5 or lower handicaps describe your range sessions

[BB28403]

Wanted to ask a follow up question to you disciplined guys: (did not make a new thread. Hooray!)

What is your acceptable margin of error at the range?

For example with driver. I.e. 1 out of 6 shots going offline, etc. etc...

[rusty380]

I don't bother with the range, in the UK 99% of ranges are off mats year round, does nothing for me.

 

I go to the practice ground armed with my shag bag and Flightscope and some good music. Nobody does the practice ground so I'm alone unless some buddies want to come and join in.

 

I run combine skills tests on there more than anything which is good for me. I set it on random so i'm constantly hitting different clubs to reflect somewhat course structure and it keeps a record and i can track progress.

 

Every now and then I also like to get a solid idea on my averages so I'll hit 5 shots with each club with full swing, then a 10 to 2 swing and then a 9 to 3 swing. This is not too often as i don't like to hit such an amount of balls in such a short period usually. It mainly follows any swing changes ran through with the coach that may skew my yardages slightly.

 

I play a lot of scored games too, when putting, chipping and pitching etc. so I can track.

 

I love practicing in a way where I'm not allowed to move on to the next part of the routine until I complete a certain aspect as it adds a little pressure and frustration at times and you have to compose yourself;f.

 

I was always terrible for mindlessly smashing balls, my coach got me on to structured practice routines and tracking and recording my scores and it's been the best thing I've ever done.

 

54 Shot challenge is a good one to, gets you hitting a plethora of shot shapes, trajectories etc which you score from 1-5 on execution. Theres many variations of this but this is the one I work from. As you can see I have written myself a practice manual with different evaluation, games etc. in which help me structure practice albeit a little sad i guess.

 

 

My partner is working late tomorrow so I have about 6 hours of light to practice or play as much as i like. I'll probably practice for 4 hours and play for 2.

 

I need to work on my attack angle at the minute -5 with 5 iron needs addressing, so I'll play around with my swing see how manipulating attack angle works for the first hour but then I return to my swing until I have time to sit down with the coach and make any changes.

 

 

 

 

 

[8overpar]

> @bogeypro said:

> For just a standard “maintenance” range session, not working on anything specific... just keeping the swing in order:

>

> I only hit about 75 balls...

> I warm up with a gap wedge maybe 10 to 12 balls. Then I’ll either do even number irons or off number irons (I rotate them). I’ll hit 6 or so pitching wedges, then 8, then 6, then 4. So that’s about another 25 or 30 balls. Then I’ll hit a few 3 woods and drivers. Another 10 balls . Finish off with wedges for the remaining 12 or 15 balls.

I do the same. After watching the guys at the Nashville Golf Open, I now spend close to an hour putting. That's what's keeping me from sub par rounds.

Before a round, maybe 25 or so. Ain't so limber anymore. If I can't hit balls beforehand, I'm not all that loose until the back 9.

[GoTime]

- 20x wedges

- 10x short irons

- 10x wedges

- 10x mid irons

- 10x wedges

- 10x woods

- 10x wedges

- 10x mid/short irons (or whatever I wasn't satisfied with)

- 26x wedges

 

(116 balls in large bucket)

 

Usually after the second set of wedges I will start picking random ball flights of varying severity and trajectories at targets...ie go at a certain green with two cuts, two draws, a some low slingers etc. With wedges I'm mostly focused on tempo and varying trajectory. Driver - as long as I'm striking it well and within or near the "virtual" fairway I'm satisfied. I'll usually his 6-7 of my stock drives for whatever course i'm readying to play, then 3-4 of the opposite of that.

 

This is really maintenance practice for me. If I'm having specific problems I'll either work on it during this routine, or stick with one club, usually 7 or 8 iron, and work on it specifically, maybe mixing in some wedges to maintain tempo.

[Celebros]

I mentally play through a round at the next course I'm playing shot for shot.

 

I really don't find that hammering out shot after shot with the same clubs helps me that much, but varying my clubs/visualizing specific shots akin to being on the course gets me in a good spot.

[JJK947]

Back when I was at my lowest (+1/+2), I spent most of my time at the range inside 120 yards. Probably a couple hours per week with the shag bag on a closed hole at the course I was a member at hitting 54 and 60 degree wedges at targets between 50 and 120 yards. I would vary the shot shape and trajectory every 20 shots or so, depending on how I was doing. Then an additional hour of chipping, pitching, and flops per week. One day a week I would spend about 1/2 hour on the putting green. Mostly long putts to get a feel for lags and putts inside 5 feet.

