Here’s what you should be doing on the range to improve your golf game

So you’ve got some extra time on your hands and you’ve decided it’s finally time to work on your golf game. Going to the range is a good place to start, but once you’re there, how should you best spend your time?

In this week’s edition of GOLF FAQs, some of our top teachers share their advice for making the most out of your time on the range.

“When you go to a practice range, the only thing they charge you for is the golf balls,” Joe Plecker says. “The putting greens are free. You can go and stay as long as you want.”

Plecker makes a logical point. If you’re a very good golfer, you’ll still spend two strokes on every hole using your putter. As your putting game comes together, your scorecard will too.

But time at the range isn’t just about giving yourself physical reps, Brady Riggs says.

“You really need to practice in a competitive space,” Riggs says. “You want to challenge yourself in your practice so you’re doing things as similar as you can to when you play.”

It’s easy to get lulled to sleep by hundreds of range balls, but those mental reps today will pay major dividends tomorrow.

“If you’re just on the range, you’re hitting shots with no consequence at all, then on the golf course it’ll feel very different,” Riggs says. “You want to practice with the consequence, it’ll make a huge difference.”

In that vein, heading into your range session with a focus beyond “getting some swings” can be the difference between growth and stagnation, says Tony Ruggiero.

“Have a plan, know the number of balls you’re going to hit, so you can get in and get out,” Ruggiero says. “Hit clubs that matter. Your driver, your wedge. Then go putt.”

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