1-hour Range Session Routine (Medium bucket?)

[nahnunya]

Hey everyone,

 

I wanted to share and compare ideas on how to structure a 1-hour range session. I have been going to the range weekly in an attempt to improve my ball striking (I'm a novice golfer) and drill the feelings involved in swinging a club. Usually I able to go once or twice a week, and was curious what some of the better golfers here would suggest as a practice routine under these circumstances. Obviously I cannot develop a complete game with only 1-2 hours of range time a week, but my sincere goal is to at least optimize that time and give me the best chance at improving my general ball striking/shot shaping. 

 

Here's what I've done:

- Warmed up with 5-15 minutes of "9 to 3" shots.

- Hit three consecutive, identical shots with one club before moving on to the next.

          - I've been doing this to drill consistency and it sucks when I am failing but when I'm not, it feels great to move through the bag. Gives confidence when pulling a club from the bag on-course. 

- "Play a hole at the range" by starting with driver, then hitting an iron, then hitting a wedge.

- Just rip 10-20 driver shots (man I suck with this club but it's fun to use).

- Incorporated alignment sticks into all or parts of a practice session.

- Target on-range markers like signs, pins, painted targets, and etc with my wedges to drill approach shots and "touch" (distance control I guess?)

 

You can see it's not the most structured approach. I'll mix and match these things. Oftentimes I go out there trying to hit clubs I've struggled with on the course to address my weaknesses. Tbf I am starting quite with my work cut out for me... I'm shooting like 120-140 for a full 18-hole round, so I have a ton of room to improve and am excited about that process. I'd like to get to a point where I'm confident taking more than a 7i off the tee and mis-hitting 1 out of every 2 or 3 shots fairway shots. 

 

I would love to gain insight from other GolfWRX users about how you all structure your range time or what you look to accomplish in those sessions. I may have just discovered this game but I love it and I love the process of improving at it so I'm really eager to hear all your thoughts! What kind of drills are you doing at the range? For how long? What clubs are you hitting and for how long? How do you break up your practice sessions between warm-ups, drills, games, etc?

Edited December 11, 2022 by nahnunya

[nahnunya]

bumpercars

[Shushwap]

60% of my range time is spent on wedge shots.. I usually start with a ladder drill starting at 10 yards and working up to 100 

Then I move into irons and targets on the range.. I try to shrink the range down in size.. as in set boundaries where the ball needs to land 

Then I head to the putting green and do a little chipping and putting with my own gamer ball 

The plan for this year is to put  more time into this part of my practice session 

I rarely hit driver at the range.. I really need to change that this year as well 

[getitdaily]

I've moved to mostly drills now. If you know the drills you need to do consistently then do them for most of your practice session.

 

I do several drills for 75% of my "range" time. Once I'm done with drills (all with irons) I'll do full swings with 7i and 5i or 8i and 6i. Probably 30 balls where I'm not thinking swing thoughts, just tempo. 

 

I'll then hit 7-10 3w and 15 or so drivers...trying to get faster with each one.

[Canada8888]

For a change of pace on the range check out the "Swing Skill Builder" App for iPhone.  You set the app to a goal such as "external focus", pick the clubs you want to use and then hit the shots it suggests.  You rate the result as pass or fail.  Setting it so you have an 80% pass rate really helps you to learn new skills. It is very intense and uses the concept of   "Differential/Variability Practice".  I only use it once every few weeks but it like nothing else I have ever used ...

[ferrispgm]

If I only had a medium bucket and an hour to hit balls I would pretty much do nothing but make little half swings working on whatever it is I need to work on and hit a handful of full shots in between.  So like 5 or so half swings and 1 or 2 full. If you are shooting 120, I would focus on improving my swing first.  The skill builder app is a good idea but I would say that's something geared towards a lower handicap.  I don't see much purpose for a 30 or 40 cap trying to hit different shots when they struggle with a basic one. 

[MelloYello]

I remember when I started the game. I spent a ton of time hitting balls at the range. You really can't go wrong as long as you're focused and having a good time. You will get better over time no matter what you work on. It's really a question of how efficient you are. That's not so much about picking targets at your stage. It's more about avoiding swing flaws as they're developing. 

 

So first off, I would recommend getting lessons. That sort of guidance would be most helpful at this stage when you're still formulating a golf swing. It'll be easier to mold a good swing now as opposed to trying to eliminate some engrained tendency later. Most good instruction is aimed at younger golfers these days as they're the ones who have the most to gain and it's easier to fix something before it gets too far. 

