And The Point Of A Range Is?.................

Sekiro

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I usually go a couple of times a week, only get £3‘s worth of balls (45) at a time and I’m there over an hour going through the drills that my pro has assigned me (Including recording a few shots to review with him on Hudl). I take my time setting up for each shot, work through position, grip, swing and finish including practice swings... does it make me a better golfer? It’s probably too early in the day to tell and I still make a lot of rookie mistakes. It doesn’t compare with playing on the course but I’ve found it great in getting the fundamentals in place as a beginner golfer.

I see others come, load up two buckets (£10 - 150 balls) and then smash them one-after-another with zero down time and be done in under half an hour. Not sure what part of their game they are working on (maybe they play speed golf or something) but I can’t see the benefit of it...
 

HomerJSimpson

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I usually go a couple of times a week, only get £3‘s worth of balls (45) at a time and I’m there over an hour going through the drills that my pro has assigned me (Including recording a few shots to review with him on Hudl). I take my time setting up for each shot, work through position, grip, swing and finish including practice swings... does it make me a better golfer? It’s probably too early in the day to tell and I still make a lot of rookie mistakes. It doesn’t compare with playing on the course but I’ve found it great in getting the fundamentals in place as a beginner golfer.

I see others come, load up two buckets (£10 - 150 balls) and then smash them one-after-another with zero down time and be done in under half an hour. Not sure what part of their game they are working on (maybe they play speed golf or something) but I can’t see the benefit of it...

Sounds like you are doing a lot of things right. If you are working hard on the drills it will help although there is no guarantee of anything once you hit the course. Once you start playing regularly, you may feel as though you are going backwards but don't change anything and stick with what you've worked on. Going forward and subject to budget, a playing lesson is a great way for a teaching pro to show you how to play an will be eye opening
 

GG26

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Last few years always went down the range before a round with 25 balls, very slow improvement (one shot a year). This season didn’t go down the range and improved 3-6 shots.
 
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We have a grass range so I use it before every competition, and most social rounds. 30 balls is enough, 60 if I want to dial in the wedges.

I need to know what my ‘stock’ shot is doing on any given day, and also what my miss is looking like. So I can actually play the first few holes properly.

Sometimes I am drawing the ball too much, sometimes it’s a leaky cut, sometimes it takes me 10 shots to remember to fire my hips properly. But I need to know, or I am looking at a 2 way miss for most of the round and instead of surviving the round until my shots arrive (5/7/9), it’s a Bogey-Bogey-Bogey Start if I’m lucky and I might as well take a shortcut back to the car park.

I am amazed and impressed with anyone who walks onto the first tee of a medal without practicing, but never surprised when they have a shocker. It’s kind of like the best way to waste your day.
 

Orikoru

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We have a grass range so I use it before every competition, and most social rounds. 30 balls is enough, 60 if I want to dial in the wedges.

I need to know what my ‘stock’ shot is doing on any given day, and also what my miss is looking like. So I can actually play the first few holes properly.

Sometimes I am drawing the ball too much, sometimes it’s a leaky cut, sometimes it takes me 10 shots to remember to fire my hips properly. But I need to know, or I am looking at a 2 way miss for most of the round and instead of surviving the round until my shots arrive (5/7/9), it’s a Bogey-Bogey-Bogey Start if I’m lucky and I might as well take a shortcut back to the car park.

I am amazed and impressed with anyone who walks onto the first tee of a medal without practicing, but never surprised when they have a shocker. It’s kind of like the best way to waste your day.
Some of us don't have a choice! :LOL:
 

harpo_72

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I like the range, the only thing I have ever really wanted was my own field to hit balls on .. okay so I would need a tractor and mower attachment but that’s pretty much it.
Why? Not to get better, that just happens. It’s just one of those things that I love doing. I don’t like driving ranges.. the mats are meaningless, but if it’s the only choice I have so be it.
 

Leftie

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I have one rule for the very rare occasion of visiting the range. Leave the last ball in the basket!

If you don't, you will invariably hit a bad one and have to get another basket to sort the problem out ..............
 

