Structure your range sessions, or you're not going to get better

[Lefty_3Jack]

I'm convinced of two things that ensure we'll never be as good as we can be:

 

1.  Lack of time to devote to being as good as you'd like to be.

 

2.  Not using the time you have efficiently.

 

The biggest thing you can take from a lesson from a good instructor (like Dan Carraher) is how to practice whatever you need to work on.  

 

-Setup a station that forces you into making the movements you're working on.  Think Mike Bender s***.  Don't be ashamed to have 5 sticks in the ground, a range bucket in a certain spot, etc.  If during "season" spend 50% of the time you have working in that station.  Focus on the movement, not the results.  Hit balls at whatever speed you can make the movement.  Do some camera work to verify you're making the movement correctly.  As Dan would say, "practice at the fastest speed you can, that day, and still get the movement right."

 

-Spend the other half of the time hitting balls to a target with random clubs, as if you are on the course while going through your routine.  

 

I'd assume if it's January and you live in Cleveland you can be safe with doing an 80%/20% split on what you're working on and hitting shots to a target.  

 

If you don't hit shots to a target and create some sort of pressure on yourself, you're not going to get better on the course and that's where it counts.

 

Just a PSA from someone with two young kids and wishes he spent more time planning out a range session before grabbing balls and hitting them.  

[trilerian]

Interesting... When I go to the range I get 2 large buckets.  The first bucket is spent working on my swing with a short iron and minimal effort.  Lots of practice swings, lol.  The second bucket is hitting to the yardage markers out on the range from 100 to 250.  I hit a club until I hit a solid shot close to the target then switch clubs.  Rinse and repeat.  Still a lot of practice swings.  2 large buckets, approximately 140 golf balls, takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs to get through.  Then I generally go play 9.  

[Habitual Flipper]

1 hour ago, trilerian said:

.... I hit a club until I hit a solid shot close to the target then switch clubs...

 

For a little unsolicited advice, I'd maybe reconsider this. It allows you to get into a groove and rhythm with that particular club, which obviously isn't how the game works on the course.

 

I'd suggest visualizing your home course or a course you know well for shape and distance. Play through each hole by selecting targets on the range and pulling the appropriate club. If you miss hit a ball or are not on target, try visualizing the recover and play that shot. This might help you translate your range game to the course more effectively.

[cwilk]

[trilerian]

4 minutes ago, Habitual Flipper said:

 

For a little unsolicited advice, I'd maybe reconsider this. It allows you to get into a groove and rhythm with that particular club, which obviously isn't how the game works on the course.

 

I'd suggest visualizing your home course or a course you know well for shape and distance. Play through each hole by selecting targets on the range and pulling the appropriate club. If you miss hit a ball or are not on target, try visualizing the recover and play that shot. This might help you translate your range game to the course more effectively.

I'm not taking 10 shots at the same target without moving my stance...  Usually if the first shot is bad the second is fine.  But regardless I dump the bucket out far enough away that I have to walk to get my next ball so there is a need to setup again at the very minimum.  I hit until I get a good shot for the positive reinforcement it gives me.  Also, bad shots are not really bad.  They may be +/- 25 yds in either direction.  That is pitching practice, not what I do on the range.  There is a chip/pitching green for that.  I will fully admit I need to spend more time there.  

[TurnDog69]

Stakes are important as well. Make yourself stop and sing the alphabet after bad shots. Do 10 push ups or air squats. Make a bet with your buddy next to you .25 cents a ball closer to the target for a full bucket.

 

Create a scored game where you hit 13 balls with 13 clubs and rate each shot as a 2,  1 or a 0 depending if it's on target or not. Beat your high scope. 

You need to do everything you can to simulate the pressure of a real tee box. 

[scooterhd2]

Was always too embarrassed to set up a weird station with 5 alignment stick in the ground, but if you look at every great teacher, they all have stations setup. So obviously there is alot of worth there. And if you find yourself like me, hitting multiple buckets a week and really not getting any better, its because you are not engraining any new, proper motion. Your just hitting balls they way you always have, dialing in a groove with your compensations, and then losing that all the next day.