 

Generally I would be on the course for 18-36 holes per week, sometimes less and that was the only time I really hit anything more than a 54 degree wedge save for the occasional driving range visit where I would only hit fairways and driver once or twice per month. For competitive rounds during this time I was deadly inside 150 yards and basically just figured everything else out as I went along. I was was in engineering school so this was actually spending a lot more time than I should have been.

[GolfChannel]

I saw someone say managing your energy levels. This is huge, if your energy feels down please god just go practice your putting. Trying to muster the energy to practice anything more than chips and putts on those days is a technique killer. Nothing. Absolutely nothing good will come of it. This isn’t the gym where training to exhaustion is a good thing. You train to the level of exhaustion that maintains technique and proper form. Once you reach that line walk away, quickly.

[J13]

If you want to improve then i would suggest getting some lessons and focusing on your weaknesses at the range and practice green. Other peoples routines won't help much.

 

I have 2 different routines:

1.Work on the swing and hit maybe 30-40 balls then play 6-7 holes to see if it carries over.

2, Range only session - hit 40-50 balls starting with wedge and ending with wedge. Usually hit 8 iron, 6 iron, for most of the bucket. Might hit 5-6 balls with a wood like driver or 3 w.

 

[NikeGolferTX]

I spend about 3 hours at the Range:

50 Chips

50 Putts.

20 (100 yards in) using (50, 54, 58 wedges).

10 each 4-PW (half flighted shots).

7 Drives.

5 3-Wood.

Slow motion mirror work.

50 Putts again.

[BB28403]

> @rusty380 said:

> I don't bother with the range, in the UK 99% of ranges are off mats year round, does nothing for me.

>

> I go to the practice ground armed with my shag bag and Flightscope and some good music. Nobody does the practice ground so I'm alone unless some buddies want to come and join in.

>

> I run combine skills tests on there more than anything which is good for me. I set it on random so i'm constantly hitting different clubs to reflect somewhat course structure and it keeps a record and i can track progress.

>

> Every now and then I also like to get a solid idea on my averages so I'll hit 5 shots with each club with full swing, then a 10 to 2 swing and then a 9 to 3 swing. This is not too often as i don't like to hit such an amount of balls in such a short period usually. It mainly follows any swing changes ran through with the coach that may skew my yardages slightly.

>

> I play a lot of scored games too, when putting, chipping and pitching etc. so I can track.

>

> I love practicing in a way where I'm not allowed to move on to the next part of the routine until I complete a certain aspect as it adds a little pressure and frustration at times and you have to compose yourself;f.

>

> I was always terrible for mindlessly smashing balls, my coach got me on to structured practice routines and tracking and recording my scores and it's been the best thing I've ever done.

>

> 54 Shot challenge is a good one to, gets you hitting a plethora of shot shapes, trajectories etc which you score from 1-5 on execution. Theres many variations of this but this is the one I work from. As you can see I have written myself a practice manual with different evaluation, games etc. in which help me structure practice albeit a little sad i guess.

>

>

>

> My partner is working late tomorrow so I have about 6 hours of light to practice or play as much as i like. I'll probably practice for 4 hours and play for 2.

>

> I need to work on my attack angle at the minute -5 with 5 iron needs addressing, so I'll play around with my swing see how manipulating attack angle works for the first hour but then I return to my swing until I have time to sit down with the coach and make any changes.

>

>

>

>

>

>

 

> @J13 said:

> If you want to improve then i would suggest getting some lessons and focusing on your weaknesses at the range and practice green. Other peoples routines won't help much.

Learning from successful people is a proven strategy.

@J13

[mikpga]

Begin with 10 Ball Drill...

40-50 yard wedge shots...

Partial and Full Short and Mid Irons...

Tee Shots, working in both directions...

Finish MAKING many short putts consecutively...

 

[msumark]

Before a relaxed round:

I start with some half wedges until I feel like I have the blood flowing. Then I work from short to long and then back to short. I usually start with the even clubs going up to driver and then the odds coming back down. My goal is to hit 3 balls exactly the way I want before I move to the next club. Sometimes it takes 3 balls, other times it takes more than 10. I'm a feel players so when i'm able to get the feeling of a swing with good tempo I feel pretty good. I then head over to the putting green and putt for 10-15 minutes to get the feel for distance. I don't necessarily look to hole a given number of putts but I do look to get the speed dialed in. If there's time, i'll use my Eyeline putting mirror to make sure my posture/alignment is good.

