How to Practise at the Driving Range: A Plan That Lowers Scores

Walk along any driving range and you will see the same scene: golfers hitting driver after driver as fast as they can rake the next ball over. It feels productive. It is mostly exercise. Studies of skill learning — and the experience of coaches everywhere — show that how you practise matters far more than how many balls you hit.

This guide gives you a simple, structured approach that turns range sessions into lower scores, whether you have 30 minutes or two hours.

Why most range practice does not work

Most golfers' range habits have three problems:

1. No target. Hitting balls into open space teaches nothing about aim or direction.
2. No routine. On the course you set up carefully before every shot; on the range you rake and hit. The skills do not transfer.
3. No variety. Hitting the same club repeatedly builds a temporary feel that disappears when you change clubs on the course.

The fix is to practise with purpose, targets and variety — and to spend much more of your time on the short game.

Set a goal for every session

Before you arrive, decide what you want to work on. Examples:

• "Grooving my new takeaway."
• "Ball-first contact with my 7-iron."
• "Distance control with wedges from 40 to 80 yards."
• "Starting my driver on the target line."

One or two goals per session is plenty. Write them down.

A 60-minute practice plan

1. Warm up (10 minutes)

• Do a few minutes of dynamic stretches — see our 10-minute pre-round warm-up.
• Start with half swings with a wedge, focusing on clean contact and rhythm.
• Gradually lengthen the swing and move to a mid iron.

Never start with full driver swings. Cold muscles and a cold swing are a recipe for injury and bad habits.

2. Technical or "block" practice (15 minutes)

This is where you work on a specific swing change. Use the same club and target and repeat the movement.

• Use alignment sticks to check aim and ball position.
• Make rehearsal swings that exaggerate the new feel.
• Hit at 60–70% effort — technique first, speed later.
• Film a few swings to compare feel with reality.
• Focus on the process, not the result. A good movement can produce a bad shot early in a change.

3. Random practice and games (15 minutes)

Now make practice more like the course. Change club and target on every shot and use your full pre-shot routine.

Play a virtual round. Picture your home course. Hit your driver at a fairway-width target; then hit the approach club you would need; then move on to the next "hole". Score a point for every fairway and green you would have hit.

The ladder. Pick three targets at different distances. Hit one ball to each, from nearest to furthest, using a different club for each. Repeat in reverse.

Shape shots. Hit one straight, one curving left, one curving right. Learning to curve the ball deliberately teaches you how the clubface works.

4. Short game and putting (20 minutes)

More than half your strokes are likely to be played within 100 yards of the hole. Spend at least a third of every session there.

• Pitching ladder: hit wedge shots to targets at 30, 50 and 70 yards.
• Chipping: from around the practice green, try to get every ball within a club length.
• Bunker shots: if a practice bunker is available, hit ten shots focusing on hitting the sand two inches behind the ball.
• Putting: lag putts and short putts — see our putting drills.

Block practice vs random practice

Block practice — the same shot, repeated — is useful for learning a new movement. Random practice — changing club, target and shot every time — is better for transferring skills to the course. It feels harder and your results on the range may look worse, but research on motor learning consistently shows it produces better performance when it counts.

A good rule: when you are learning a change, use more block practice. Once it starts to feel natural, move to random practice as quickly as possible.

Drills worth doing regularly

The towel drill (contact)

Lay a towel about four inches behind the ball. Hit iron shots without touching the towel. This trains a ball-first strike.

The gate drill (face and path)

Push two tees into the ground just wider than the clubhead, about a foot in front of the ball on your target line. Hit shots that start between the tees.

The feet-together drill (balance and tempo)

Hit mid irons with your feet together. You will have to swing smoothly and stay balanced to make good contact.

The pause drill (transition)

Swing to the top, pause for a second, then start down. This teaches you to start the downswing with the lower body rather than throwing the club from the top.

The one-arm drill (release)

Hit soft wedge shots holding the club with only your lead arm, then only your trail arm. This develops feel for the role each arm plays.

Tempo counting

Count "one-two-three" on the backswing and "four" at impact. Keep the count the same for every club.

For more on these movements, read golf swing fundamentals.

Make range balls count

• Use your pre-shot routine on at least half the balls you hit.
• Step away between shots. Do not rake and hit in rhythm.
• Track results. Count how many balls finish within a target zone and try to beat your score next time.
• Stop when you are tired. Fatigue leads to sloppy swings that reinforce bad habits.
• Leave the driver until the end — and hit no more than 10 to 15.

