Should you always hit balls after a round? It depends, says top instructor

If you’ve ever been to a professional golf tournament, you’ve probably noticed something. The range is still bumping, even after the players have finished their rounds.

Whether it’s to solidify a good feel or get rid of a bad one, it’s common practice for tour players to take to the range after a round regardless of what they shot. It’s exceedingly rare for recreational players to follow suit. But should they?

“I used to teach a woman who played professional basketball, and she said you always have to finish on a make,” said Stefanie Shaw,  a teaching professional at Ocean Reef Golf Club in Key Largo, Fla. “But then I also spent time with a mental coach, and he said sometimes you have to be OK with not ending on a good note. So I think you can take that both ways.”

Ultimately, Shaw thinks the benefits of hitting balls after a round depends on each player’s personality.

“It’s almost like taking one practice swing that’s really good, and then you decide to take another practice swing, and then it’s a bad practice swing and you lose your confidence again,” she said. “You have to know what’s best for your game.”

If you happen to be searching for something in your swing, however, Shaw says there’s no substitute for some good old-fashioned practice on the range.

“Sometimes you have to go find it in the dirt,” Shaw said. “There’s definitely benefits to that. And in a perfect world, I would love to see everyone hit golf balls after a round to reinforce the good things that they felt.”

Those sessions don’t have to be long, Shaw said. Ten minutes will suffice. Think of it as the cooldown you deserve after a long and arduous round, and it just may become a lasting habit.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.