MY GOLF BLUEPRINT

Your first driving range session

A golfer swinging a driver from the tee. — Photo: Markus Spiske / Pexels

A useful first session has one clear task and enough pauses to learn from each shot. A large bucket is not a practice plan.

Work through it

Ask staff about bay boundaries, tees and range rules.
Warm up with comfortable movements, then short shots.
Choose one target and a short iron for your first block.
Move to a longer club only after you can keep the ball in the safe hitting area.
Leave the final few balls for the task that needs another look.

A practical example

A short note such as “heel contact increases when I rush the setup” is more actionable than “the driver was terrible.”

Practice task

Use a 30-minute session: five minutes preparing, fifteen on short contact, five on target changes and five recording what happened. Count useful observations rather than total balls.

Common mistakes

Never step ahead of the hitting line to retrieve a ball. Avoid changing grip, stance and swing thought after every miss. Fatigue can make the final balls less useful than the first.

Choose a comfortable movement and change one variable at a time. Stop if a movement causes pain; a qualified coach can adapt the task to your mobility and experience.