Give your whole golf bag a workout
Focus, concentrate
Have Fun!
Give your whole golf bag a workout. Just watch the average golfer on the driving range for a few minutes, and you'll see how he or she will typically hit most of the practice shots with a few clubs-most likely their favorites or the ones that perform the best for them. One golfer might want to dazzle the other people on the range with how far they hit the driver, for example. The problem is, how often do you use a driver in a typical round? If the course has four par 3's, you will hit your driver a maximum of 14 times. If you score an average of 90 strokes per round, that means other clubs were used 76 times! Make sure you hit at least a few practice shots with each club in your bag. And don't neglect your short game. Those pitch and chip shots may not be as fun to hit on the range as the booming drives, but developing those skills is the real key to better scoring.
Focus, concentrate. Too many golfers waste the time they spend on the practice range by not taking it seriously, especially when they are hitting warm-up shots before a round. They take or make cell phone calls in between shots so they can keep in touch with the office. They watch the other golfers' practice swings. Or just socialize with their friends. Professional golfers approach practice much differently. They try to go into the same zone of concentration they achieve on the course. They eliminate distractions. They think about each shot and what they want to achieve before addressing the ball.
Have fun! If you can make your practice time an enjoyable experience, you will most likely get out the range more often. Try making a game out of it. Most driving ranges have yardage flags spaced out to show you how far you have hit the ball. Use your imagination and simulate a golf hole as you practice. Maybe your imaginary first hole is 425 yards for example. Start with your driver, tee off and note your distance. Maybe you hit it 240 yards, leaving you 185 yards to the "green". Pick out a green-sized area 185 yards away and try to hit the target. Maybe you come up 25 yards short. Take out your pitching wedge, select an area 25 yards down the range and try to pitch the ball close to your imaginary flagstick. This little game helps you get your mind, and muscles, ready for the challenges you will face on the course. Just don't get so engrossed in your imaginary game on the range that you forget to go the first tee when it's time for your round.
Practice these tips and you'll improve your golf score.