I’ve decided I really don’t like the driving range. I’ve looked into different range practice strategies, but nothing really seemed to ever get me over the idea that the range is just not enjoyable. I’ll work on my swing at home and besides that I think I’ll just play (maybe with a couple lost ball warm up shots at the range before the round). That said, I think I should work on specific “play” practice, like dedicating the super twilight rounds to practice without score (drop balls on shots I’m working on etc. but not slow things down) and play a handicap posted round ~once per week.
The only thing I feel like I’m missing is some of the data I really want. I don’t have the space at home to use a launch monitor effectively (and could only afford the <$500 ones anyways). I would pay a decent amount to get time on a high end monitor, but I can’t find anywhere that provides that as (at least at this time) it seems like the places with hitting bays are only allowing them to be used for fittings. If anyone knows of any options for this in SoCal, please let me know!
Besides that, just to open up a topic, what do you all think of the driving range?
My instructor doesn’t want me on the range for longer than 20 minutes.
I start with PW and go through each club.
If I hit a stinker I go back to that club and fix it.
Then 15 minutes or so on putting and I’m done.
I think driving ranges are a great place to work on the fundamentals of your swing, but for many of us, our range swing and our course swing are not the same. Most of us could do more for our game just playing a few holes on a real course than we could in hours at the driving range.
I’m not much of a range rat myself. I’ll spend about 30-45 minutes hitting balls here and there, but longer than that and I feel as if I’m getting diminished returns. Most of my “practice” is probably done during the off-season when I’m hitting into my net at home (please dont chime in warm-weather golfers 
). In season I’d prefer to be on the course more, and whatever practice time I have is really working out the kinks I’m noticing during my rounds.
Even living in SoCal, I think if I had a SkyTrak setup in my house, I could spend days at a time in that room.
The problem with the range is it’s so unrealistic. No pressure, even if you try and put the pressure on yourself. Same flat semi-perfect lie every time. I have started playing games on the range to try and increase the pressure feels and I’ll move all around the range, side hills, down hills, rough. I ha e also figured out that if I get a friend to go with me to the range we can play games for money. Nothing big, maybe a dollar a game, but it does increase the realistic pressure of on course.
I freaking love the driving range. It feels like therapy, meditation, relaxation, focus, escape, joy. I don’t think about anything other than trying to make a good swing, good contact, good tempo and rhythm, and watch and learn from the ball flight. I love to try new things and be aware of what’s happening.
Maybe try not to think of it as practice for the course, but as a joy in and of itself. Alan Watts said “if you’re doing something for the future, you’re not doing it.” Experiment. See what happens with different ball positions, face angles, tempos, flights, curvatures. It’s a blast and it keeps me sane and I can’t wait to get out there on a glorious day!
All good points. Thinking about it more, it might be the lack of walking that gets to me as I feel pretty much the same about the range as I do playing golf in a cart. It’s better than most things I would be doing, but still just sort of meh. For me, the therapy, meditation, relaxation, focus, escape, joy vibes don’t come without movement.
Plenty of movement on the range! You can try all different kinds of movement. Embrace and savor each ball as a learning opportunity. It’s one of my favorite cathartic escapes and I think it can be for anyone, as long as you’re not thinking of it as simply a “means to an end” of playing better golf. It’s a joy in and of itself!
I don’t like the range either. Much rather do some on course practice at a quiet time. Typically I will ignore the ball I put into play off the tee once it gets into the scoring zone. I will drop another ball at 100 yards and play the hole as a par 3. Once I have holed out, I pace out 40 yards for a further par 2 challenge and use the inevitable short putt that’s left as a par 1. Over 9 holes That gives me statistics for Drive/T shots, approach to green, lag put and short putt.
Great technique! I’ll give it a try sometime, nice balance between dropping a bunch of balls to practice shots and a scored game.
I love the range. In fact, I sometimes think I could be happy on the range without ever playing on the course.
I think the range can be a useful tool, a good place to waste some time and a place to get easily frustrated… depends on what you are trying to do and how you approach it… I really like the Block vs Random approach discussions (Jon’s podcast talks about it, Sieckmann talks about it in his book)…
It’s easy for me to get into the BLOCK mindset, and just bang balls… it’s not particularly helpful to my game, but sometimes it’s a good way to kill 30 minutes…
@Adamyounggolf talks about trying to hit different shots on the range, and I’ve taken that advice to heart and try to hit the hosel and the toe, and figure out what that swing feels like… Once I get back to practicing, I’m going to spend some time doing the same thing with path.
I also tend to use block practice for wedge shots and trying to get the feel down of less than full shots… I think random practice is probably my next step, but my current range isn’t really designed to handle that.
I usually have the time to get to the range, but not always enough to play a round… I decided I was going to use that time productively, and have tried to make my range sessions “have value”… I don’t think they always do, and some of the time I’d be better off playing… but my swing was better than it has ever been this season.
If you are playing just for fun, I think it behooves you to use your time playing golf having fun… if time at the range isn’t fun and isn’t making you better, it seems like a waste of time.
Love/hate! I find that working on the feel of shots and improving my swing/gaining muscle memory profitable! But the constant back and forth ball collecting at certain times very distracting, as well as the nearby cornhole tournament on the patio next to the driving range! That is a LOUD game. and often the ground in poor shape at the driving spots.
Can’t think of anything that would give me the yips faster than betting on golf! To each their own… 
@HennyPenny, I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic but if you’re not you are missing out on one of the best parts of golf. Betting adds so much to the game and strengthens the bonds with your golfing buddies.
Not sarcastic, but I already fight the tendency to put too much pressure on myself, which louses up my game. Thinking about money would wreck my focus more!
I think there are only 2 “ranges” in Adelaide a city of around 1 million people. Nearly all the courses have practice fairways. Ours goes up a hill with a variety of flags and distance markers. If big hitters hit driver it can go over the top of the hill and down to the 7th tee. I found a practice ball on the 14th. To get there you would have to fly the 7th, 8th and 10th then turn left and fly another 200m. I told the pro and he said some people hit 700m drives. He then said people stealing range balls and playing with them are doing themselves a disservice as range balls only go about 80% the distance of real balls.
@HennyPenny, have you tried betting or are you just assuming it would hurt your game? Sometimes having something to focus your mind on other than swing mechanics or fear of a bad shot can free your mind and let you perform to your potential. It might even help with the yips.
I would consider one of those explanations to be far more likely than the other
Curious about the “practice fairway” though. How many people are on it at the same time and do you only hit from a tee box up it or do you also play shots from the middle? If it has just one hitting area, I think we’d still just call all of those driving ranges over here.