How Should one Practice at the Range
The purpose of this article is for those who buy a bucket of range balls and just hit them. For the past two weeks at the driving range I have noticed a couple of things when patrons hit balls. People are pulling out their drivers and start hitting golf balls all over the place (mostly a slice). If it’s not that, they are hitting the mat first or just topping the golf ball.
Overall this leads to frustration and of course a couple dirty words. Before you begin just think for a moment what is it that your doing wrong. Then do the following, take 2 golf clubs and pick out a target out on the range. Lay one down toward your intended target and the other about 7 yards left or right of that intended target. Like most we aim our bodies at the target when we play golf and not our club head. Remember what makes the golf ball go to where we want it to go?? After that find the smallest golf tee to hit golf balls off of. That’s right a tee, this is what to top players on the tour do when practicing.
Again most of us have a tough time hitting the ball up in the air. If you slice or pull the golf ball I want you to do the following. Take a 9 iron, put a golf ball on a tee and with your lead arm only, learn to hit golf balls with just that arm. You should learn a couple of things by doing that drill.
Lastly, if your having a swing path issue, try this one out. Get set up like you would normally to a golf ball, slide your back foot back to where at least the toes of that foot are in line with the lead heel. Put the toes in the ground and the HEEL up. Start hitting balls, your foot can not hit the ground at all.
Again this a drill you want to do about ten times, then you want to hit balls the regular way. Save about ten golf balls toward the end and try to hit those off the ground or matt. This should get you you going in the right direction.
Happy golfing to all that read this article and the others.