Driving Range Routines

What's everyone's Practice/Pre round routines?

One that I do almost every session is play a round of golf (Time permitting). I will choose a course and play it shot for shot on the range. Even if I miss a target with a full shot, I will estimate the miss and make the appropriate chip/pitch. It takes longer to go through a bucket or 2, but the constant club changes and pre shot routines helps me concentrate and focus instead of just beating balls. After the virtual round is over, I will pick out 1 part of my game that I felt needed the most work and focus on trying to groove it.

For me, the range is to practice something in my swing. I always have a plan. There are many range sessions where I will only take a single club and work whatever it is I am trying to work on.

I try to start and end each session with a healthy number of partial shots to specific targets, usually at 40 55 and 70 yards. It is a good way to warm up and a good way to reinforce short game. In between I do stuff for whatever it is I am trying to work on plus always spend some amount of time hitting middle irons to specific targets.

I warm up with 5-10 pitches/partial wedge shots. After that depending on what I'm planning for the day will determine what I do next. If I'm working on something I will use a couple short irons to,get the feel then use a longer iron usually my 6i to woke on it. Will hit some drivers and a few FW the go back to a 7i or 6i and work on whatever swing thought I'm working on. The usually finish with some wedge shots to different targets.

i usually stretch a bit first. windmills with my arms to get my shoulders loose, the ol' washing machine with my upper body, then some deep squat hip stretches. sometimes i'll start with 3/4 effort wedge shots to find the bottom of my swing. but like blu, i usually just bring 1 or 2 clubs to the range, and have a goal to only hit specific shots.

If I'm warming up on the range before a round, I will start with 7 iron to get loose. Then hit a few 5 irons once I'm loose. Then jump to driver to get that flowing. Flowed up with a few full swings with a wedge.

If I'm at the range practice without going to play right after. I will usually hit driver to warm up. Then work my way through my bag. I usually start where I see the most issues during the previous round I played.

Stretching first. Then a few 7 irons. Then any other club, but I make it a point to hit them only once. This mentally sets me that I don't have a second shot if I don't hit it well. Then the driver. I use the wedge half shots for rest. I try to keep going without rest, simulating situations on the course where I need to hit a good shot even when I'm already fatigued.

I always start with short wedge shots and then move to irons. I try not to take more than 5 shots with the same club unless I'm working on something very specific. Driver is almost always last, I find that after I've used irons for a while my driver tempo is much better than hitting it cold.

If I have time, I'll do a simulated round of my home course which is 9 holes. I'll hit the clubs I normally tee off with, and then based on those shots I'll select a club I'd most likely be using. If I'm offline, I'll grab a club I'd need from the rough. Makes things fun.

I think its important to PRACTICE MORE LIKE THE WAY YOU ACTUALLY PLAY. For that reason, I try to avoid just beating ball-after-ball at the range. That may be the fastest way to hit a bucket of balls, but definitely not the best way to improve performance.

I actually take a folding chair with me and make it a point to avoid hitting more than 10 shots before sitting down in the chair for a few minutes, (just as you do in a cart when playing). While sitting, I am assessing how I well I was hitting the last club and thinking about my goals for the next club.

Once I am pleased, a club goes back in the bag and I pull another...if not, that club is leaned against the bag so I can come back to it later. If I hit the first 5 shots good, that's enough for that club, and I switch clubs. (My "rule" is that 10 is the maximum number of balls per club, and 5 is the minimum).

I usually carry only the odd or even numbered irons, but I carry all woods and hybrids. A medium size bucket of 70 balls is usually more than enough, but if I do struggle with any particular club(s), then I may hit a 2nd (small) bucket of 35 balls just to put in more work on those specific clubs. My session ALWAYS includes hitting both draws and fades, (not just straight shots), and ALWAYS to a very SPECIFIC TARGET...otherwise you are wasting your time.

I find range practice much more EFFECTIVE this way, and I encourage others to try it. Sitting down and assessing your performance between clubs during the range session also makes the session more ENJOYABLE, and more COMFORTABLE, especially during the very HOT Summer months here in South Florida.

Bottom line...Force yourself to go SLOWLY at the range, think about your GOALS for the session and particular clubs, and MEASURE YOURSELF against those goals. After all, WHAT'S THE RUSH? The goal is to improve, not to see how fast you can hit a bucket of balls! The folding CHAIR I mentioned is a great way to help add some DISCIPLINE to your range sessions...if you don't own one, its well-worth the investment.

