Stop Going To the Range

 

Before you click away from this blog or roll your eyes at me, let me explain something really quick. I don’t want you to stop going to the range. The driving range is a valuable tool for golfers to be able to work on their game and fine-tune their swings. Not to mention it’s the best place to accurately gauge your yardages and learn how far you hit each club. What I mean by “stop going to the range” is simply to spend less time there and more time in the course playing, that’s all. But the title “Spend Less Time On the Range and Play More Golf” isn’t as catchy, so here we are.

The absolute best way to get better at something is to simply do it. Practice makes perfect, right? Well, it’s no different in golf. The more you practice, the better you will get. Here’s the problem, though. If all your “practice” is at the range, then you’re not putting yourself in situations and scenarios you will face out on the course. If you hit 100 balls off the same surface, with the same lie, on the same line, with the same wind conditions, what are you improving about your game? The range should be the place to fine-time your swing and master your mechanics, but it should never replace just being on the course seeing different shots and facing all kinds of different situations. That is what will make you a better golfer.

I guess what I’m saying is that the range and the course each have their place, and we should be aware of the benefits of each. You shouldn’t forego the range to only play rounds of golf, but you also shouldn’t spend too much time on the range and never play a round. Golf is about consistency and reps, and you can never get too many. So if you want my advice, just spend as much time on both the range and the course as you possibly can. Don’t stop going to the range, just know that the best way to become a better golfer is to just get out on the course and play more rounds.