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If you want to practice golf then you should do so correctly. Only go to the range if you have a specific purpose in mind, like having a drill to work on or warming up. By the way, warming up is not practice.
I see far too many people at driving ranges with a pyramid of 100 balls which they whip through in half an hour - or worse, 15 minutes. If you play a round of golf and are a really good golfer (scratch) you will play 72 shots in about four hours and 15 minutes. So why do people whack 100 balls in 15 minutes and call that practice?
Firstly I think a hundred balls is far too much for the average golfer (remember the average golfer's handicap is over 18) per practice session. Let me explain.
When practicing you should have something specific in mind. Whether that is to learn to draw the ball with a driver, practice chips, hit long or medium irons working the ball or whatever it is you should be there with a specific goal in mind.
Before you even start practicing wear the right gear. By that I mean wear the same clothes you would if you were actually playing golf. Put on a golf shirt, golf trousers and golf shoes. Use a glove if you play with one. Do not get to the range from the office and hit balls in your work lounge shirt and work shoes.
To start off your practice session do some stretching. Ninety-nine per cent of people don't bother with this at all. They are on their way home from the office and expect their muscles to perform after sitting behind a desk all day. How can we expect good results? In fact I've seen people injure themselves because of this bad practice. Warm up and stretching can literally mean swing a couple of clubs for 5 -10 minutes.
OK, so now you're correctly attired, you have stretched and resisted the temptation of hitting 100 balls, having settled for 50. You have also allowed yourself enough time to do things properly and slowly. With 50 balls I would suggest between 45 minutes to an hour.
Before you hit the first ball go over in your mind what you plan to do and then let your muscles know. The way to do this is to pretend that you have selected a ball, selected a club and are ready to go. Follow the normal pre-shot routine you would if you were at the golf course. With club in hand approach the imaginary ball from behind, select your target line and step up to the imaginary ball. Go through the motion of a full swing, without a ball. Get feedback from the feeling in your hands, legs, club, and take-away, follow-through and body. Repeat the exercise one more time without a ball.
If everything feels right, go ahead this time with a golf ball. Analyse the feedback and determine if the ball did what you intended. Make a mental or physical adjustment if required for the next shot.
Now look over at the cubicle next to you and you will see another player on his seventh ball. He is simply lashing away and getting rid of his bucket as if each ball has the plague! These people I call machine-gun golfers. It is a discipline to practice like this. A great way of not hitting ball after ball is by putting the balls a couple of yards away from you. This means you have to walk away to get another ball and then reapply your set up.
Repeat the process for each of the 50 balls in your bucket. After about the 10th or 12th ball the neighbour in the next cubicle will have been to get another bucket of balls. Do not let this worry you.
With each ball in your bucket go through the routine you would on a golf course and have at least two practice swings for each ball that you hit. By doing this you will have had 150 practice swings, each with a particular purpose in mind. It should take you about an hour and you should have had at least three different neighbours during this time - if not, you may have gone too fast.
You will probably also find that you will be a bit more exhausted than you normally would be after lashing 100 balls in double quick time.
Slow down, practice with a purpose and enjoy the experience. You will find that practice sessions become beneficial. Happy practicing & good luck!.