 

Before a tournament round:

I'll do everything above plus some 1/2 and 3/4 wedge shots with my 58 and 64 degree wedges working on distance control and feel. I'll also spend time on my green side chipping and a bunker shot or two to test the sand. Again, only looking to gain feel.

 

Just practicing:

I'll do any combination of the above. If i have more than an hour i'll play a chipping game where i dump the shag bag out around the green and go at different holes. Once i've hit all the balls i grab my putter and i attempt to get each one up and down. If i get it up and down, the ball gets tossed to the side and it's considered "cleared". If i miss the putt i throw it in a different pile. Once i've attempted to get up and down with all the balls i then take the pile of balls that i didn't get up and down and do it all over again. The goal is to "clear" the bag in 3 rounds. This adds a little pressure to each shot and really makes you think about executing.

 

[tatertot]

I'm a 3 and I don't "do" practice ranges except to warm up before a tournament round.

 

I feel like a loser.

[2putttom]

> @Obee said:

> I probably go to the range once or twice a month and that is a good month.

>

> I am usually trying to dial in shots to tucked pins. My back and hip are so bad, I can't spend much time hitting longer clubs, so I will hit 7, 8, 9 and imagine that there is water right or water left or a BaCk pin or a front pin, or any combo thereof. 30-45 mins max.

 

hu ! did not know that about ya. Woulda been helpful especially since I put a Benjamin on your team making it to the finals in the SCGA

[robdalky]

I use my preshot routine for each shot. Hit 3-5 wedges with no target in particular. Then I pick a target, practice swing behind ball, then walk up to it, address, hit. If my alignment is off during this I will put down an alignment stick but by hitting shots this way i can tell if there is an issue. Then I usually hit 3 to a target with 9, 7, 5, 3, 3w off deck and tee. If I am hitting driver well I often only hit 1-2 or sometimes none. If going to play I will finish with 1-2 of my first tee club. If not going to play I will play a couple imaginary holes going from long clubs to wedges and back again, changing clubs each shot.

[Buzzkill]

Nada for me.

[provx]

Non existent

[BB28403]

> @provx said:

> Non existent

 

Is skipping the range akin to skipping school?

Makes you cool. Haha

[provx]

> @BB28403 said:

> > @provx said:

> > Non existent

>

> Is skipping the range akin to skipping school?

> Makes you cool. Haha

 

Actually a combo of our course not having a range and the fact I develop the shanks when hitting lots of balls. I spend my non playing time chipping, putting, and working out at home to increase swingspeed. Call that range time if you wish

 

 

[GolfChannel]

Range time pre-round isn’t necessary, but if you aren’t at least putting to gauge the speed of the cut that day or doing some dynamic stretches I can imagine how consistent your score is or isn’t (also you’re giving up about 10 yards per club not stretching properly).

[molecularman]

My handicap isn't as low these days (lack of play/practice) but:

 

There is never a time that I'm not working on something. I personally love range time.

 

Warm up with easy 9 irons (I find this easier to make good contact vs going with half wedges, so starts off with more confidence). I'll slowly work up to full swings with the 9 iron, then 7, then 5 or 4, hybrid, 3wd, driver. Each club I'm working on something. Rhythm, weight shift, turn, balance,ball position..etc. I use the range as a time to be completely mindful of what I'm doing. Are my shoulders getting too open or closed? Am I reaching for the ball too much? Getting too much on my toes? and on and on and on.

 

Some days I might feel I'm doing everything well - so I'l move on to fun time, hitting punches, cuts, draws, throw balls into old divots, flop shots, various wedges. Other days I'll keep working on issues that pop up until I feel comfortable enough to leave in a positive place.

[cardoustie]

before a round about 15 balls, 5 wedges, 5 six irons and 5 drivers. Maybe roll half a dozen long putts and six four footers

Practice days (3 x a week). 60 to 90 minutes

- start with 50 yard PW shots, maybe 6 to loosen up

- 6 full 9 iron shots

- move to 6 or 7 iron and hit 6 shots or so.

- some hybrid shots

- a handful of fairway wood shots off the decks, with the 3, 5 and 7

- 10-15 drivers Max. Best part of my game. Don't need work here

- next I work up and down the bag with random clubs hitting different shots I visualize. High draws, low buck fades, knockdowns, etc etc

- hit practice green for some 30 yard pitches with a 60*, a dozen or so. Maybe some bump and runs for 5 mins with my 50* and 54* wedges

- I never practice putting

- I never practice sand play

 

Not sure it helps but my index is down 2.8 strokes in 4 weeks so far this year, and the weather has been garbage

 

[Dan Drake]

> @BB28403 said:

> Wanted to ask a follow up question to you disciplined guys: (did not make a new thread. Hooray!)

