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Range balls and handicaps

dhartmann34

dhartmann34

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It seems to me a lot of folks go out and play their round of golf without hitting the range first. I'm extremely guilty of this as I hit the range before my round maybe 1 out of every 15 times. Sometimes it's because of time. Other times I don't want to pay an extra however much to hit balls beforehand. I know I always struggle my first 3-5 holes trying to get things in order and feel my swing. Yet I still rarely hit the range.

So what if every course were to include range balls with a paid greens fee. Would you then hit the range beforehand? Do you think a majority of folks would? And what I'm wondering most, would the average persons handicap drop at all?

I honestly would probably begin to hit the range every time before the round. I wouldn't worry about only hitting 5-10 balls instead of all of them because they were already included and paid for so whether I hit only a few or all of them, it didn't matter. I think my handicap would probably benefit from the pre round practice for sure. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm tempted to try this before the rest of my rounds for the year and see how things go. I wonder how my scores would differ....
 
My course includes a small bucket for members and I still don't hit the range every time out. I haven't really noticed a difference in my scores when I warm up at the range vs when I don't.
 
I try to make an effort to get to the course in time to hit a few beforehand. There are unlimited balls on the range at my club and I'll get/split a bucket about 75% of the time at other places if they have a range and I'm there in enough time. Lately, I've been hitting my very first iron of the day 8 inches fat, but after that, I'm back to normal so I want to get that out of my system on the range instead of on the first hole.

I don't think that most people would go, even if it were included in the greens fee. I do think that they might complain if the fee increased to include the balls though.
 
I always try to hit balls before my round. I probably only have not hit balls a few times this year, one of which was in Savannah before the practice round. That is the last time I remember not hitting balls before a round.
Why wouldn't you hit balls?
I will say this, tho - I hate it when I pay a greens fee and then have to buy balls for the range. Why not include range balls in the cost of the round?
 
No. A lot of my 9s are mid day and a little over an hour. On and off, that quick. Many times my first swing is on the first tee. My PB was one in this fashion.

I dont want to pay for a service I wont use.
 
I would go and hit a few driver shots before the round if we had a range.
 
I used to hit balls more, but know I usually swing the orange whip and stretch out. Then I putt and chip to get a feel for the greens. If I have time after that then I will hit the range.
 
My round today was the first time this year I've hit range balls before my round. I didn't play noticeably better, but felt better swinging the driver the first few holes than normal.
 
I think often the range can mess with your head before a round, either get you over confident or get you frustrated. For me with my back injury issues I benefit more from just taking nice big long smooth swings without a ball. Then spend time chipping and putting. Sometimes I hit them but I don't think it matters a ton.
 
The course I play league golf at doesn't have a range. The drive off the first tee isn't a problem for me, but the first mid iron or wedge is usually off. It would be nice to hit a few balls before the round. Not a lot, just a handful.
 
I'd be all for this if it didn't increase the green fees, or if it was just by a buck or so. I really like to hit a few before my round, but I don't want to overdo it. Today I bought a small bucket for $6 even though I really just want to hit 10-12 balls. Then I feel like I have to hit them all to get what I paid for. I'd love it if they'd just give me a dozen range balls with my green fee.
 
Balls are included where I play and I use them every time. They don't seem to help my scores. If anything, I probably waste all my limited good shots on the range. I guess I at least get a warmup out of them.
 
I always try to hit at least 30 balls before a round. I don't try to work on anything other than tempo. The first 10 is to get loose (I hit 7i and start slow and build to a full swing). The rest I'll hit 4 of one hybrid, 4 3 wood, 4 driver and the rest pitching wedge at a target.
 
I always warm up on the range and practice green before playing, but i am careful not to hit more than 10 or 15 balls.
 
I warm up before a round first by putting long enough to get the speed of the greens, usually about 5 minutes. I then like to stretch for 5 minutes before hitting at least 20 balls. I can go to the first tee with no warm up but 85% of the time I allow myself 20-30 minutes to putt and warm up on the range. I also will hit the range after a bad ball striking round, often hitting 100+ balls to fix or at least understand what was causing my primary miss for the day.
 
I almost always warm up with a bucket at the range before the round. Both for getting the body a bit warm and to get the swing going
 
I almost always hit the range before each round. I find somewhere around 45-50 balls works well for me before a round. When I don't it's because I've played the previous two days prior just save some stamina. Also, if I'm playing two rounds the same day, I'll only hit a dozen or so.
 
I need to do some stretching and several swings before hitting balls for real. Half a bucket is enough or if I'm in a hurry, even dry swings will do. But I like hitting balls, so I almost always hit a full bucket.
 
I never go to the range first. I get to the first tee and go...........
 
It's very rare I don't go to the range befoe a round. I usually on,y take three clubs, gap wedge, 6 iron and driver and hit 10 balls with the wedge and 5 each with the other two, unless one of them is really off then I will hit a few more.

I go go regsdless if they are included or not. If they aren't inclided I run out onto the ramge and gather up a dozen or so J/K :bananadance:
 
A lot of the courses around here offer a small warm up bucket with green fees. I try to get to the range to hit 50 balls to get loose.
 
I would appreciate it if range balls were included in the price of the round. I almost never practice before heading out to the first tee. Usually I'm in a hurry so I'm not out at the course 45 minutes before my tee time but I'm also cheap. Yet I had no issue using the range/chipping/putting facilities out at strawberry creek because it was included and we had enough time. So I say yes include it. I bet my game would improve some and I'd have a better first couple holes.


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I like about 12-18 swings before I play, six4three5 and I split a small before league play, they charge $3 for a small
 
I have to hit the range before a round, regardless of it being free or a small charge. At least a handful of balls. If not, I usually give away a few strokes in the first few holes. Usually, even if it does cost extra, it's only maybe 5.00 max - if I can't afford that I probably shouldn't be playing.
 
I almost never hit the range before a round. If range balls were included I definitely would when I can. It might help save a stroke here and there. I'm not sure though if I would want range balls always included with the round. My guess is they would then raise the price of the round, and some times I'd be paying for range balls I won't use if I didn't have time to hit the range.
 
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