Driving range
A practice facility with hitting bays and an open landing area, used to repeat shots without playing a hole.
Overview
A driving range is a practice ground: players hit from a line of bays or mats out into a large open area, usually marked with distance targets. Balls are supplied in baskets and collected by the range, so a player can hit dozens of shots in the time a single hole would take.
Ranges are where most beginners start, because there is no pressure of score, pace or etiquette to manage while the swing is being learned. Many also have short-game areas and practice putting greens, which is where the shots that actually save strokes get rehearsed.
Good to know
- Ranges let a player repeat a shot many times in a short session.
- They remove score and pace pressure while a swing is being learned.
- Distance markers make it possible to check how far each club actually goes.
- Short-game and putting areas are where most strokes are genuinely saved.
- Clubs can usually be hired, so a range visit needs no equipment of your own.
Where it’s used
Sports that use driving range:
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Driving range to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Skills
- DrivingThe skill of hitting a long tee shot that sets up the rest of the hole from a playable position.
- PuttingThe skill of rolling the ball along the green so it drops into the hole.
- FootworkThe skill of moving efficiently around the playing area to be in position for each shot or action.
- ChippingThe short lofted shot played from near the green to get the ball rolling toward the hole.
Techniques
- Golf Full SwingThe complete rotational swing used for tee shots and longer approach shots, from setup through backswing to a balanced finish.
- One-Handed BackhandA backhand groundstroke struck with a single hand on the grip, driving through the ball with a full extension of the hitting arm.
- Chip ShotA compact lofted shot from close to the green that carries a short distance and then rolls to the hole.
Learning paths
Practice & sessions
- Open-play sessionA turn-up-and-play session of informal, often social games — less structured than practice, focused on playing rather than drilling.
- Partner practicePractising with one other person — feeding, rallying and drilling together so you both get repetition, a live target and instant feedback.
How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Facility
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-08-30
Evergreen, first-party explanation — it makes no claim that needs an external source. How we handle sources and reviews.