> What is your acceptable margin of error at the range?

> For example with driver. I.e. 1 out of 6 shots going offline, etc. etc...

 

I won't go through the whole bag, but I will speak about driver for just a second:

 

Figure out how far you HONESTLY carry your driver. Then look at the real dispersion patterns for golfers who carry it that far. For instance, there is one of Jason Day from 2015 when he was #1 in the world. He was carrying it 300y and his worst left and right miss were both ~35 yards off his center line. I carry my driver 270, and my BAD misses are about 30 yards off my line. Now, go on Google Earth and pull up your practice tee. Find two points that are as far apart as your left and right BAD misses. These two points are now your permanent "uprights." Your goal is to kick a field goal with your driver as many times out of whatever number as possible. 14/14 is a pretty good goal, even if you never quite get there.

 

Two things here:

1. After you have done this, it's your job to scout the course that you are playing and determine where your driver now "fits" on which holes. You know how far you hit it and you know how crooked you hit it, so find out which holes you can overlay that pattern on and which ones you simply can't. FWIW, this is all from Scott Fawcett's DECADE system and I owe a ton of improvement to this.

2. There is just something about aiming a driver at a practice tee flag and watching balls drift 30+ yards away from it that will convince you that you are a bad driver of the golf ball. But, most likely, YOU ARE NOT! Start kicking field goals into your uprights and realizing that there is a lot more positive to be gained with this type of feedback. Expectation management and realistic understanding is so key here.

 

Hitting tee shots (and putts) should both be like Steph Curry shooting free throws. Do the prep, go through your routine, trust it, and make your stroke. It doesn't matter if it is in the 1st quarter or 4th. It doesn't matter if you made your last one or missed it.

 

Stand up there and deliver!

[BB28403]

> @"Dan Drake" said:

> > @BB28403 said:

> > Wanted to ask a follow up question to you disciplined guys: (did not make a new thread. Hooray!)

> > What is your acceptable margin of error at the range?

> > For example with driver. I.e. 1 out of 6 shots going offline, etc. etc...

>

> I won't go through the whole bag, but I will speak about driver for just a second:

>

> Figure out how far you HONESTLY carry your driver. Then look at the real dispersion patterns for golfers who carry it that far. For instance, there is one of Jason Day from 2015 when he was #1 in the world. He was carrying it 300y and his worst left and right miss were both ~35 yards off his center line. I carry my driver 270, and my BAD misses are about 30 yards off my line. Now, go on Google Earth and pull up your practice tee. Find two points that are as far apart as your left and right BAD misses. These two points are now your permanent "uprights." Your goal is to kick a field goal with your driver as many times out of whatever number as possible. 14/14 is a pretty good goal, even if you never quite get there.

>

> Two things here:

> 1. After you have done this, it's your job to scout the course that you are playing and determine where your driver now "fits" on which holes. You know how far you hit it and you know how crooked you hit it, so find out which holes you can overlay that pattern on and which ones you simply can't. FWIW, this is all from Scott Fawcett's DECADE system and I owe a ton of improvement to this.

> 2. There is just something about aiming a driver at a practice tee flag and watching balls drift 30+ yards away from it that will convince you that you are a bad driver of the golf ball. But, most likely, YOU ARE NOT! Start kicking field goals into your uprights and realizing that there is a lot more positive to be gained with this type of feedback. Expectation management and realistic understanding is so key here.

>

> Hitting tee shots (and putts) should both be like Steph Curry shooting free throws. Do the prep, go through your routine, trust it, and make your stroke. It doesn't matter if it is in the 1st quarter or 4th. It doesn't matter if you made your last one or missed it.

>

> Stand up there and deliver!

 

Wow, great advice! And great advice from everyone so far!

[RacineBoxer]

I find I get more out of focusing on something specific, like either the long game (driver and fairway woods), the mid irons or the scoring irons (say 9 iron to LW). I don't like hitting more than maybe 50 balls (just a time & energy thing). After ~15 to just warm up, that only gives me 35ish to focus on accomplishing something very specific. If I go through the entire bag hitting a 2-3 balls with each club I don't feel like I learn much, it ends up feeling like a cardio or exercise session moreso than an improvement session. If I'm focusing on the long game I might start by hitting 5 drivers and seeing what kind of dispersion and ballflight I'm getting, then hit 5 more focusing on improving something with the dispersion or ball flight, then maybe 8 with the 3&5 woods, then 4-6 with the hybrid, finishing with another 10 with the driver, again focusing on improving something specific. I (hopefully) leave a session like this feeling like I've gotten more consistent with the driver and that in my next round I'll hit more fairways. I'll do the same thing with the 9 iron to LW. We all miss greens, even from <140. A short game focused range session should focus on eliminating the miss that you've recently struggled with (i.e. pulled a few left of the green last time out, or, caught a few thick last time out that came up ~10 yards short).