 

 

Moving on, if you're still at the beginner stage where you're shooting 120+ then I would assume you just need to develop basic skills like hitting an iron solidly and hitting it straight. I have a friend who I play with who's in the same boat. He can hit it a mile but he often hits it crooked and sometimes doesn't hit it solid. 

 

I would assume you hit long clubs crooked and probably struggle hitting shorter clubs fat. Those are the kinds of basic skills you need to work on. Whatever drills you can find to help correct your tendencies / mistakes would be good. At your level there's little need to break up a range session into some detailed rehearsal. 

[Langaandy]

The main thing i have been working on lately is straight ball flight.

 

So what I have been trying lately is hit 5 balls with each club. Work out which 6 clubs I hit the worst, and then next session, only hit those clubs. Rinse and repeat.

 

It works well to warm you up for the longer clubs by the time you get to them, and then I only need to worry about proper striking, and sending it straight.

[596]

Our large bucket is about 90 balls.

 

60 short iron to 100 yard flag.  Different short iron each session.  Either 8, 9, PW.  Sometimes even use my 7 31* hybrid

5  mid hybrid swings with either a 7, 6 or 5 hybrid

5 driver swings

5 4 wood or 5 wood swings

remaining balls are all GW, SW or LW to the 50 yard flag.

 

90 % of my practice is 1/2 to 3/4 swings.  Nearly never a full swing at anything except driver, 4 wood or 5 wood.  Even my 7, 6, and 5 hybrid swings are all partial swings.  I also practice left to right and right to left, high , low shots to that 100 yard flag with the 1 short iron.  Even my hybrids and woods are worked either direction on the few swings I use them with.  Hitting partial shots allows me to work on tempo, posture, hip turn, and pressure shift.       

 

 

[Chunkitgood]

You should do nothing at a range but hit a mid iron around say 36 degrees until you can consistently strike the ball, then the ground, and do it with the sole idea and goal of doing just that and nothing else.  Getting enough lessons from a good teacher is probably the best way to get to that point, if you are willing to learn that way and can find a good teacher and can afford it.

 

To explain, after several decades of watching ordinary people play golf, I have observed that the vast majority left to their own devices develop and groove a fundamentally faulty swing and never, ever overcome it.

[eagleeye18]

On 3/8/2023 at 8:51 PM, Canada8888 said:

For a change of pace on the range check out the "Swing Skill Builder" App for iPhone.  You set the app to a goal such as "external focus", pick the clubs you want to use and then hit the shots it suggests.  You rate the result as pass or fail.  Setting it so you have an 80% pass rate really helps you to learn new skills. It is very intense and uses the concept of   "Differential/Variability Practice".  I only use it once every few weeks but it like nothing else I have ever used ...

 

Hey I'm looking into Differential training, but I couldn't find this app on the App Store. Is it still called Swing Skill Builder?

[Canada8888]

weird .... my app still works but  when I check for it in the store it says not available in your area

 

here is where I first found it

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hatwv_AvFKs

 

[Canada8888]

perhaps this link will work?

 

https://appadvice.com/app/swing-skill-builder/1496549970

[McDuffer925]

Yea man you really just need to focus on lessons and making solid contact with the ball.  If you are shooting 120+.... make sure you are playing from appropriate tees (I capped myself at whatever the roughly 6000 yard tees), pick a club you can consistently hit in play (5wood for me) and put the driver in your closet unless you hit it good. Do pitch and half shots until you can consistently make contact then step up the speed. I spend about 2 hours practicing per week and iv learned that 30 minutes need to be on full swing and 1.5 hours on chipping and putting if you wanna lower your cap. lots of ways to get it off the tee and toward the green but if you cant chip and 3 putt more than 3-4 holes a round youll bleed strokes near the greens. thats my 2 cents. Me and a couple friends started playing the same time now through barely 2 golf seasons. My cap is around 15 and they are both still >20. one of them plays less than me and one more than me but iv devoted a lot more time to figuring out where im losing strokes and chipping and putting dropped my cap by at least 5 in one season. no matter how slow you have to swing or what your distances are, LEARN TO MAKE SOLID CONTACT PERIOD above anything else, find someone reputable for lessons.

[leezer99]

Practicing with intent is really important. When going to hit balls on the range I make sure to keep all my balls in the basket instead of dumping them into the tray. Having to physically stop, get a ball out and then reset prevents you from discarding that bad shot by just raking another ball.