5 or lower handicaps describe your range sessions

[goaliedad30]

At 57, I can't spend 2-3 hours working on my game without my back getting stiff. Luckily, I'm retired, so during the season, I can usually get in 2-3 days a week at the practice area (note: not range) on days I'm not playing. A typical session will be 45 min-1 hour 15 mins. Every session will include:

Putting (15-20 min, focused on short (inside 5 feet) and long lag (40+ feet). I have a backyard putting green that's 20x40 feet, so get my other distance practice there.Chipping (15-20 min, focused on getting EVERYTHING in one-put distance. Uphill, downhill, sidehill, tight lies, buried lies ... I do this with the balls I play with, not range balls)Pitching (15-20 min; focused on consistency of contact and distance)Range work (0-30 min; depends on the day, and what I need to work on. Sometimes irons, sometimes fairway woods, sometimes tee shots)I let my body and performance tell me when it's time to move to the next activity. If it's a good day and I'm dialed in, I move on, and file those in the "I' can do this" memory bank. If I'm struggling at something, I won't move on until I've executed 3-5 "good" shots in a row.

I will periodically (0nce a week) replace the pitching session with a bunker session.

On playing days, pre-round, I putt, chip, then hit 3-5 balls with everyone other club (one day evens, one day odds) focusing on getting ready to play.

[juststeve]

If I don't have a specific problem to work on I use the range only to arm up for a round. 25-30 balls, just to get loose and find out how I'm moving the tall today. If I do need to work on something, something I'm not doing well enough, I go to the range and work until I've corrected the problem or until I loose my concentration.

Either way I spend much more time on putting and the short game.

 

Steve

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

I tend to work my way up the bag. Hit my 56 for a while until I’m satisfied with the results then move up through the wedges irons then woods/hybrid. Sometimes, I’ll reward myself by “playing holes” with the launch monitor at the end.

Satisfied usually comprises hitting within a yard or two of my targets in real life or on the launch monitor from 80 to 150 yards, then mid irons within 10 yards of my 185 target. That's generally my criteria for moving up through the bag.

I’m looking at my feet and body alignment and path using the edges of a range mat or alignment rods on grass. While working on wedges, I try to get the exaggerated in to out path then let it drift back to a more normal swing as I progress through the wedges. I’ll let the balls hook at first then let them work out to a fade (light push cut) with an open face.

Hybrids and woods are typically satisfied by carry and approximate direction. 30 yards off target or so and I try to hit past the 220 yard target with my 3W and try to hit a certain region of the fence with my drives about 255-260 yards away at least a few times each. I work on speed drills while working with my woods.

The entire process can be 60-80 balls on good days, but rarely 240 balls during the more frustrating days. Sometimes, I’ll just quit after 60-120 balls moving on if I don’t quite meet my targets.

 

Posted here mainly to tag this thread to see what the better players typically do.

[ZA206]

Typically, I'll get a large bucket of balls (roughly 70) and turn on my air pods to some mood enhancing tunes.

I do stretches and loosen up with an orange whip or two long irons held together.

I always start off with my SW, with mainly 1/2 "knockdown" style swings to get my rhythm and locate the bottom of my swing arc. -15 balls

I'll then move to a 8 or 7 iron for about 10 balls.... start with a couple knockdowns, then move on to full swings.

Then I'll hit driver -15 balls (if I'm hitting it well, I'll do less)

I'll then go back to a 9i or PW for about 10-15 balls

Then I'll go 5i for about 10-15 balls.

I'll then switch back to driver for the last 5 balls (I'm typically tired, getting stiff and starting to lose focus). These last 5 balls are important, as I try to keep them in an imaginary fairway between two of the long range flagsticks (equates to a 30 yard wide fairway... NARROW!). This is difficult and I typically will take at least 2 minutes between shots to focus/rest. These really count to me, as they simulate pressure drives on the back 9!