Practising on mats vs grass

Many ranges use mats. They are convenient, but they can hide poor contact: the club bounces off the mat into the ball, so a fat shot can look acceptable. Whenever possible, practise from grass. If you must use mats, place a tee or coin behind the ball and try not to touch it, or use impact tape to check strike location.

Range etiquette

• Stay within your hitting bay and never walk forward onto the range.
• Do not hit at range vehicles or staff.
• Keep conversation and phone calls quiet.
• Take divots in lines, not scattered patches, if hitting from grass.
• Return baskets and tidy your bay.

How often should you practise?

Little and often beats occasional marathons. Three 30-minute sessions a week will improve your game far more than one three-hour session. Between range visits, a few minutes of grip, posture and putting practice at home keeps fundamentals sharp.

Sample 30-minute session (when time is short)

1. 5 minutes: wedge half swings to warm up.
2. 10 minutes: one technical focus with a mid iron.
3. 5 minutes: virtual round — six "holes".
4. 10 minutes: chipping and putting.

Practice priorities by ability

Your practice should reflect where you are in your golfing journey.

High handicappers (25+)

• Contact first. Use the towel drill and half swings until you strike the ball consistently.
• Short game every session, especially chipping with a putting stroke and simple bunker technique.
• Lag putting to eliminate three-putts.
• One reliable tee club — often a hybrid or fairway wood rather than the driver.

Mid handicappers (12–24)

• Wedge distances — learn three swing lengths with each wedge and record the carry.
• Tee-shot consistency with your driver or chosen tee club.
• Up-and-down practice from varied lies around the green.
• Pressure games with targets and scoring.

Low handicappers (under 12)

• Proximity to the hole with wedges and short irons.
• Shot shaping and trajectory control for wind and difficult pins.
• Putting from 5–15 feet, where most scoring chances lie.
• Statistics-driven practice to target the weakest area. See how to lower your golf handicap.

Short-game games that build skill

• Par-18 chipping: choose nine different spots around the green; chip and putt from each. Two shots is par — try to beat 18.
• Up and down challenge: drop three balls in difficult spots; count how many you get up and down.
• Landing zone: place a towel on the green and try to land chips on it, watching how the ball releases to the hole.
• One-club challenge: play chips from different distances using only a 7-iron, then only a sand wedge, learning how each club reacts.

Track your progress

Keep a simple practice journal:

• Date, session goals and what you worked on.
• Key scores from games (for example, "7 out of 10 wedges within 15 feet").
• Any feelings or cues that worked.

Review it monthly. Combined with on-course statistics, it shows exactly where your practice is paying off. See how to lower your golf handicap.

Making the most of limited practice time

Most golfers have far less time to practise than they would like. A few principles help you get maximum value from every minute:

• Prioritise your weakest area. If three-putts cost you most, ten minutes of lag putting beats an hour of drivers.
• Practise at home. Grip, posture and alignment can be practised in front of a mirror; putting on a carpet; tempo with slow-motion swings. Five minutes a day adds up.
• Use warm-ups as practice. Before a round, focus your warm-up on one key feeling rather than hitting balls aimlessly.
• Combine practice with play. On quiet evenings, play a few holes with two balls, or practise chips and putts around the last few greens (where permitted).
• Keep a single focus for a few weeks. Changing your focus every session slows progress. Stick with one change until it holds up on the course.

A golfer who practises 20 minutes, three times a week, with purpose, will almost always improve faster than one who hits a large bucket once a fortnight.

Frequently asked questions

How many balls should I hit at the range?

Quality matters more than quantity. For most golfers, 50 to 80 purposeful shots, followed by short-game practice, is ideal.

Should I practise with every club?

Not every session. Focus on the clubs you use most and those you struggle with, and include wedges every time.

Why do I play worse after practising?

You may be practising a change that is not yet automatic, or practising without targets and routine. Use random practice and your routine so range skills transfer to the course.

The bottom line

Effective practice has purpose, targets, routine and variety. Warm up properly, work on one technical goal with block practice, move quickly to random practice and games, and spend at least a third of your time on the short game. Practise little and often, track your results and you will see your range work showing up on the scorecard.

Make practice more fun with golf practice games, or set up at home with golf nets and hitting mats.

Make it count on the course: read taking your range game to the course and alignment stick drills.