Practice breeds confidence: Getting the most from the driving range

I’ve mentioned already that before you hit the links for the first time as a beginner, you should spend a lot of time at the driving range to gain confidence in your swing. Your goal should be at minimum to make sure you can hit one club consistently about 100 yards before you hit the links. I stand by this advice, but it occurred to me the other day when I was at the driving range that it too can be a bit of an intimidating place to go for the first time, so here are some tips for hitting the range with confidence…

1. Choose a stall at one end of the range or the other
This may sound silly, but seriously – if you’re not confident, go to a place on the range where fewer people can see your swing!! Be assured – you will duff a few balls… and there’s a chance you might even hit a ball or two off the metal divider that separates the stalls. You will not be the first to do this, nor will you be the last!! (That being said though – people do notice when they hear the “clang”)

2. Start with your pitching wedge NOT your driver!
This is the biggest mistake people make at the range… the first thing they do is pull their driver out of the bag and start rifling through balls. It’s the most difficult club in your bag to hit, and your body is still stiff and your swing isn’t ready for it. Trust me – as tempting as your driver is - start with your wedge to get warmed up.

3. Create a routine that works for you
My normal routine is to hit my pitting wedge until I feel comfortable, then I move to my 7, then my 4 iron hybrid, and then my driver to warm up. Once I’m warmed up, I have two different routines. Some days I want to simulate a round, so I hit driver, then 4 iron, then wedge (to simulate the clubs I might hit on the course in that order on a given hole). Other days, I work through every club in my bag and I tell myself that I’m not allowed to move on to the next club until I hit 3 pure shots with the club I’m holding. If I fail with any club I have to start over. (I stole this one from Phil Mickelson who forces himself to hit 100 putts in a row during his practice sessions and has to start at 0 if he misses any – it simulates the pressure of putting during a round) This routine forces me to really focus on what I’m trying to work on

4. Shhhh….
Yeah, much like the course, people don’t want to hear people talking in their backswings… even at the range, so keep it quiet (even when you hit a few pure shots and want to celebrate)

5. Take breaks and practice swings
It is so tempting when you’re at the range to just hit ball after ball after ball after ball… without breaking and without even practicing your swing… but guess what – that isn’t anything like what it will be like on the course! Use your time on the range to practice for being on the course. This is your time to nail down what feels comfortable in terms of a pre-shot routine, and to really focus on practicing your swing… so just take your time and enjoy yourself!