Who finds the driving range useful?

Maninblack4612

Maninblack4612

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Our practice ground is crowded if there are two people on it and you can only hit a maximum of a 5 iron on it. Fortunately, I live 3 minutes from a driving range and spend a lot of time there, especially during the 2 for 1 happy hour. I find I can practice drivers & long irons fine but, for the short game, for some reason, I just can't develop any feel. As a result my driving is my strength and I try to get onto the practice ground (not often enough) for short game practice.

Through the two bad snowy winters we had, the range was invaluable & never ran out of balls.

Some of my mates won't go near the range, offering excuses like: "can't hit the ball properly there" "the balls don't fly as far as proper ones" (so what? As long as the flight is the same as a proper one). Can't understand this. Teed up, you're as near an on course situation as you can get. It's undoubtedly improved my golf & I'm really glad I live so close.

Does anyone else think that range practice isn't beneficial?
 
Maninblack4612 said:
Our practice ground is crowded if there are two people on it and you can only hit a maximum of a 5 iron on it. Fortunately, I live 3 minutes from a driving range and spend a lot of time there, especially during the 2 for 1 happy hour. I find I can practice drivers & long irons fine but, for the short game, for some reason, I just can't develop any feel. As a result my driving is my strength and I try to get onto the practice ground (not often enough) for short game practice.

Through the two bad snowy winters we had, the range was invaluable & never ran out of balls.

Some of my mates won't go near the range, offering excuses like: "can't hit the ball properly there" "the balls don't fly as far as proper ones" (so what? As long as the flight is the same as a proper one). Can't understand this. Teed up, you're as near an on course situation as you can get. It's undoubtedly improved my golf & I'm really glad I live so close.

Does anyone else think that range practice isn't beneficial?
Click to expand...


I suppose its down to preference, if im working on my swing its fine, but ball striking i like to hit off grass.
 
Prefer the practice ground where possible although ours is uneven and so finding a decent spot to hit from, especially if others are there is a challenge. Nothing beats hitting off grass rather than a mat. I understand what you mean about the short game and find range mats uinrealistic for chipping and pitching so would rather use the club's facilities where possible.

In the winter, especially when the course is shut for snow, it's invauable for keeping the swing going. I tend to have a series of lessons in the winter and so it gives me a chance to work on the drills etc and playing winter golf means I can go out and just try and replicate it on the course with only limited competitions to worry about whether I'm getting 0.1 back or not. I think the range definitely has a place for choppers like me to work on their game although practice ground every time where possible
 
I hardly ever go to the range,purely because imo its crap balls for a lot of money.
However my club has a practice area that is 180yards long and 40 yards wide.
It has 2 flags on a very wide green.
I was on the range for an hour this morning at 6.10am working with just a wedge
and a 56 and 52.
I was working on my yardages from 120 right down to 50 yards at 10 yard intervals.
Even though I don't practice as much as I used to I do find it extremely beneficial.
 
I'm fortunate enough to live within 10 minutes of 2 driving ranges so I do use them a lot and I feel it benefits my game a lot. I try golf on the weekend and range mid week to keep the swing going.

1 range has a short game area 3 bunkers and some range mats with 3 temp greens only 25 yards or so but does the job.
The other range has a huge putting green with about 10 holes on it this is good for practising chips/bump and runs.
 
I do go to the range but I can't say I enjoy it. At my home course there is a grass range which measures 280 yards. It is okay but I lose interest really quickly and end up trying to shape balls round the markers as I'm bored after 20 balls. If it had markers scattered all over the field at different intervals with nets and hoops etc for more shots to aim at then I could imagine myself enjoying it more.

I have my lessons at a typical driving range. With mats and self loading tees. I don't mind hitting with my irons but can't stand using the driver there for some reason!
 
I think that the range is extremely beneficial, but I also think that you have to go there with a good attitude and a purpose. I have been before when I was learning and rattled balls away and it was a waste of time. But my last visit was much better, I went there with the drill that my pro gave me, arms and body connectivity, did the drill, then left. Got loads out of it. I don't always have this discipline of course, but its a far better use of the facility IMO.
 
I use the range - essential really when having lessons as can focus on the change rather than outcome. I do find hitting a lot off mats can result in a painful wrist (esp left) which is the down side.

S
 
I used to think it wasn't that useful when I was playing regularly. Now that I'm not playing regularly, trying play to the same standard on the course just isn't happening at all, so I think driving ranges with good practice are pretty much essential!
 
I never seem to get on with the driving range, just feels pointless to me. I start off well, but after 20 or so shots, I just lose concentration and go to pot. I find something like Top Golf much more useful, as there's an incentive to hit target. I don't really enjoy the lack of competition at the range, and the lack of punishment for not hitting target. At Top Golf you're competing either with yourself, or the people you're playing with, and so missing target results in missing out on points, especially if you play the games which require you to hit specific targets. Find it a much more useful method of practice than aimlessly hitting 100 balls down on the range, which is what it becomes if I do go.
 
I find the driving range is useful for technique practice and that's about it.

I prefer to head to my course and practice field using my own balls where I get a better representation of flight and feel.
 
I use the range a couple of times a week and on my own admission, I'm a bit of a "machine gunner" there. I usually hit 100+ balls but part of that is to keep my slightly arthritic back a little looser. I usually hit 50 balls a target with a wedge and its certainly helped my approach shots to the green when I play. Otherwise I just go through most of my clubs and largely concentrate on my ball striking
 
I get fear of mats and hurting myself so i dont play the same. I have tried taking some paper towels to put under mats which helps a bit to cushion the blow.
 
Maninblack4612 said:
I find I can practice drivers & long irons fine but, for the short game, for some reason, I just can't develop any feel. As a result my driving is my strength....
Click to expand...

That's why they call it a DRIVING range and not a 'short game' range :rolleyes:

I got there to hit my driver.

I might hit other clubs as a warm up or to work on a few swing thoughts but invariably it's for hitting your driver, for all else use the practice ground.
 
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