Few of us relish the thought of hitting lots of balls on the driving range especially now with the on-set of autumn and winter and the cold and dark nights that come as a result.
However it is important to keep your swing as “grooved” as possible during these months and by making your practice exciting and challenging you may find that you enjoy it more than you would expect.
For me the key to any practice you do should be that it reflects realistically what you would do on the actual golf course.
Don’t stand on the driving range hitting ball after ball aligned as dictated by the usual square mats most ranges have. Instead set yourself different targets that enable you to practice your pre-shot alignment routine. In addition work on getting the distance right by using different clubs.
A good idea is to play “pretend” round of golf by starting off with a drive down a “make believe” fairway that you have picked out for yourself between say two targets. If you hit a good tee shot then decide on what the next shot would be and play it e.g. a 7 iron to a target that would match the distance you would normally hit your 7 iron. If you hit a good solid shot then assume you will 2 putt as a result and then play another tee shot. If you play a less than good shot pretend you have to play a chip or pitch shot to get you either back into position or to get the ball on the green.
Keep a note of your score and reward yourself accordingly if you feel that you played well overall with whatever takes your fancy.
I guarantee that your practice session will go by very quickly but you will be better able to apply what you practice to the real situation on the actual course when you next go to play.
