How do you feel about the driving range Vs. Just playing for practice?

I try and work out swing issues on the driving range and hit a small bucket to warm/loosen up before the round
 
I don't like the range. In NY, I used it during the winter because the availability of heated stalls helped to calm the urge to play some. But here in NC, I'd rather just play.

BUT...

I have a flaw in my swing where I'll contact irons a bit too far off center toward the toe. The range is the only productive place for me to iron out that defect. It's reared it's ugly head again, ignored for too long now actually. I'll need a range session or two and pretty soon.
 
IME, that feeling may not be forever.

For years, I could not really find focus on the range and felt the same as you. A couple of years ago I found myself hitting 2000 balls a week at the range for the entire summer. Couldn't do it every week but most. I found that I had finally found focus there working on quality of strike and distances, working the ball, visualizing a certain shot and trajectory and making it happen. All of a sudden I found it a lot of fun to go to the range and do those things.

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather be on a course than a range and, if I don't have a lot of days to golf I'll do the course over the range. But if I could do something every day of the week, I'd probably split days on the range and on the course.

I could certainly see range time being more useful as one gets better at the game. You can then work on something more specific than "hit the ball".
 
If i'm having a specific issue, I'll always go spend some time on the driving range. If my whole game is lacking, I'll try to play through it as it's usually just a mental block of some sort.
 
I dont really like the range. I go to warm up or just to work on a few adjustments. Small bucket only. Anything more than that is a disaster. I rather put more time on the chipping area and putting green now. Thats whats gonna likely get me out of trouble on the course.
 
The range is much more efficient if I'm trying to make swing changes. I can get more done on the range in 2 hours than I could playing 10 rounds of golf. The problem with most golfers is they are still playing golf swing and not golf during their round. They never get to the point where they are uncosciously competent, as Jim Flick explains below:


Confidence comes from controlling the ball, but how do you go from hitting solid and accurate shots on the range to producing those same shots on the course? It's helpful to understand the four stages of becoming a confident player:

First, you are unconsciously incompetent. You have no idea what to do in your swing or how to get there. This is the stage in which you learn the basics of the swing.

Second, you are consciously incompetent. You know what you want to do with your swing, but you can't do it. You use drills prescribed by your teacher. It's helpful to place rods or clubs on the ground to set up a "learning station" to check your alignment.

Third, you are consciously competent. On the range, you hit balls to perfect your swing, but you have to think mechanically to make the shot happen. Because you're using verbal cues and thinking of positions, you often lose your tempo and rhythm.

Fourth, you are unconsciously competent. The best golfers compete in this stage. On the course they think about the conditions, select the right club, and play shots from point A to point B by focusing on the target. They no longer think about positions but feel how to use the club to create shots.

So how do you get from the first stage to the fourth? As Jack Nicklaus once told me, "I practice mechanics and play by feel."
 
I enjoy both, that being said I spent endless hours at the range last year to get my swing "dialed in" because of weight loss. had to develop new rhythm and timing. If I only have an hour, I will hit the range, f I have an hour and a half I like a course practice round!
 
Honestly, before I started working for a golf management company and got access to free golf, the range was my place for practice. But i will say if you have the opportunity to hit the course, play two balls and try different approaches and club selections for holes you can learn a lot about your game.

On course practice is best.
 
The range is much more efficient if I'm trying to make swing changes. I can get more done on the range in 2 hours than I could playing 10 rounds of golf. The problem with most golfers is they are still playing golf swing and not golf during their round. They never get to the point where they are uncosciously competent, as Jim Flick explains below:


Confidence comes from controlling the ball, but how do you go from hitting solid and accurate shots on the range to producing those same shots on the course? It's helpful to understand the four stages of becoming a confident player:

First, you are unconsciously incompetent. You have no idea what to do in your swing or how to get there. This is the stage in which you learn the basics of the swing.

Second, you are consciously incompetent. You know what you want to do with your swing, but you can't do it. You use drills prescribed by your teacher. It's helpful to place rods or clubs on the ground to set up a "learning station" to check your alignment.

Third, you are consciously competent. On the range, you hit balls to perfect your swing, but you have to think mechanically to make the shot happen. Because you're using verbal cues and thinking of positions, you often lose your tempo and rhythm.

Fourth, you are unconsciously competent. The best golfers compete in this stage. On the course they think about the conditions, select the right club, and play shots from point A to point B by focusing on the target. They no longer think about positions but feel how to use the club to create shots.

So how do you get from the first stage to the fourth? As Jack Nicklaus once told me, "I practice mechanics and play by feel."

That's me. I'm third stage and that's how I've always played. I need to adopt that Nicklaus quote. Thx man.


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Obviously on course practice is best, but that's not realistic often, so I like and use the range, at the very least to warm up with a small bucket before a round, and when I want to dive in for a bit I'll video my swing and work on something specific, like alignment for various clubs.
 
I prefer playing for practice whenever I can. If I don't have the time I'll try and go to the range.
 
I prefer to play the course instead of the range. If I'm out by myself on the course, I may hit an extra shot here and there if I duff a shot or something. And I'm learning the course better every time I play as well
 
All things equal, I would prefer to play. There's an executive course near me that I use for a driving range and I can play for $14 during the week whereas they sell a large bucket of balls for $12. So if I have the time, I'm playing. However, I don't always have the time...
 
I enjoy working on my game at the range and spend more time there than the course. Last year I was too busy to play many practice rounds and I feel that my golf game suffered. I think there is an element of cementing your range work on the course. This year I am planning on playing at least two 9 holes for every range session. I want to be a good on course golfer, not a good range golfer.
 
I just play. No time for the range.
 
It depends on what your trying to work on.

Mechanics- range only and I have a practice system for making mechanical changes to my swing, along with my instructor. When I'm changing my mechanics I'm not worried about what the ball does/goes I'm feeling where the club/hands/shoulders/hips/legs need to be for 5 shots at, then 5shots swinging at 100% hitting shots.

Shot variety- I will work on the range first to learn how to hit it then take it to the course.

Practice Round- is for working on the shots I've learned at the range in game conditions and course/game management.

You have to be able to separate practice/changes from play and that is very very tough for most ams to do. The range is for making changes as there is no scorecard so stringing perfect shots together doesn't matter. The course is for game management and of course playing/scoring.


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If I do go to the range before a round, it usually is only to hit less than 10 balls. Most times, I don't go to the range at all. Now, if I have something I want to work on, yes, I will go to the range. But most of the time, I just go out and play a practice round by myself late in the day. That way I don't care about what I shoot, how many times I hit more than one ball for a shot, etc.
 
I hit the range at least once a week. I'm starting to make my range time count, before I would just hit balls into the sky and that be my end result. Now I make sure I set the club face first to a target, then set my feet, don't tense up, and swing away. Basically, a more diligent routine rather than just hitting.

Now my local range also has a nice little 9 hole course, not in good shape whatsoever but for $10/14 with a cart I'm not going to complain too much, heh. On those days I would like to be a little more patient because I have a definite surge of adrenaline when I step up to the tee box, good and bad, hah.
 
This year I'm avoiding the driving range all together. My plan is to show up 10-15 minutes before my tee time, take a few putts on the practice green if time and head to the 1st tee. My test is to see if I can maintain my handicap all year long. We shall see.
 
When I first started playing I used the range to work on the basics. A lot of hours spent there. After becoming proficient, less time on range, and more time playing.
 
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