Maximize Your Driving Range Practice: A Simple 1h15 Structured Routine to Boost Golf Performance with Goal-Setting and Efficient Exercise Distribution

For every golfer, going to the driving range is a key step in progression. However, practicing without a plan or specific goal risks making these sessions ineffective. Many golfers, even experienced ones, fall into the trap of “mechanical practice”: hitting balls continuously without particular intention, often out of mere habit. The result: hours spent training with little improvement.

To avoid this, it is important to approach each practice session as an investment. By structuring your training and setting concrete goals, you can double or even triple the effectiveness of your time spent at the driving range.

Common mistake: practicing without a goal

Before restructuring their sessions, a golfer may spend hours on the practice mat repeating a pattern that yields few results. Typically, it looks like this:

• Two buckets of balls: one bucket for wedges and irons, another for woods (notably the driver).
• Some approaches with a sand wedge to finish.

This type of session is common and leaves little room for improvement because it lacks specific goals. Here is how to turn this kind of practice into a moment of real progress.

Step 1: Set a precise goal for each session

To make the most of your time, each practice session should be guided by a goal. It doesn’t need to be revolutionary. It could be:

• Improving a specific area of your game: wedges, approaches, putting, etc.
• Increasing the accuracy of your shots by setting clear targets.
• Achieving a target score with a limited number of balls to simulate a game situation.

The value of this goal is to give direction to your training. For example, if you decide to work on approaches, you might finish the session with a “performance test” using 10 balls aiming for a specific score.

Step 2: Structure the practice session to maximize effectiveness

It is essential to define the session flow in advance. This step may seem obvious, but many golfers neglect this preparation. After discussions with several renowned coaches, a simple yet effective structure emerges for each session:

1. Total duration: 1h15
   • By limiting the session length to just over an hour, you stay focused and avoid falling into the routine of the “endless swing.”
2. Start with putting (at least 25 minutes)
   • Putting is one of the most decisive areas of the game; it is essential to work on it first. Dedicating at least 25 minutes at the beginning of the session to this practice allows you to lay a solid foundation for the rest of your training.
3. Two targeted exercises on a specific area of your game
   • Then, spend about 40 to 50 minutes working on two specific exercises according to your goal of the day. This can include shots with irons, driving, or approaches. Alternating exercises helps vary demands and avoid boredom.

Examples of exercises to include in your sessions

Here are some concrete exercise ideas to structure your sessions according to game areas:

Exercises for irons and wedges

• Visual targets: place markers on the range to visualize your distance and direction goals.
• Trajectory management: vary the attack angle by playing low shots, high shots, and with different effects.

Exercises for driving

• Precision target: aim for precise zones by aligning a reference point.
• Distance control: alternate between powerful shots and control shots to improve consistency.

Exercises for approaches

• Precision circle: place circles of different sizes around the target and try to land your balls within them.
• Game simulation: reproduce game situations to develop your adaptability under real conditions.

Why a well-structured 1h15 session is more effective than 3 hours of continuous hitting

By focusing your attention on specific goals and limiting the length of your sessions, you avoid the mental and physical fatigue that can occur during prolonged sessions. Targeted training optimizes your performance by reducing time wasted on repetitive and unstimulating shots.

In summary: Let’s double the effectiveness of our golf training

Structuring your practice sessions based on specific goals is a powerful way to accelerate your progress in golf. By allocating 1h15 per session and diversifying your exercises, you will turn your practice into moments of tangible progress, with measurable results in the long term.

Take the time to prepare each session and set yourself an achievable but motivating goal for each one. You will quickly notice that this targeted work can drastically improve your real-game performance and make your practice training much more satisfying.

‍