Overcoming Plateaus in Your Game: Take Your Driving Range Routine to the Next Level

Britt Olizarowicz

Apr 19, 2024 . 8 mins read

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Did you ever have a goal to break 90 or 100 in golf?

Let’s say you hit that goal you squeezed out the 89, 99 or even 79, but then your game just hovered around this milestone for a long time.

Hitting plateaus in golf is common, and if you want to take your game to the next level, you have to get over them. Some players head out to purchase the latest driver or putter to come to the market.

Others find the secret at the driving range. Here are some of the best ways to overcome plateaus in your game and start getting those scores lower.

Key Takeaways

If you don’t have time to read through all these great methods for overcoming plateaus and using the driving range to take your game to the next level, here are some key takeaways. Use these to give yourself a head start and then come back for the in depth guide.

• Get outside of your comfort zone and have a driving range session that focuses only on your weakness.
• Use technology like HackMotion and golf training aids to help you fine-tune the weak spots in your game.
• Set measurable goals for yourself, like mastering a draw or a fade, and then take that with you onto the course.
• Change up the routine, the location, the time of day, and how you practice.
• Incorporate physical fitness into your driving range practice and preparation.
• Don’t be afraid to get tough on yourself; it has to be a challenge to break through these plateaus, and with the right tools and mindset, you can do it.

Overcome Golf Plateaus by Optimizing Your Driving Range Sessions

Have a Driving Range Session Only Focused on the Weakness

The best way to overcome a plateau and really breakthrough is to have ugly driving range sessions.

Sessions where you work on the weakest link in your golf game, and you battle through until that area of the game is no longer weak.

For instance, let’s say your long fairway shots are the worst for you. Every time you have a 200-yard shot into the green, your fairway woods and hybrids fail.

Go to the range with the intention of working on these clubs until something works. Play with your setup, grip, wrist angles and swing tempo until you start to see what causes the problem.

You may look like a beginner golfer on the range but that is what the driving range is for. Without this type of hard work and grip, you’ll stay at your current level forever.

Use Technology and Tools

Sometimes, you are unaware of an underlying issue in your golf swing. Maybe noticing that your club path is off or your wrist extension is extreme coming through the ball could help you improve your game.

Golf technology like video recording of your swing, portable launch monitors, and the HackMotion wrist sensor can make it possible to pick up on these little errors that you have in your game.

Without the use of technology, it could take weeks to find these low score inhibiting issues.

Set Goals You Can Measure

What is your goal?

Is it to shoot 75 to not miss a fairway, to two putt every green?

If you plan on reaching goals, you have to set goals you can measure. If you are struggling to overcome a plateau, here are a few goals to consider setting.

• Hit one more green in regulation per round than average.
• Lower average putts per round by one or two putts.
• Hit one more fairway than you typically do.
• No golf balls out of bounds for three rounds in a row.
• One swing to get out of a bunker every time.

Once you have goals like this you can then transfer them into your golf practice.

For instance, if your goal is to hit one more green in regulation per round, you can work on wrist angle and ensure less extension through impact. You will hit straighter shots with better distance and control.

Bring Some Variety into the Routine

One way you can help yourself get out of a slump is to bring some variety into the routine.

Do you have a spot on the range you like where you just pick the same bucket of balls and hit for an hour and think you are checking the boxes?

Change it up.

With our interactive guide, finding the perfect driving range practice plan is easy.

You can fine-tune the plan based on your time and the specifics of your game that need help.

To change up the routine, think about going at a different time of day, using clubs you don’t normally bring with you and maybe even bringing a friend for some friendly competition and a change of pace.

Practice Visualization

Maybe you feel like you are making progress on the driving range, but the course is harder for you. This could be because of mental struggles and a lack of visualization.

The next time you go to the driving range, try working on some visualization techniques. Whether your goal is to break 100 or 70, you can benefit from this process.

This video shows some of the best ways you can work on visualization.

Check in with a Swing Coach

The great thing about the driving range is that you can work at your own pace to improve your game.

However, it does make sense from time to time to check in with a swing coach. Your coach can let you know if you are on the right track if you have the right mindset, and if you are working on the correct things.

For some golfers it’s enough to do this once a year, others may need once every few months.

When you get that information from your golf coach, start to use it to change your driving range routine to better suit your goals.

Incorporate Some Fitness

If you have not already incorporated fitness into your overall golf practice routine, it’s time to start. Golf fitness is a game changer, and it will help you lower your scores and see big changes in your game.

I’ve seen golfers change nothing in their swing or technique and simply start adding physical fitness to their routine. It resulted in scores being lowered by a few shots.

There are two things to work on with golf specific physical fitness:

• Flexibility and stability.
• Stamina.

You’ll need more flexibility and stability to get more distance from your shots. The stamina will keep you going even when your body gets tired.

Get a Little Tougher on Yourself

This is tough because you don’t want to take this too far. However, getting just a little tougher on yourself as you work on becoming a better player can really pay off. The key here is to focus more on precision than anything else.

If you were on the course and your shot missed the green by 10 yards, would you call it a good shot?

If you answered no, you must also ensure you are not calling these good golf shots on the range. Be more precise at the driving range and expect more from yourself. To get to the next level your missed shots need to be closer to the hole.

Use these guides to see where your game could be lacking and keep you from going lower.

• How to Break 70 in Golf
• How to Break 80 in Golf
• Breaking 85 in Golf Consistently
• How to Break 90 in Golf Consistently
• Tips & Strategies to Consistently Break 100

How Long Should I Practice When Overcoming Plateaus?

Amateur golfers often asked us about the length of time they should practice when overcoming issues with their game. The key here is not about the length of consistency of the practice but more about the quality.

Every practice session should have a plan. In addition, you’ll want to stay mentally engaged and reach your goals. Simply hitting golf balls isn’t enough; you should also work on your swing.

Here’s a general guideline to keep in mind:

The more you play, the more time you need to practice. If this is the general guideline, feel free to increase the number of sessions or duration when overcoming plateaus.

Final Thoughts

At this point you have enough info to take your driving range routine to the next level and overcome your plateau.

Don’t settle on the scores you are currently shooting, if you put in the time you’ll be able to overcome your plateau and shoot lower scores.

Plan out your driving range practice, give it a few months and then check in and see if it’s working.