What You Should Do at The Driving Range This Winter

I hate the winter! There is a perception among the "Southern Sofites" I play golf with that because I was born in Scotland then I am somehow immune to the miserable, cold and wet weather that we are going to have to endure in the weeks and months ahead. Well let me tell you that your correspondent is a confirmed "Northern Softie" who happens to live south of the border. And one of the reasons I moved to England was because of the better weather.

I detest darkness falling at 4pm. I cannot stand playing on fairways that are rock hard with frost and putting on ice-covered greens, with your golf ball increasing in size as it travels across the green. I hate it when ice clogs up the bottom of my golf shoes. Oh yes, and I am not a big fan of my clubs and clothes constantly being covered in mud.

In short, I love the heat, blue skies and the sun. However, I have always tried to keep playing all year round. 

I have written before about the advantages of spending time at the driving range, and this is the time of year when it really comes into its own.

When you waken up for a pre-arranged round of golf and the rain is hammering down or the course is closed because of fog or ice, do you go back to bed or do you resolve to head to the range? For me, it is the latter. Every single time.

There are all sorts of reasons for making this part of your regular winter routine.

Staying Dry

For starters, you will be playing from a covered bay - and that means that unless the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, you can hit shots and know that you are going to remain dry. 

Technology

If you use a range that features some kind of tracking technology then it means you can hit golf balls and keep a record of the distance you hit the ball, and the shot shape that dominates your game. If you tend to slice the ball, you can have some lessons and use the range to groove in any changes you have to make. This is the ideal time of year to do it - by the time spring comes around you will be ready to impress your golf buddies and lower your scores.

Distance

Bear in mind that if the air is cold then your golf ball is not going to fly as far, so do not be too disheartened or concerned if the technology is telling you that you are hitting the ball 10-20 yards less than you would do during the balmy days of summer (or should that be the balmy DAY of summer?).

Perfect Contact

And if you visit a range that provides you with golf balls that resemble lumps of stone then you should completely ignore the distance you are hitting the ball. Thankfully, increasing numbers of driving ranges do now actually give their users decent golf balls. But if yours is not one of those, simply focus on the contact you make. Even with the cheapest golf ball on the planet, you will know if you have hit it properly.

Grass

I would also suggest that you don’t just hit golf balls from mats. Quite apart from anything else, I question whether it is good for your wrists to hit hundreds of balls off a mat. 

Most ranges have grassed areas and I would always encourage you to use those if you can - and if the weather allows it, of course. At this time of year you will be playing a lot of golf in wet conditions so get out on the grass and get the feeling for this. In wet conditions it is imperative that with your irons you focus on hitting the ball first. We have all experienced those awful "fat" shots - hitting lots of balls from wet grass is a great way of trying to eradicate this from your game.

And please don’t forget to practice your pitching and chipping from wet grass - again, making the right contact is the key and the most important thing. And this is definitely an area where practice makes perfect.

Targets

Set yourself some targets. Don’t just stand there and aimlessly strike golf balls. Every session should have a purpose. 

If you have been struggling with, say, wedge shots to the green then you can spend an entire session with a wedge in your hands, focusing on aiming at the 100-yard marker or mock green. You will be amazed how much your short game will improve if you do this on a regular basis.

Bunkers

Most club golfers complain about the condition of the bunkers at their courses. The chances are that the sand at your driving range will be far from perfect - so throw a bucket of balls into the trap at the range and work out a way to get them out first time, every time. I have discovered that my 52-degree wedge is far more effective in escaping from hard-packed sand than my sand iron. I only worked this out by spending time at the range.

Advantages

What other advantages are there to winter sessions at the range?

If you are considering buying some new clubs, the driving range is the ideal place to try out some demo clubs.

Most driving ranges now have custom-fit centres. The winter might just be the ideal time to get yourself kitted out with a set of clubs that are tailor-made to your swing.

You can film your swing on your mobile device without fear of anybody looking down their noses at you.

You can take a flask of coffee or hot soup with you to keep you warm and toasty.

It may be cold but if you are hitting dozens of golf balls you are not going to feel it because the effort of doing so will keep you warm.

You can wear whatever you want - you are on your own, just you, your thoughts and 100 golf balls. It doesn’t matter what you look like.

You can hit 50 balls and then head to the cafe for a break and then go back and hit another 50 - it’s a bit like having a personal halfway house at your disposal.

If you are hitting balls from a covered bay then you can rest easy in the knowledge that your clubs will not end up covered in mud at the end of your session.

In short, going to the driving range during the winter is a no-brainer!

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