The question of how many calories are burned while hitting golf balls typically refers to a session at a stationary driving range, where the primary activity is the swing itself. This practice is a lower-intensity, repetitive form of exercise compared to playing a full round on a course. The precise energy expenditure is highly individual, changing based on a person’s body size, the intensity of their effort, and the pace of the practice session. A realistic estimate requires looking at the average energy demands of the golf swing and the factors that cause that number to shift.
Estimated Calorie Burn for Driving Range Practice
Practicing at a golf range generally falls into the light-to-moderate category of physical activity, with most estimates suggesting a burn of about 200 to 300 calories per hour. For a person weighing approximately 150 pounds, an hour of practice might expend around 200 to 240 calories, while a person closer to 200 pounds could burn 270 to 320 calories in the same period. This difference is primarily due to body mass, as larger bodies require more energy to move.
The calorie expenditure comes almost entirely from the muscle contractions required to execute the golf swing, not from walking or moving between shots. During a session where a golfer hits 100 balls (roughly 30 to 60 minutes), the total burn may range from 75 to 150 calories. A leisurely pace, with significant rest between shots, results in a lower burn, while an aggressive, fast-paced session can push the hourly burn higher.
Variables That Change Caloric Expenditure
The number of calories burned during a driving range session is highly sensitive to several biomechanical and physiological factors. Body mass is a significant variable; a heavier person burns more calories performing the same activity because their body requires more energy to accelerate and decelerate mass during the swing and support the movement.
The intensity of the swing is also a major factor, with a full, powerful driver swing demanding more energy than a short, controlled chip shot with a wedge. Explosive muscle contractions, particularly in the core, shoulders, and legs, are the primary drivers of calorie burn during the swing. The pace of practice directly impacts the total expenditure, as minimizing the rest period between shots keeps the heart rate elevated.
Introducing the concept of Metabolic Equivalents (METs) helps quantify the activity’s intensity; hitting golf balls at a range typically registers around 3.0 METs. This value indicates that the activity requires roughly three times the energy expended at rest, placing it just below the threshold for moderate-intensity exercise. Using heavier clubs or specialized training aids that increase resistance forces the muscles to work harder, which further increases the energy demand and overall calorie burn.
Practice vs. Playing a Full Round
The caloric expenditure of a stationary driving range session is substantially lower than that of playing a full 18-hole round of golf. Range practice is focused and repetitive, lacking the locomotion required on the course. While hitting 100 golf balls burns approximately 75 to 150 calories, playing 18 holes is a far more demanding physical activity.
The difference in total calories burned is due to the sustained physical activity involved in traversing the course. A golfer who walks 18 holes while carrying their own bag will typically cover four to six miles and can expend between 1,400 and 1,500 calories. This high total includes the energy required for walking, navigating uneven terrain, and carrying the weight of the clubs. Even riding in a cart, a golfer will still burn around 800 calories for a round due to the swings and movement around the cart and greens.