5 best driving range tips: expectations vs. reality
One of the most common things you will find on the internet regarding how to get better at the driving range is “you need to practice with a purpose.” Sure, that’s great, and yes, deliberate practice is vital, but what does that look like?
In this article, I will cover the best driving range tips you can implement today, plus three games you can play on the driving range that will improve your game.
If you follow these tips, I’m confident your curiosity and glee for the game will grow. Are these tips conventional? No. But to get better, I believe you need more than just drills. You need technical work, community, and appreciation by enjoying the process. With this balance, you can drastically improve your game.
Lastly, swing advice is so individual to the player. Because of this, I would highly recommend seeking a professional swing coach to give you individual tips and/or check out our advice on how you get better without lessons.
How do I get better at the driving range?
- Go after a round or after watching golf.
While your ideas and motivation are fresh. This is low-hanging fruit because you are already warmed up, and you will be excited to go.
After my hole-in-one, I immediately called my golf buddy, and we hit the range to celebrate. After watching the Masters, I often find myself on the range with my Dad. After a big tournament, I often find myself hitting balls into the dusk. This little effort will take you a long way.
I would suggest if you’ve played a round, reflect on what didn’t go right. Bad drives? Bad irons? COULDN’T FIX THE SLICE! Be prepared going to the range. And that brings me to my next point.
- Practice to fix problems: Drills.
The range should be a place to fix problems as opposed to simply showing up without a plan to aimlessly hit balls. You need to come prepared with what you want to work on.
This is my advice that most closely resembles “practice with a purpose”—whether that is derived from your last round, a YouTube video, or last week’s PGA tour event. I would recommend coming with a problem you have and working diligently to get better at that. For example, you might work on better contact, hitting a draw, not thinning the ball, or better long irons.
Hank Haney (Tiger Woods’ old coach) on how to fix a slice.
- Film your swing.
Filming your swing will show you visual data points and insights to steer your curiosity. How will you make changes if you know nothing?
One of my biggest regrets was my senior year going into the state tournament. I wasn’t hitting the ball well, but instead of filming my swing leading up to the tournament (like I often did), I chose to commit to how I was swinging.
Feeling your swing is different from knowing your swing.
I chose to not film my swing because I didn’t want to interject too many swing thoughts in my mind. Instead, I committed to one swing thought. Sounds great, right? The only problem is I didn’t know why I was hitting it so poorly.
A few weeks after the tournament, my mom showed me pictures she took of the weekend. I immediately shook my head. Seeing the pictures of my extremely flat swing, I knew I could have made an EASY ADJUSTMENT THAT COULD HAVE SAVED MY ROUND.
KNOW YOUR SWING SO YOU CAN WORK ON MAKING CHANGES.
Analyzing your swing is very important. You can also do this with your phone.
- Hit all your shots, or hit just one shot.
Don’t just hit the perfect shot. Hit slices, hooks, bad lies, and everything in between. So there are no surprises on the course, we want to prepare for the worst.
Not to mention, this will help the club become more comfortable in your hands. Sure, everyone can hit a good shot once in a while, but if you’re really skilled, you can “call your shots.” Can you purposefully hit a high draw followed by a low cut?
Drill
Start by hitting the largest slice you possibly can. Next, hit a slice but a little less bending. Next shot, again hit a little less bending than the last. Do this until you are hitting it straight. In total, maybe hit five to seven left-to-right slices/cuts.
After hitting a few straight shots, go on the other side of the spectrum by hitting the smallest draw you can possibly hit. Next, hit a slightly bigger draw than the last shot. Five to seven draws later, try to hit the biggest hook you can. End with three straight shots.
- Go with a friend. Bring a beer.
Occasionally, we recommend welcoming in the “human connection,” not taking ourselves too seriously, and enjoying the process.
Of course, going to the range by yourself is often the most practical, methodical, and relaxing way—we all need that alone time.
As seen here, I often enjoy going to the driving range with friends to enjoy a good beverage…and sometimes a smoke.
3 games to play to get better at the driving range
1. Aim to hit it: short, on, and long of the target
This drill, you will take three balls and pick out a target.
- First, hit one short of the target.
- Then on target.
- Then, your last shot, slightly behind the target.
- To move on to your next club, you will need to hit three in a row like that. Restart every time you miss your intended shot. Start with a pitching wedge and see how many irons you can hit before you run out of balls.
Why this drill?
I recommend a course management strategy to avoid penalties such as hazards. Therefore, if there is a pond or bunker in front of the green, we should attempt to avoid it by aiming behind the pin. Avoiding higher numbers is the way to score better, not getting birdies.
As you can see, getting close to the pin is easier said than done. Because of this, we should get used to aiming behind and in front of the pin.
2. Can you hit the fairway? (10 Shots)
- First, pull out your driver.
- Next, pick two targets far in the distance and try to hit between them. Pretend that the gap between your two targets is a fairway. Make it tight but not too tight.
- Out of 10 shots, how many did you get in the area? Next time you’re around, try to beat that score.
Why this drill?
Hitting penalties, duffing, topping, or needing to hit a recovery shot: A 15-index handicap player will hit one of these shots 33% of the time off the tee. For a 5-index handicap player, that number drops to 17%. Driving fairways is not as important, but staying away from these killers is how you will become better.
3. Simulate a real round on the range.
The best simulation of a real round might be simulating game conditions and real situations. SO instead of having a fixed practice regime where you hit balls with the same club and you aim at the same target, for this game, you will play a full round on the range. Changing your clubs, targets, visualizing in your head, and even going through your pre-shot routine.
Why this drill?
The point of this is more mental than technical. Put a little pressure on yourself. If we can run through our pre-swing routine on the driving range, we will be comfortable when we step on the course.
Still wondering how to get better on the range?
Expectations vs. reality:
Player A wants to be the best golfer in the world so he does three to four hardcore technical practice sessions a week. He often hits 100 balls aimlessly each session. After two years, he starts to slow down because he might be feeling a little burnt out. In other words, he’s out of balance. So for the next couple of years, he stops going to the range.
Player B wants to get better so he does two lighter sessions a week. He might hit 40 balls each time, but his mind is engaged with those shots. He sometimes listens to music, and he uses the range as a social place to catch up with friends. Because of this mentality, golf is not a chore to him. He continues to practice at that pace 2x a week for the next 10 years.
Who will be the better player?
The Answer is: Player B, and that is the reality of getting better. Anyone who prescribes a drill isn’t factoring in longevity and your mental drive to do it…We are. Getting better and enjoying the game is all about work, community, appreciation, and staying consistent with those three factors. Not because you have to, but because you want to. If you avoid the common “quick fixes” seen on the internet, and you stick with it, we believe you can achieve anything you want.
