At first, it might seem impossible to practice blind shots on the driving range. After all, most driving ranges are designed to give you an excellent view of the targets you can use to practice your shots. You are supposed to be able to see your shots fly down the range, so you can watch your ball flight pattern and work on making improvements. So, is it impossible to practice blind shots on the range? Absolutely not. Follow the steps below to work on this skill during your next practice session.

• Pick out a club and a target to get started. For example, if you tend to hit your seven iron approximately 150 yards, consider using that club and aiming for the 150-yard marker down the range. This drill works nicely with any club in your bag, however, so feel free to use whichever stick you think needs some practice.
• Once you have selected a target for the shot, work on finding an intermediate target which is only a short distance in front of your ball. If there is nothing down on the ground for you to use, you may need to just toss down a tee or ball marker to serve the purpose. Of course, whatever you use as your intermediate target should be directly on your intended target line.
• With an intermediate target established, you should now stop looking at the actual target until after the shot has been struck. From this point forward, you are going to pretend as though you are playing a blind shot, and you can’t see the target. Since you would be able to see the target if you looked up, tell yourself to keep your gaze down toward the ground while preparing to make your swing.
• When you are ready to hit the shot, walk up to the ball and settle into your stance. Instead of looking back and forth between the target and the ball, you are going to limit your eyes to only go as far as the intermediate target you have selected. Trust that this intermediate target is going to take you in the right direction. Align yourself perfectly with it, make your swing, and then look up to see where the ball goes. If you’ve made the right preparations for the shot, and if you’ve made a good swing, the shot should head directly for the target.
• Repeat this process as many times as you would like, with a variety of different clubs. While it is not exactly the same thing as hitting a truly blind shot during a round of golf, this handy practice drill will help you get more comfortable with the task of hitting a shot without being able to see the target.

You can’t expect to get better at anything in golf if you don’t practice. This is true of putting, chipping, and the full swing, and it is certainly true with regard to mental challenges like blind shots. If you are going to succeed in this situation on the course, you’ll need to prepare yourself on the range.