 

P.S. be careful what you take from this thread because you never really described your intentions or what you plan to do with the information. I know, and play with, quite a few <5 handicap golfers. Almost all of them were very good when they were younger and now they just play for fun. So when you see someone say they are a 3 handicap and they never practice a question you might as is: how long have you been a 3 handicap? You might find out the person use to be scratch back in college and now they just play for fun a few times a week but can't be bothered to work and grind to get back to scratch. What they do (or don't do) at the range might be irrelevant to you. They once developed the skill of a scratch golfer and they can now just comfortably play a few times a week to a 3. But if they wanted to improve they'd have to work and grind. If you want to get better it would be a better question to ask those who have dropped their handicap from X to Y within a set period of time (say 1-3 years) and ask them how they did it. Because maintenance of a 3 handicap for someone who was once scratch is 100% completely different than someone trying to improve from a 10 to a 3.

[BB28403]

> @RacineBoxer said:

> I find I get more out of focusing on something specific, like either the long game (driver and fairway woods), the mid irons or the scoring irons (say 9 iron to LW). I don't like hitting more than maybe 50 balls (just a time & energy thing). After ~15 to just warm up, that only gives me 35ish to focus on accomplishing something very specific. If I go through the entire bag hitting a 2-3 balls with each club I don't feel like I learn much, it ends up feeling like a cardio or exercise session moreso than an improvement session. If I'm focusing on the long game I might start by hitting 5 drivers and seeing what kind of dispersion and ballflight I'm getting, then hit 5 more focusing on improving something with the dispersion or ball flight, then maybe 8 with the 3&5 woods, then 4-6 with the hybrid, finishing with another 10 with the driver, again focusing on improving something specific. I (hopefully) leave a session like this feeling like I've gotten more consistent with the driver and that in my next round I'll hit more fairways. I'll do the same thing with the 9 iron to LW. We all miss greens, even from <140. A short game focused range session should focus on eliminating the miss that you've recently struggled with (i.e. pulled a few left of the green last time out, or, caught a few thick last time out that came up ~10 yards short).

>

> P.S. be careful what you take from this thread because you never really described your intentions or what you plan to do with the information. I know, and play with, quite a few <5 handicap golfers. Almost all of them were very good when they were younger and now they just play for fun. So when you see someone say they are a 3 handicap and they never practice a question you might as is: how long have you been a 3 handicap? You might find out the person use to be scratch back in college and now they just play for fun a few times a week but can't be bothered to work and grind to get back to scratch. What they do (or don't do) at the range might be irrelevant to you. They once developed the skill of a scratch golfer and they can now just comfortably play a few times a week to a 3. But if they wanted to improve they'd have to work and grind. If you want to get better it would be a better question to ask those who have dropped their handicap from X to Y within a set period of time (say 1-3 years) and ask them how they did it. Because maintenance of a 3 handicap for someone who was once scratch is 100% completely different than someone trying to improve from a 10 to a 3.

 

Point taken sir! I am a hard worker on my golf game. Just starting to see results. In it to win it over the next 10 years, fingers crossed. Win what? Who knows . Getting better is winning in some ways.

[Obee]

Never saw this post. Finals of what? Regular Team Play? Or Scratch Team Play?

[rich_s2]

This is almost identical to my but I do practice putting and occasionally sand shots.

[gogo29732]

I'm really just trying to make sure my setup alignments are tight. use alignment aids - from there I'm looking to see if the ball is starting on line. If so, I can try and adjust the curve if needed. The key for me is to take plenty of time between balls. Play some games, like 4 out of 5 between two targets or 4 out of 5 no short sides, etc. I mostly hit drivers, wedges, and the irons I would typically hit on the par 3's at my club. Again, taking plenty of time is key. I probably won't hit more than 25 balls in any one session. Any more and I just start tinkering....

[tacklingdummy]

I personally don't put too much emphasis on range sessions because playing on the course is totally different. I do work on things on the range, but mainly it is for fun hit balls on the range. I wish more ranges had fun targets to hit at because I like to practice different shots on the range.