How Much Range Time?

Bigborgel

When I was a younger player, I would go to the range on my way home from work 2-3 times a week. When I retired, still went a couple times a week. Now, in my seventies, not only do I not go to the range at all, but we no longer warm up on the range before play. The prevailing wisdom is there is not enough energy stored for the range and 18 holes. My problem is that it can take me 3-4 holes to find my swing, especially on second shots, and my scores reflect it. Played yesterday, shot 54 on the front, hit 7 fairways tho, and 42 on the back. Not playing for the past 2 weeks didn't help either. Don't enjoy the range mostly because ofthe shitty range balls, so I practice my chipping and putting before play.

SVonhof

Bigborgel
Do you take practice swings before each shot?

If so, stop doing it and you can have some energy to spare so you can split a small bucket with a playing partner before getting out on the course.

When my wife and I play, I swear she needs a full hole or 2 before she has her normal swing down, so when I can, I make sure we split a small bucket first. It really does help.

DC300

I make almost no time for it. I like to go before I play if I can, but it's rare at best. When I do, I usually settle in earlier and shoot better.

Par4QC

As my late brother, 123PUNT, used to say...."I've only got 18 holes in me."
No range time here. If doing a tourney, you'll find me on the practice putting green, or off doing short chips. Maybe hit a couple drivers, then good to go.

ode

0 range time, all practice on the course.

rsvman

I almost never hit balls on the range before a round of golf. And up until about a month ago, I almost never hit balls on the range at all.

I'm working on a slight swing change, and it seems to be working out so far, so I'm going to the range about once a week to hit a bucket just to make sure I don't lose the feeling. I used to dislike practicing at the range but I've been enjoying it recently; I'll see how long it lasts.

professor

Hah-hah! Silly golfers... (Oh, I count myself among them.)

Yeah, I too tend to exercise little common sense and intelligence. Go cold to the tee and hope to not have a train-wreck within the first three holes.

I know that's stupid!
Wouldn't a low round have a greater likelihood of happening if we're truly shooting for pars on those first few holes?

sdandrea1

Almost never, but if/when I do, I play better. Typically I get to the course, stretch, swing a few clubs and tee it up. I live on a golf course for 6 months of the year, so I do get out on the closing 3 holes that start in my back yard and practice a few times/week.

Rickochet

sdandrea1 Almost never, but if/when I do, I play better.

+1 I hate going to the range. It helps if I can stretch before I play and hit a few balls, not a bucket full. I have a heavy training club I try to swing before I start and hit 5 or 6 shag balls into the weeds or range. I keep a big bucket of "hit away" balls in my truck and put some in my pocket before each round. If I just go up to the first tee cold my scoring on the first 3 or 4 holes really suffers. It's more about getting my 67 year old muscles warmed up as anything.

Sneakylong

Used to love being a range rat. Loved going to courses with those big buckets and have unlimited range balls to hit. Then I developed chronic elbow problems. Had to limit my range time (practice) etc..

Now I've given it up (range time) altogether. I normally play three times a week and will stretch and take some practice swings before my round to warm up, but no more range balls.

Bottom line. My scores stayed the same and my elbows seemed to like it also. Now if I could only figure out this pinched nerve in my neck. The key for me is to just take some practice swings (hitting the turf) to see where my swing bottom is that day and usually I'm good to go.

azgreg

Usually about once a week for me plus a day or two a week at the chipping/pitching area.

PA-PLAYA

These days I'm not spending a whole lot of time working on my swing at the range. But still... I gotta hit a few balls to warm up and loosen the muscles. Maybe 20-30 balls, with like a 9-iron, 7-iron, hybrid club and a few drivers.

In the past I would often say a warmup prior to the round was worth at least 4-5 strokes. As I've gotten older, it might actually be worth 6-7 strokes. And most importantly - potentially worth helping avoid a visit to the chiropractor a day or two later.

That said... when I'm hitting quirky shots with my irons, I gotta get to the range and work it out. I'm not one of those guys who can fix things on the fly on the course.

letthebigdogshunt

Over the years I have had lots of range time during the week to almost none at all. In the 90's I lived on just under ten acres and had an area where I could hit wedges from the back of my house. I would hit 30-40 balls 2-3 times a day. I played 3 times during the week and on Sundays. Rarely hit the range. Late 90's we moved to a small course that was just minutes from the house. I hit the range every day. I played many times a week and practiced my short game before and after I played. Moved again and the course I played I had free balls at the range with a short game practice area. Before playing I would always hit range first and hit about 15-25 balls before playing just enough to warm up. Those days I did not play I went to the range and practiced hitting just one bucket but spent hours on the short game area. Today the course we are at tore out the driving range and is building condos, townhouses and commercial buildings on that area. So I no longer practice at all. I take practice swings in the house on bad weather days and those days that are nice I swing on my patio and check out my set up, posture, grip, half swings and full swings in the patio sliding glass doors.

mulegolf

We don't have a range at the course I belong to. There is no room to put one. I used to go to the range at a neighboring course at the beginning of the year to get my swing back for another year. I would then go back during the year when my swing was having problems. It usually involved over swinging and/or getting fast in my swing. I would start out with bag of balls and hit them all with a PW, just to try to regain my timing. After that I would hit a bag of balls with my 7 iron, another bag with a hybrid and finally the last bag I would split between a fairway wood and my driver. By the end of the session I would have my timing back and my game usually was better for a while, unless I played in a scramble (which always gets me over swinging and fast). Another trip to a range was almost always in order then.

PA-PLAYA

The range at my prior club consisted of a couple of mats and a few hitting bays into a net. You had to get there at the right time to at least get in line to hit 10-15 balls prior to teeing off.

Funny, but hitting into a net for 5 minutes, still, was better than going to the first tee cold-turkey. Another aspect of that was that you really couldn't get a feel for anything outside of good contact. There was no tracking the flight of the ball, no feedback from the depth/size of the divot. In an odd way, that basically removed any expectations, good or bad, and achieved the ultimate goal of just getting loose.

But I still prefer hitting off of grass and seeing the flight of the ball for the warmup. I'm fortunate that my current club has greatly improved/expanded our driving range. It was only about 5 years ago when we were basically hitting off of a mat, into a net about 30 yards away. Now we've got about 3 acres, flag targets at 100-125-150-175 and 250 yards. It really is a nice range, especially compared to what it used to be. The only snafu is that it sits atop the property and is always windy up there because of the highest elevation. But... better than it used to be!

GLFTPS

I practice three times per week. On the three days that I play, I get there one and a half hours early. Putt, chip, pitch, sand ...work through the bag and then putt again before the first tee. We have a great range at my club and can practice every type of shot. Practice is fun for me and not work. I don't beat balls over and over but concentrate on the basics with each shot. I am 72 and a 4 handicap. Lessons and practice are important to me and it is part of the enjoyment of the game. Nothing wrong with no practice or warm up if that is what you want and what you enjoy.