 

Here's a super simple station if you are OTT that is not so eye catching where everyone is going to be glaring at you. 

 

 

[Lefty_3Jack]

29 minutes ago, Habitual Flipper said:

 

For a little unsolicited advice, I'd maybe reconsider this. It allows you to get into a groove and rhythm with that particular club, which obviously isn't how the game works on the course.

 

I'd suggest visualizing your home course or a course you know well for shape and distance. Play through each hole by selecting targets on the range and pulling the appropriate club. If you miss hit a ball or are not on target, try visualizing the recover and play that shot. This might help you translate your range game to the course more effectively.

And when you hit a s*** shot you'll be aggravated and want to reload, but you can't do it!  It makes you realize there are consequences on the course for missing in certain spots, etc.  

[Lefty_3Jack]

4 minutes ago, TurnDog69 said:

Stakes are important as well. Make yourself stop and sing the alphabet after bad shots. Do 10 push ups or air squats. Make a bet with your buddy next to you .25 cents a ball closer to the target for a full bucket.

 

Create a scored game where you hit 13 balls with 13 clubs and rate each shot as a 2,  1 or a 0 depending if it's on target or not. Beat your high scope. 

You need to do everything you can to simulate the pressure of a real tee box. 

I see a dad and son doing this on the range all the time.  The kid will be a + handicap, college golfer, but is only 10-11 now.  Dad is creating game like scenarios to add pressure and learn to perform when it matters.

 

There is a great (great underscores it) Instagram account named Game Like Training and they show people how to practice game like conditions.  "How to practice golf. Make swing changes stick. Take your range game to the course."  They put out awesome content and I don' think they're even selling anything.  

[Mcgeeno]

I've done 2 range sessions per week for many years.

 

I don't have kids. Get to spend 6 days at the course if I want. 2 days are practice days almost every week no matter what. I think a good majority of people could handle 1-2 range sessions per week if they budget their time wisely. I know when my work schedule changed years ago I had to do the Thursday session at 6AM. No biggie.

 

Usually Monday is a technical day spent working on the things that either were off or felt off on the weekend money rounds/tournaments etc. Alignment sticks, camera work, a plan of action is set up etc and I try to fix the issues I had. Grip/alignment/posture checks.

 

The Thursday session is typically for everything inside 100 yards. An hour putting and an hour hitting wedges/short irons/partial shots/weird lies/flops/bunkers whatever. For the short game session please remember to hit a bunch of shots out of bad lies. Stomp your ball, throw it into deep grass, put it on bare lies, roll it onto the lip of the bunker. Real conditions so that these things don't sneak up on you later on. 

 

 

[Soloman1]

You might consider doing this:

 

Hit the clubs you hate.

Hit from bad lies.

Turn some irons over and hit them opposite handed.

Hit high and low big curving shots.

There's plenty more, but you get the idea.

 

If you hit the same shot with your favorite club from perfect lies, you're not really practicing how to turn bogeys into pars.

[Cliffy2020]

“If you’re not practicing with feedback, you’re just exercising”

 

Also a huge fan of once your warmed up with chips & pitches you eventually have to get to one ball at every pin on the practice green.  Hitting from the same spot/area should give you a variety of shots to all the different pins (oh yeah - drop the ball and play it as it lies.)  Go for 7/9 up and downs.  Make it hard.

 

Same deal once you get to full swings on the range.  Towards the end, hit 1 drive, imagine the approach on the second shot etc and so forth as mentioned earlier.

 

 

 

 

[getitdaily]

I run through my bag working on a few swing keys. I check video early to make sure I'm hitting a few things correctly; posture, hand path, backswing length, tempo, downswing low and left. I check divots to make sure path is good. I work.on a few keys if path is good but ball flight is off. I hit a lot of 6 or 7 irons. I hit a lot of drivers. 

 

I don't do a lot of drills. I just hit balls working on a few key feelings. About the only drills I do are 

 

- clubhead cover under left armpit

- super early wrist set

- extreme hard pull left if my path isn't left. I try to hit as hard a cut as possible. 

- pump drill if my lower body is running away