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A 30-Minute Trackman Practice Plan: Carry Distance and Consistency
A short simulator practice session is easier to use well when you arrive with one question. How far does your usual 8-iron carry? Do your wedge shots tend to finish short? Does your normal miss change when you switch targets?
This 30-minute routine is a starting point for recreational golfers using Trackman at Elite Golf in San Antonio. It is a way to organize your practice, not a promise of a particular score or swing result. Use comfortable swings and adapt the distances to your game.
Minutes 0–5: Warm up and choose your focus
Start with easy wedge shots, then move into a few comfortable iron swings. Choose one main goal for the session, such as learning an iron's typical carry or controlling distance with a wedge. Keep the same units and simulator conditions throughout the drill so your comparisons mean something.
For this session, pay attention to carry distance and where the ball finishes relative to the target. You can leave the detailed swing analysis for a different session or work through it with a coach.
Minutes 5–10: Find a useful carry range
Pick one iron and hit five shots with your normal playing swing. Write down the carry distances. Look at the group rather than declaring the longest shot your stock yardage.
For example, a made-up set of 137, 140, 141, 143 and 145 yards suggests a useful practice baseline around 141 yards. It is a small sample, so treat it as a starting point to revisit on another day. If you include or exclude a clear mishit, note that choice rather than quietly removing every short result.
Minutes 10–20: Alternate between two wedge targets
Choose two carry targets that fit your wedge game, such as 40 and 60 yards. Those numbers are examples, not distances every golfer needs to use. Hit one shot to the first target, then switch to the second. Repeat five times for ten shots total.
Before each shot, choose the target and go through your normal routine. Afterward, record whether you finished short, long or within a distance window you chose beforehand. For an added check, note whether the shot finished left or right. The point is to notice a pattern you can work on, not to invent a perfect swing from a single result.
Minutes 20–27: Test a change of club and target
Choose a different target and an appropriate club for each shot. Allow yourself one ball at each target rather than immediately replaying every miss. This gives the last part of practice a different rhythm from repeatedly hitting the same club.
Use a realistic target area for your ability. If the group repeatedly finishes short, check your club choice and your typical carry before trying to swing harder. If distance looks reasonable but the shots spread widely, record the pattern and bring it to a coach if you want help interpreting it.
Minutes 27–30: Write down one next step
Record the club and carry range you tested, your result on the ten wedge shots and one goal for the next session. A note such as “six of ten within my chosen window” gives you something specific to compare when you repeat the drill under similar conditions.
Carry and total distance answer different questions. Carry describes the airborne portion of the shot; total also reflects what happens after landing. On-course results still depend on conditions, lie and contact, so use indoor numbers to inform decisions rather than treating one session as a permanent yardage chart.
Make short practice part of your week
Elite Golf's private Trackman iO bays give North San Antonio golfers a place to fit focused practice around work and family. Members have 24/7 access, subject to reservations and availability. Nonmembers can check the limited public-play calendar or start with a free tour and demo.
Further reading: Trackman's own practice guidance explains why focused feedback and understanding your distances can make simulator time more useful. The timed routine above is an Elite Golf practice suggestion.
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