Massive advocate of a home net and working on muscle memory and impact. Add some shoe spray and you can work on strike/face on day.
In Germany with the winters i did 15 mins every other day for 4 months, started playing again in Mar and by May, i went from 15 to 9 (2018).
With 2 young kids, a trip to the range for an hour of peace and quiet is great (only topped by a full round!).
I’m not a big technical type of player, I’m about feel so getting to the range helps keep that feel going and keeps my tempo right. Plus who doesn’t love hitting at the ball picker (sorry for bringing up bad memories for some of you who used to do that)
It is about 30m wide and they lay down two ropes across it to hit from so to centralise the divots. A big sand box with a shovel so you can fill in your divots. They move the ropes every so often to give the grass time to regenerate. If you want to hit from 1/2 way up the hill you would make a great target for everyone else. When the pro gives a group lesson there can be up to 8 people at once. Normally no one or 1 or 2 people. I would class a driving range as not attached to a golf course and hitting from bays off mats. Pro was being sarcastic about 700m drives:) This practice area is on the right of the 18th hole and classed as out out bounds. If you do hit it out there you can retrieve your ball while dodging practice balls. Also people slice it from the practice area up onto 18th fairway so you have to keep your wits about you.
Admittedly, assuming! I’m also a cheapskate, LOL. Wondering if this is a guy thing also.
Try a $3 Nassau next time you play. See if the bet takes your mind off the swing.
I used to love the range. It was generally empty and quiet and it was my “downtime” from work, meetings, etc. I had hardly been to the range the last 5 years mostly due to crazy work schedule, but had planned on hitting balls regularly this year. Covid really screwed that up. The range near work closed and he range near my home is constantly full so I haven’t been much. Glad I bought a Rukket Net just before Christmas. It’s not the same, but better than nothing.
To me, the range is the only place you can work on changes to your swing. To do that effectively, you have to give up worrying about where the ball is going, and focus only on what you’re actually doing. Slow motion, drills, short swings, that’s the best way to get yourself to change mechanics.
But if you’re not working on change, I’m not sure the range is as critical. I went through a swing change a couple years back, and I worked really steadily on it. Now, I use the range with the same drills to continually remind myself of the right movements. I also like doing full speed swings, just concentrating on alignment and tempo. Its easy to gradually get off, a little time on the range helps me keep those little things right.
I’m with @jon on one thing, I don’t like to spend a ton of time on the range. If I stop focusing on specifics, it becomes exercise and not practice. I try to get to the club about twice a week after work for a little practice. I usually stop in the tavern and get a beer to take to the range. I’ll practice, taking an occasional sip of beer, until the beer is gone. When the beer is gone, practice is over. That usually takes 40 to 45 minutes.
That’s what I’m currently doing at home into a net. Lack of space means it’s just foam AlmostGolf balls off a mat which isn’t ideal, but I think it works because I am forced to give up on knowing where the ball would go. The club I’m looking at joining has what can be called either a really small range or a really big hitting net, so that might be a good place for me to develop a decent practice routine (block, variable, focused, all that jazz). Having a beer with that sounds good too.
I think working on mechanics is a great time to use video. I’d never suggest that anyone diagnose their own problems, but an instructor can point out what improved mechanics should look like. You can then evaluate your success in changing what you’re doing.
The more I go to the range for full swings the more I feel like I’m doing more harm than good. I’d prefer to have an instructor there for that.
Ultimately, I like playing more than anything. I really wish the public course by my house (not a CC) would let you play 3-4 holes at non peak hours for a low rate.
I mostly practice on the chipping green and putting green at this point.
Respectfully disagree (a little). Golf is how the ball flies. Can only tell that a) on course, b) $2k LM or c) the range.
If you have b, job done. If not, you have to get a bit creative to get the ball flight data you want.
My strategy is use a cheap LM (like Mevo) for average Carry for each club. I use range sessions for traj as well as approx dispersion (side-to-side visually, Mevo for distance). Arccos data adds Total distance to Carry for each club.
Course, LM and range - all have value!
My range also has chipping & putting greens, a definite plus!
Hope this helps!
I never seem to have fulfing range sessions. No matter my intent, they become lack luster and i just end up not achieving anything.
I I definately feel time on course is more beneficial for me.
Are you going to the practice area with a plan, or are you just showing up? If you go with a plan and fulfill the layout of the plan, the sessions should be a lot more successful for you. I always have a plan but that didn’t use to be the case. I felt very similar to you, but now I feel accomplished when i make the days goals. I have noticed over the last two years of my serious golf quest to be a great golfer one thing all amateurs have in common, they hate the putting and chipping area. I can spend hours putting and chipping and count on two one two hands how many guys/gals actually do either of those things before their round, I can count on one hand how many guys/gals actually spend more than 5 minutes.
I tend to work on what was weakest in recent rounds, based on stats from The Grint. So sort of a targeted plan.
I could be better, but time is limited so i try to cover all bases in one sessions which is prob why I’m not focussed enough and prefer the course.
That makes sense, and is understandable. It’s counterintuitive to try and get to the course hours early and work on things if you’re going to play, because if your practice session is bad it can totally affect your round.
100%. I don’t really practice on days that I play… that’s also a time factor, but mostly I try to play with the game I brought that day.