself, there are not as many possibilities to hit balls before you play, unless it is offsite. I normally stretch and take a few practice swings, but not much more before playing. However, when I do get the opportunity to hit balls before a round, I only hit a few shots before going to the putting green.

If I spend too much time at range, I tend to lose focus toward the end of the round.

The history I have with hitting more than a few balls is that I shoot more scores above my average than below. I don't think it is loss of focus. I feel if I hit too many balls, new swing thoughts creep into my head that I try on the course, often to my detriment.

[pecos24]

I used to hit balls before every round, a small to a medium bucket.  Now if I hit balls before I start it is probably no more than 10 balls just to warm up.  If I hit much more than that I tend to start thinking too much and tweaking my swing and my golf is bad enough already without me messing with it further...

[iacas]

Almost never. But I probably hit more balls (errr, spend more time on a range) than almost anyone else here. I also rarely play so when I get a chance it's usually squeezed in.

[mmoan2]

Almost never. But I probably hit more balls (errr, spend more time on a range) than almost anyone else here. I also rarely play so when I get a chance it's usually squeezed in.

I'm surprised. I've found that warming up too much can become an issue, but as an expert, would you recommend warming up with putting, short game, and full swings before a round if you have the time? Is it a preference thing that varies from person-person, in your experience? I don't even want to look at my driver if I haven't hit at least 3 or 4 of them on the range beforehand. Do PGA Tour pros vary greatly on this point? I know they warm up differently, but are there some feel players who just warm up real quick and go at it?