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Lowering Your Handicap on the Driving Range

Whether you’re a regular or occasional golfer, there is always room for improvement. The driving range is an ideal place to hone your skills. Tappan Golf Center in Tappan, New York, is a public golf center with a driving range and a perfectly manicured 18-hole golf course to help players of all levels step up their game. Here, we discuss how avid and amateur golfers can use the driving range to lower their golf handicaps.

Practice Consistently

Practice makes perfect. Even if your goal isn’t to be a perfect golfer, consistently visiting the driving range is essential to increase yardage off the tee, which can lower your handicap. Your scores on the course will reflect the effort and work you put in at the range.

We recommend beginners spend 30-60 minutes on the course three to four times a week to prevent burnout or fatigue. For more experienced golfers, spending two to four hours a week at the range may be more beneficial. No matter how much time you put in at the range, you want to keep each session focused. Spend one session working on improving swinging and driving techniques, another testing new clubs, and one simulating a real round of golf.

Perfect Your Putts

Most golf strokes happen within a few hundred yards of the hole. A poor putt can add five or six strokes to your score. After 18 holes of golf, these extra strokes significantly impact your handicap. Conversely, a strong hit on the green can result in a score closer to par. Perfecting your putts is essential to gain an advantage on the course.

During your driving range sessions, practice your short game. This part of the game relies on touch and feel more than strength and power, so experiment with different shots and approaches. Setting aside 15 minutes every session can help you develop an in-depth and inherent understanding of how hard (or soft) you need to contact the ball to get it in the hole with one or two putts.

Use Every Club

One of the best ways to improve your golf score is by practicing with every club during your range sessions. Start your session by picking a target and going through your routine. Then, tee off using your driver. Once you hit the ball, select your iron based on an imagined distance to the hole. Finally, practice your approach. You also want to practice using wedges and woods to navigate obstacles on the course. While driving ranges don’t have bunkers or sand traps, you can still learn essential skills like hooking and slicing.

Utilize Technology

Technology has revolutionized the golf game. Launch monitors track your swing speed, launch angle, and spin rate so you can adjust your distance and accuracy. These metrics allow you to improve your technique over time, lowering your handicap.

At Tappan Golf Center, we provide golfers access to Toptracer technology to provide real-time insights into shot data, including ball speed, flight, and more. In addition, our center features a NOVOGOLF center to create custom clubs fitted to your needs.

Work With a Professional

Golfers plateau when they don’t know how to progress past their current level. Professional golf instructors can help you improve every aspect of your game by teaching you new shots and techniques. Working with a professional ensures you maintain proper form when swinging and have the right approach when using an iron or wood.

Lower Your Golf Handicap and Improve Your Game at Tappan Golf Center

Lowering your golf handicap requires consistent practice. At Tappan Golf Center in Tappan, NY, our driving range is open year-round and features one hundred heated and weather-protected hitting bays. Contact us today to learn more about our public golf club and driving range or inquire about golf lessons.