After all of that, I'll typically go chip and putt for about 30-45 minutes (if I have time).

 

Sometimes, I'll just go to the range to chip & putt, but that gets boring pretty quick.

-ZA

 

[llewol007]

I typically spend about 40% in the stall hitting 7 on down to my Pw. and 60% on my short game. Here is my range break down

35 ball basket.

Warm up with 2 clubs(Usually 3 and 4 iron together. 5 swings, very controlled tempo feeling the weight with my hands usually at shoulder leveI and I keep going until I feel my back warming up and loosening to where I can get my hands to ear level which is full swing for me and do 10 full swings increasing my speed till I can swing at about 70%.

Then I start my session with the clubs I hit the most during my round. I spend my time hitting about 5 balls each with the 8 iron, Pw and Gap wedge. I spend a majority here because when I plan out my hole, I usually aim for having 155yds, 130yds or 110 yards to the green depending on the length of the hole. Usually 3 with the alignment sticks in a T shape to make sure my ball position is consistent with my target line. Then I will hit the last 2 with no alignment stick to confirm I can replicate the same thing just using visual aids such as a spot on the hitting mat or a leaf etc on the grass. After that I hit 2 balls with my mid irons to long irons usually aimed at the 175 pin. I don’t get too technical just making sure my hands reach my ears(full swing) and getting the compression on the ball I am looking for. My Alignment sticks are parallel to each other aimed at the 175 flag about 3 balls apart. Usually by now I have about 10-12 balls left over.

That’s when I head over to the short game area and spend a good time working on pitch and chips. I typically stick with my 58 when doing pitch shots since for me it’s easier to establish various shots( played back in my stance with hands forward and open stance with an slightly open face) As I get closer to the green I switch to my 52 and open the face until I’m right up on the fringe and try to incorporate my choked down 7 iron to chip. Short game to me is more about creativity. Yes there is a sequence but your mind really has to be just thinking about the spot you are intending to land it to. Similar to shooting a basketball where your body stares at the basket and you feeling how hard you have to shoot the basketball ball to get there. No thinking where my elbows are or how I’m holding the basketball. Just how hard I take the ball back and how I follow through to the basket. I spend a majority of my time here working on feel and getting my hands to respond. This to me is the most important difference if you want to shave off some major strokes. Work on your short game.

After my short game session I head back to the stall and use up the remainder of my basket(8-10 balls) and hit my Driver usually 5 balls max. Play it the same ball position each time. I usually do my pre shot routine aiming at a certain tree in the distance and really trying to get my shot shape(slight fade). The last 6 balls I hit my 58 degree to one of the close flags and finish up from there.

Sounds like a lot but it’s not. Typically takes me about 75 minutes tops. If I am working on something either because I am struggling on a certain shot, It will usually be focused on in the middle portion of my session. Ex. Instead of hitting mid-long irons, I will focus on hitting my 3 wood or hybrid. Stuff like that. I always hit my go to yardages(150, 130, 110) in every range session since they are my favorite yardages. Everything else either leads me to them or is me finishing my hole out. Hope that helps.

[KevCannon]

My range sessions when I am in mid-season form are always target/distance based.

5-10 shots with sand/gap wedge, partial swings to get loose and last 3 or 4 full shots at a target.

5-7 pitching or 9 iron at a target/green

5-7 shots 7 or 6 iron at a target/green

If ball flight looks good and I’m hitting my numbers, I will hit 3-5 shots with hybrid at a target, 2-3 fairway wood at a target, 2-3 fairway wood off a tee at a target.

5-7 Driver at a target

If I am happy with ball flight, and shot shape, I head to practice green a finish with putting/chipping.

Beginning of season and off season I spend a lot of time with gap/pitching wedge through 7 iron. I will work on hitting different flight windows, draws, straight shots, fades (i struggle hitting fades with more lofted irons). Basically working on the 9 different shots, and getting my feel back. The amount of shots varies session to session.