We have all been there, or have seen the people that grind out a large bucket of balls in 20 minutes, and hit very few good shots. Sometimes we’re just at the range to have some time to ourselves, but other times we’re truly hoping to get better. When you’re putting in time at the range, are you practicing effectively?

Studies show that the most effective practices for golfers are game-like practices, or target oriented practices. This is where you are not grinding out a large bucket with the same club, and getting frustrated about a consistent miss. Rather, you are analyzing every shot you take, and making the proper corrections with more practice swings, or techniques to train your body to perform the correct movements. Here are a few tips to make your practice sessions more fun, and effective.

• Pick a target for every shot. Act as though each ball is a shot on the course that has a specific aim point and trajectory needed.
• Play “holes” on the range. Don’t only hit one club in your practice sessions. Start with a driver and pick an imaginary fairway between two flags on the range. Then, grab whatever club you think you would need for your second shot, then a nice chip or pitch. Then back to the driver for your next imaginary hole. If you have a errant shot, try it again, but only a few times until you move on.

This type of practice allows your brain to make quick adjustments based on what your body is doing in the moment, and avoids having you get stuck in a routine that doesn’t serve you well.