What I’ve learned about the pre-round range session (most golfers get this wrong).

Mar 12 • Discussion

After years playing professionally and working inside the ropes on the PGA Tour, one thing became obvious:

Most amateurs treat the range like a swing-fixing session. Or have no idea what they should be doing.

The best players treat it as calibration for the day.

Here are three things that make a huge difference.

1. Always use an alignment stick.

Almost nobody does this.

Alignment drifts slowly without you realizing it. A little left, a little right… and suddenly your swing starts compensating.

Every tour player I’ve ever seen checks alignment on the range. Every time.

If alignment is off before the round, what do you expect to happen on the course?

2. The range is for loosening up and discovering your shot pattern today.

You might normally play a fade.

But today the ball might be going straight… or even drawing a little.

This is not the moment to rebuild your swing.

Instead, notice what is happening and choose one or two simple feels that you can return to during the round.

If things get messy on the course, ask yourself:

“What were my feels on the range?”

That question alone can reset you back into the present instead of trying to fix mechanics mid-round.

3. Practice different shots.

The course rarely gives you perfect lies.

Hit a few:

Prepare for the situations the course will actually give you.

The goal of the range session isn’t perfection.

It’s calibration.

Alignment.

Feel for the day.

Shot variety.

Do that well and the course becomes much easier to manage.

Curious:

What does your pre-round range session usually look like?

Do you have a structure, or do you mostly just hit balls until the round starts?

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