Well ... 99.9% of all golfers I see on the range are just whacking golf balls out there.  If this is you, I've got some bad news ... you will never improve.  So what should you be doing?  If you are working on your swing, you have to work on your swing.  This means you should forget about trying to hit every shot perfectly on the range.  No pro can do this or even attempts to do this.  It is called a practice range because you are there to practice what you have learned so you can take it to the course without having to think about it.  If you have just been whacking balls on the range and not improving you should follow the outline below.

Find a Teaching Method That You Can Relate To

Create a Neutral Grip

Your grip is your connection to the club.  If your hands are not placed on the club in a neutral position you're really making the game much more difficult.  I say this because if you have a faulty grip your shots will spin one way or the other.  If this is the case, how do expect to consistently hit the fairways or greens?  Once you learn the proper grip, you will not only be copying the pros but you will also narrow down the possible cause of your inconsistent shots.  If the grip is not the problem, it must be something else that is causing your wayward shots.  So now you can move on to fixing the other parts of your swing.

Square Alignment is Critical

In my last tip I explained the importance of proper alignment.  To sum it up, it's vital that you align squarely to your target.  I say this because if you are aimed way out to the right or left and you hit a perfect shot it would go in the trees, water, bunkers or out of bounds.  This means you need another flaw in your swing to get the ball on target with a faulty alignment.  To make sure you are aligned squarely to your target, lay one club down on the ground pointing directly at your target, then place another club parallel to the first club about 1 foot away.  Finally, pick up the first club you placed on the ground and hit balls from that spot with your feet parallel to the second club.  This is known as being aligned parallel left of your target.

Do Tons of Practice Swings

Once you have chosen a teacher and a method it is time to practice what you have learned.  Again, it's not as simple as just whacking balls out there.  You have been shown certain positions that you need to incorporate into your swing.  The best way to do this is by doing tons of practice swings in a mirror or at the range.  By doing plenty practice swings, you will re-enforce your new swing positions so you can do them consistently when you hit actual shots.  The whole point of making a change is to make the change.  By just whacking balls out there you will continue to do your old swing that's full of flaws.

Hit Different Shots