If you’ve ever been to an indoor driving range, you know how frustrating it can be. You spend your entire day there, but it doesn’t seem like much is happening. The whole place looks and feels the same from one end to the other. That’s because most driving ranges are set up that way on purpose.
It all comes down to optimizing time in a controlled environment, so you don’t waste any of it. After all, if you spend four hours at the driving range, how many four-hour segments are you spending there? Do you want to spend every minute of your time there? Of course not! That’s why we’ll show you some ways to optimize your time at the driving range to be more productive.
Plan Your Session Ahead Of Time
If you’re unsure what type of time you’ll have at the range, plan your session ahead of time. Let’s say you have a two-hour session and want to practice certain shots. Plan the session so you practice the shots you want to practice and then move on to other shots as quickly as possible. For practicing some shots, the convenience of golf netting allows you to practice them at the range, but you still have to get your equipment set up and perform the drills.
If you know you have an hour-long session and don’t know how long it will take you to work through your shots thoroughly, plan your session to fit around this. Alternatively, if you know you’ll take an hour to go through all your shots, you know that you have allotted the proper amount of time. The most important lesson here is to know what you want to practice and have a good idea of the amount of time it may take – never go to the range without goals and a plan.
Don’t Carry Too Much
You could spend all your time carrying equipment and supplies to the range. It makes you slow down, and it also makes you less efficient. Choose all of the clubs that you are going to practice for that day before you head to the range. If it’s every club in your bag, that’s great. If not, you may want to bring just a few. But don’t get too obsessed that you need to bring everything to the range – the goal is practice not pressure.
The Three-Round Rule
We’ve talked about walking fast, breaking bad habits, and not carrying too much. Now let’s talk about the three-round rule. This rule is almost as old as golf itself. It’s been around for over 100 years, and it’s simple:
Take three swings with each club and then move on to the next shot. We know this rule sounds old-fashioned and almost unfashionable, but it’s a good rule. It’s the best way to optimize your time at the range. If you spend all day at the range, change your game daily, and practice various shots, you’ll see how much time you save if you follow this rule.
Conclusion
Driving ranges are a key part of any golfer’s training regimen. But they can feel like a waste of time if you don’t optimize your time there. Follow the recommendations presented here and also, remember, always choose a driving range with custom sports netting to protect you from flying golf balls – your goal is to get better, not injured.
