Four Must Dos Every Time You Practice on a Golf Driving Range

Teeing it up at the range is good fun for golfers of all ability levels. Whether you're getting dialed in for the upcoming round or just looking to have a good time, having good range habits and routines can make a big difference in how fast your game improves.

Here are four essential practice habits to incorporate into every driving range session that can give you an edge over time.

It is amazing to me how many people aim at the 150 yard white stake in the center of the golf driving range as their target for 90% of their shots. When you are out there on the course, chances are you are not in the center of the fairway and looking at a pin in the center of the green! When you are at the range, make sure you pick out numerous targets located on the left, right and center of the range. You do not need to always be targeting a pin flag or large stake either. Pick out a tree in the distance and focus your efforts on hitting your shots at that tree. We all need to focus on hitting punchouts through the tree, right? If you really need help with your alignment, you should get some alignment sticks to help you focus on specific targets.

Before you start banging balls into the range, determine your range session focus for the day. For instance, if you are working on driving, hit hybrids and 3 woods, not just your driver. Although everyone wants to hit driver off every tee, some holes are not meant for a driver on the tee shot. Most people will start by just bringing out their driver and aimlessly start hitting balls into the range. Use multiple clubs and build up to hitting the driver to accomplish your driving goals.

Want to really take your range sessions to the next level? Consider investing in a launch monitor. Modern compact launch monitors have come a long way in the past few years and are putting high-precision tracking in your pocket for a price that won't break the bank.

No matter what your range focus is for the day, you should always warm up at the range by hitting a few wedge shots first. Next time you are going to a golf driving range, make sure you hit at least 5 wedge shots with a pitching wedge or sand wedge before you get deep into your range session. Since wedges are the easiest clubs in the bag to hit, a few simple wedge shots will help you build momentum for your swing and ideally will build confidence in your swing when you need to start working on those hardest shots in golf.

Do you have a golf swing routine? For you NBA fans, those free throw routines don’t just apply to basketball players. Creating a swing routine is all personal preference, but developing a swing routine for the golf course helps you create tempo and muscle memory to hit good shots. My personal routine is always taking 1 practice swing, backing up from the ball and then tapping my left foot before pulling the trigger for my swing. When going to a golf driving range you are often hitting between 50-100 balls. If you do not have a routine, create one during your next range session and mentally focus on doing the same routine for every shot on the range. Creating and practicing a routine is not fun, but it can pay major dividends on the course.

If you are looking for a bonus tip while at the driving range, stretch! Making sure you stretch before your practice session starts and maybe even after the session will help you be prepared for a better range session.