When you go to the range

[la_lucha]

When you go to the range and you're practicing hitting driver. If you're happy with the good shots what do you do? Do you keep whacking it trying to hit it further with a good swing or do you keep hitting it with the sole intention of ingraining the swing and not neccesarily hitting it as far as possible?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I tend to allocate 5-10 balls per club and then change unless I'm working on something specific

 

[ScienceBoy]

I play 5s.

I hit 5 balls to a "fairway" between marker posts, fairly but not too generous width.

1 for a duff or mishit that would not make the fairway or an outright hook or slice.
2 for a short thin or fat that would barely make the fairway or one that could be danger right or left.
3 for a half decent contact that goes in the normal rough.
4 for a semi rough result or a short drive that finds the fairway but I didnt quite catch all of it.
5 for a full contact that goes between the markers and a decent distance or more.

20 is a good score, at my best I was hitting 22-23. 16-20 is a normal score, nothing special and some work needed. Below 15 and its back to practice!

Certainly sharpened up my driving.

 

[la_lucha]

I play 5s.

I hit 5 balls to a "fairway" between marker posts, fairly but not too generous width.

1 for a duff or mishit that would not make the fairway or an outright hook or slice.
2 for a short thin or fat that would barely make the fairway or one that could be danger right or left.
3 for a half decent contact that goes in the normal rough.
4 for a semi rough result or a short drive that finds the fairway but I didnt quite catch all of it.
5 for a full contact that goes between the markers and a decent distance or more.

20 is a good score, at my best I was hitting 22-23. 16-20 is a normal score, nothing special and some work needed. Below 15 and its back to practice!

Certainly sharpened up my driving.

Never heard of this before, but it sounds a cracking way of actually measuring your practice.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Never heard of this before, but it sounds a cracking way of actually measuring your practice.

Works for any club you want to take off the tee, I use it most for my hybrid, 3 wood and driver. I have used it for the 4 iron in the height of summer as when running as I sometimes drop back to that club on specific holes.

 

[ger147]

Never heard of this before, but it sounds a cracking way of actually measuring your practice.

If you want to measure how you're doing with your driver, get face tape.

 

[ScienceBoy]

If you want to measure how you're doing with your driver, get face tape.

I agree getting some tape on the face is a good idea. You can hit mostly 3s and 4s with off centre hits. Maybe the odd 5. If you want to score 4s and 5s more often you have to find the middle.

I have used impact tape a few times, usually as a way to confirm where I am going wrong rather than to confirm I am doing it right. Usually it backs up I am hitting more heel or toe so I can work on my setup to correct.

 

[Paul_Stewart]

50 balls, 5 each with a different club. Score each shot good, average or bad. 2 for good, 1 for average, 0 for bad. I've done a couple of 93s and been as low as 70 over the time I've been doing it. It's a Karl Morris idea originally.

 

[la_lucha]

50 balls, 5 each with a different club. Score each shot good, average or bad. 2 for good, 1 for average, 0 for bad. I've done a couple of 93s and been as low as 70 over the time I've been doing it. It's a Karl Morris idea originally.

To hit a low of 70, you must be off a decent handicap.

 

[ScienceBoy]

50 balls, 5 each with a different club. Score each shot good, average or bad. 2 for good, 1 for average, 0 for bad. I've done a couple of 93s and been as low as 70 over the time I've been doing it. It's a Karl Morris idea originally.

I would have lost count by 15 balls. Good idea though for a full assessment of ones game!

Range games are a big part of my time there, I spend more time on the range than a course thanks to being nomadic now so I have to fill my time. I would probably struggle to scrape 80 points even on a good day with my poor impact position at the moment. Working on it though! Rest of the swing is neat though I can sometimes get a touch handsy.

 

[farfaeforfar]

Depend entirely on why I'm going.

If its to work on what I've been taught I'll work to my constraints. Generally with any club I have four balls. Select a individual target for each one to ensure I change alignment etc. This way I am trying to grain my swing to function on hitting targets. Distance does/will come with the improvement in ball striking.

If I am having a swing wobble I will hit more balls with one club but the focus being on what was being taught at my lesson.

All my lesson thoughts and points to work on are on my trackman account so I can look them over at the range.

 

[Fish]

I don't use the same club twice (or more) in a row when practising, I think its too easy to rectify what went wrong immediately and then allow for it, you wouldn't get this opportunity on the course so I don't do it in practice, so, I tend to practice as though I am playing a particular hole and will drive, then use a fairway wood, then a wedge, I'll then revert back to the driver, then a 6i and a different wedge, and so on.....

I find this helps me think more about what happened the last time I used that club in the last set (imaginary hole) and then attempt to rectify it, this way I have already played various different clubs and shots in-between so it not an automatic rectification, if you know what I mean.

I enjoy this routine and it makes it more interesting for me as I work through my bag in different ways no different to being out on the course.

 

[duncan mackie]

To hit a low of 70, you must be off a decent handicap.

In his range scoring that would be indicative of a higher handicap!

Although so much would depend on the delineation of good from average...

 

[ScienceBoy]

I tend to practice as though I am playing a particular hole and will drive, then use a fairway wood, then a wedge, I'll then revert back to the driver, then a 6i and a different wedge.

Really good game this too!

Spending time working on the swing with one club, a swung change or alignment is important but its games like this that help transition from practice to play.

I think this is what the OP was wondering about. The answer is one you have got the swing going well on the range use games to help take it to the course.

Without some kind of transition like 5s or Fish's hole game the range and the course are too distinct, blur the line a little!

So next time put a pile of balls aside for the end of the session to play some games and "transition" all the work to the course.

 

[bobmac]

In answer to the OP.........
If you're hitting the driver well, DON'T try and hit it further.
Find out how far you hit the driver with a normal swing and practice hitting it that distance.
That way your first and last drive of the day should be the same swing.

 

[Paul77]

I use the range to get to grips with a certain club I feel I'm struggling with. Someone gave me a Taylormade Burner 3 hybrid a few months ago and I was having bother with it on the course. I took it to the range and hit 100 balls with it. By the end I fell in love with it, and now hit it better than my driver, that I seem to have lost all confidence in.

I still don't think there's better practice than being on a course. Range balls are made of cement.

 

[Slab]

Sometimes the whole bag comes to the range but more often its just whichever clubs I didn't hit well during the last round, plus I keep an 7iron & PW in the car for popping in if passing because I don't think you can over practice wedge and approach shots

If whole bag I'll work through it from wedge up and then down again with half a dozen for each club. If just passing then often its a bucket on just pitching/chipping etc or targeting the 100 meter mark

 

[Foliage Finder]

Sometimes the whole bag comes to the range but more often its just whichever clubs I didn't hit well during the last round, plus I keep an 7iron & PW in the car for popping in if passing because I don't think you can over practice wedge and approach shots

If whole bag I'll work through it from wedge up and then down again with half a dozen for each club. If just passing then often its a bucket on just pitching/chipping etc or targeting the 100 meter mark

This is very similar to what I do. Then if I've hit a good straight iron shot where I've successfully implemented my lesson swing aims towards the end of my session, I'll "end it on a good one". From then on its about half a dozen or so nice easy chip/pitches to cool down with the remaining balls

 

[patricks148]

TBH i try not to, i prefer to hit off grass if im going to hit balls.

 

[Kellfire]

I don't use the same club twice (or more) in a row when practising,

Muscle memory is important so while I get your reasoning, I also disagree with your idea if it's all you ever do. Your way is what I would do towards the end of a long range session or just before a round, but if I'm there to work on my swing I think it's important to make a real effort with each club and groove that swing.