:act-up:

I start with stretching. My primary work is on my weight shift. Then work some short half swing 9 irons working my way up to full 9 irons. After I've hit full 9 irons for a while. I'll move to driver. This club is my weakness right now since I hit it 10 times a round and need to keep it in play. So I have one post at the end of the range as my target with two posts on either side of it that I need to keep my shot between. One post outside of that is the tree line. I go through preshot routine for each ball, practice positions, and then swing, then hit a ball... I go through 40 balls with my driver. Then I move to my 5 iron hitting approach shots to the far green. If I can hit my 5 iron, I can hit my 6i, 7i, and 8i. By this time I have about 25 balls left and I end with my lob wedge to 60 yds to a target (flag) trying to get as close as possible. I hit 15 of them. Then the last 15 I chip to a target about 5 or 10 yds out with my sand wedge. Then I head to the putting green for about 20 minutes and short and lag putt.

When I go to the range to practice, I typically will start with some swings to loosen up, and then I'll simulate a 9 hole round. I find it keeps me focused, and I'm not just hitting balls off a conveyor belt. After I'm done with that, I'll take the balls that are left and work on something that I struggled with during the simulated round. If the pitching green is open, I'll go there and work on short game. If not... I'll head home (because there is no putting green). The process, for a medium sized basket (75 balls), will take me about 75-120 minutes, depending entirely on when I'm there and if I've got anything else to do. I try to go on my off days or when my wife and kids are tied up, rather than 'squeezing time in' to practice. If I do have to squeeze time in, it's at least that 75 minutes... but more often than not, I'm there for at least 90 minutes and closer to 2 hours if the pitching green is open.

Before a round, it's totally different. I try to arrive about 2 hours prior to a round and I tend to just use the range as a warm-up session. I'll start with 5-10 wedges... starting with half-swings and then moving up to full swings. Then I'll usually grab an 8 iron and hit about 5 balls... a 4 iron or 5 iron which I'll hit about 5 balls with... a hybrid or my 3 wood which I'll hit another 5 balls (give or take) with... and finally, my driver. Here, I'll hit anywhere from 10-20 balls, depending on how I feel. It's the club I struggle with the most and it really determines most of my rounds, so I really try to get comfortable with it.

When I'm satisfied with my range work, I'll hit some pitch and chip shots for a few minutes and then I'll go into the clubhouse area to relax for about 20 minutes. This is especially crucial for me during the warmer weather. It helps me to cool off. I'll usually start my scorecard marking there, and I'll check my phone and read stupid stuff to take my mind off of golf for a few minutes.

About 30 minutes prior to the tee time, I'll head to the putting green and putt for 15 minutes. I work on short putts to start, and then longer lag putts. The last 15 minutes is spent around my cart getting things ready and socializing. Once we hit the tee... I'm ready to go!

To warm up I take my sand wedge and hit a few pitches, then 3/4 shots, then full swings all to different targets (about 5 each). Then, I'll work my way up the bag hitting a few shots with every other club, and back down every other club that I missed out the way up. Finish with a few short chips for touch.
If I'm working on something at the range, I'll warm up with my wedge, then head right to what my planned drills are for that specific club or shot.
I always try to end on very short chips or pitches though.

Pre round I usually start with half swing 7 iron to loosen up working up to a full swing. Will then hit a few fairway woods off the deck till I get a ball flight I am looking for. From there I go to wedges focusing on ball flight. From there I go to driver till I work the left snap hook out of my system. Once I get 3-5 in a row the way I want I go down to some short irons full swing. From there a few hybrids off the deck. Back to some wedges and then I hit about 5 of whatever shot I will be hitting off the first tee. 10 mins before my time I go up to the first tee with the stuff ready to go and spend a few mins on the practice green.

I'll start out with a wedge or 9i and hit a few shots, then 7i and hit a few work my way all the way up to driver usually hitting every other club and then I'll start randomly switching clubs and hitting a few shots with each. This is with a large bucket. If it's just pre round warmup then I'll only want to hit about 20-25 balls at the most and I hit some wedges, some 7i, a few hybrids and finish with driver.

I work on the areas I want to be better at, which is usually long irons. I stretch, start with wedges working through my bag until I hit several balls purely with each club, working it left and right. Then I tend to spend more time with the 3 iron. I hit several balls until I am confident. I hit very few drivers, just enough to remember my swing thoughts and to hit it where I want. I go back to the 3, then work my way back down to wedges.

First thing I like to do is grab two clubs and just do a few back and forth swings, like stretching. Then I start with wedge, 9i, 7i, 4H and then driver. I usually hit about 5 shots each and hopefully the last shot of each club is right down the middle.