HomerJSimpson

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We have a grass range so I use it before every competition, and most social rounds. 30 balls is enough, 60 if I want to dial in the wedges.

I need to know what my ‘stock’ shot is doing on any given day, and also what my miss is looking like. So I can actually play the first few holes properly.

Sometimes I am drawing the ball too much, sometimes it’s a leaky cut, sometimes it takes me 10 shots to remember to fire my hips properly. But I need to know, or I am looking at a 2 way miss for most of the round and instead of surviving the round until my shots arrive (5/7/9), it’s a Bogey-Bogey-Bogey Start if I’m lucky and I might as well take a shortcut back to the car park.

I am amazed and impressed with anyone who walks onto the first tee of a medal without practicing, but never surprised when they have a shocker. It’s kind of like the best way to waste your day.

With you on this although I'd add loosening the back and knees and everything else that seems to creak these days. I have a stock shot but can also miss two ways so like to know what I've brought on the day. I wouldn't consider hitting balls before a round as practice as I'm not actively working on any changes merely using the balls to build a good tempo and get ready to play.
 

MartynB

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I love the range, more than playing sometime. Only 3 ranges in Sheffield with 2 of them a bit poor, the one I go to is £8 for 180 balls if the mood takes you and they are always good quality balls and mats. No top tracer or auto tees but good wide field and lots of target greens. I think hitting a lot of balls helps groove things, helps with strength, swing speed, repeatability and keeping flexible. It also helps to keep convincing me I can play this game ? 46 front 9 on Sunday ? 36 back 9 ?
 

Chico84

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I’m guilty of smashing balls and would easily get through 120 in a session. As a beginner this was ok as it was just good to be able to hit a decent shot here and there and have a bit of a play around. I am now finding that a more structured approach bears more fruit though and try to take my time over each shot.

I have found the top tracer golf games to be really good for improving. The approach game is hard work but keeps you having to adjust your mind to the next shot. Same with the virtual golf courses.

The comments on alignment are interesting too. A while back I wondered why I was hitting it better at the range and not on the course and I sort of realised the line on the mat was obviously having an impact. Now I try to mix up my aiming point on the range, aiming at different flags to avoid the mat markings helping me out.

With the driver I’ve found that I am much better on the course. Partly because of the need to hit a single good shot. I probably take more time over it, think through the different parts of my swing and make it work better. In part though I’ve found that the auto tees at the range do not go as high as I would tee it on the course. I understand this is because some of the bigger hitters on the top deck of the range were clearing the netting onto the road behind. For that reason I’ve limited the amount of driving I do at the range now anyway.
 

bradleywedge

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I tend to use the range when I get new clubs, just to test how far I'm hitting them using the Top Tracer, although I understand the figures provided may not be totally accurate.
 

tugglesf239

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I rarely go these days. My local range was by far the best in the area, however the balls they are currently using are hideous. Like a very high density plastic or something.

Because the balls feel rotten it’s impossible to tell if you have struck the ball well. As such I’ve changed swings thinking I’m doing something wrong. Only to lose what was a pretty decent swing before I arrived.

Tbh. I was always guilty of machine gunning balls previously and subsequently ruining a swing even with the decent balls.

Preference now is 9-18 holes on my own maybe hitting a few balls at a time.

Hitting of grass is an absolute must for me personally.
 

evemccc

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I find the range has its place esp for swing practice and tempo and, as others have said, if you’re thinking before and after each shot as if you’re playing a round

I found the best thing for my game was to play a few holes with the pro - after two or three holes he had sized up my swing technique faults

Nothing beats playing a 9 or 18, but when the weather is poor and in winter esp I will still use the range
 

Slab

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The practice area/range at the local club is a great place to go

I’m using a post covid ‘all you can hit’ prepay kind of deal so I can go there 4 or 5 times a week and hit a 100 or so then putt for 15-20 minutes
Usually just take 2 or 3 clubs. Always a pw and mid iron plus if a club wasn’t working during the last game
Off grass and fully outdoors so a shot to a green is the same as a shot to a green on the course (except the range greens aren’t cut/rolled to course length)

Was there for 80 minutes this morning before work, far more productive than playing 9 holes
 
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