Practice makes perfect, but practice also makes blisters. Range sessions concentrate hundreds of swings into a short period, with no breaks for walking, putting, or strategizing. Your hands take more punishment in one bucket than they might in two full rounds.
Why the Range Is Harder on Hands
On the course, you hit maybe 35-40 full swings per round. At the range, you might hit 100+ balls in an hour. That's 3-4 times the swing volume in a fraction of the time, with no recovery between shots.
Range mats compound the problem. They're harder than turf and can change the impact dynamics in ways that increase friction on the hands.
Range Protection Strategies
Tape blister-prone areas before hitting balls. Take breaks — hit 20 balls, rest a minute, then continue. Focus on quality over quantity; 50 focused swings are better than 150 mindless ones.
Consider your grip condition. Range grips see heavy use and wear out faster than personal club grips. If the range grips are slick, you'll grip harder, which causes more friction.