Practice Makes Perfect - But Only If You Practice Correctly

By Terry Jenkins

Most golfers completely waste their time and their money when they visit the driving range.
Don't get me wrong! I have nothing against driving ranges - they are great places to practice your golf.

But you have to practice properly!

Whenever I go to the range, I see golfers thrashing away at ball after ball - until their bucket is empty.

Towards the end of their "session" they hit some good shots - and are convinced that they are improving!But when they get out on the course, the good shots are few and far between, and their time at the range was wasted. After all, golf is about what you score on the course!

Here is the correct way to make use of the driving range...

The warm upSwing a club back and forth in a relaxed manner to warm up your muscles. Then swing two or three clubs in the same way - until your muscles are ready for action.

Groove your swingHit just a few shot to groove your swing. Start with three or four wedge-shots and move through to the longer clubs - 9, 7, 5, 3 wood, driver - hitting just a couple of shots with each club.

Now you are ready for some proper practice!

The PracticeInstead of just hitting ball after ball like a metronome, as most people do, you should make your time on the range RELEVANT to your time on the course.
The best way to do this is by playing an "imaginary" course on the range.

So - select your driver and imagine that you are standing on the first tee of any course you like - make one up if you prefer (we all have some golf-course designer in us!). Now choose an area of the range to represent the fairway - picture trees on the left and water on the right - or whatever! And play your first shot. If you hit the "fairway" give yourself a pat on the back - and start planning your approach to the green! If you miss the fairway - start thinking about a recovery shot.

Now select a club for your your second shot. Maybe it's a mid iron to your your "imaginary" green, or maybe you are just chipping back to the fairway from the rough. Either way, choose a spot on the range, select your club and play your shot. Just like you would do on a real golf course.

If you hit the "green" with your second shot, move on to the next imaginary hole!

Play your way around the imaginary course and you will be replicating real golf far more closely than just thrashing away at a bucket of balls. Hitting shot after shot gets you into a rhythm, and although you will hit some good shots that way - it is nothing like real golf, where you never have a chance to get a rhythm going!

By all means, use the thrashing method if your are working on a particular aspect of your swing - but don't use it to practice for the golf-course!

For more tips and information about golf courses, golf equipment, and golfing skills, visit my website!

Terry C Jenkins has traveled here there and everywhere in his work as a photographer. He now helps to run The Top Ten Site http://www.thetoptensite.com