Getting The Best Out of Your Practice

People usually go to the driving range when they have issues with their swing and hit buckets of golf balls. This is good if they have a clear purpose and a game plan to improve. What I often see are frustrated golfers ingraining bad habits by repetition caused by rapid fire. It is common to see that the worse they hit, the faster they eat up the buckets and buckets of golf balls. Making practice swings and actually taking time between shots are a rare sight. Usually if they do find a solution and start hitting the ball crisp, many golfers think they've got it figured out and as a result, pick up the clubs and go home when they should practice and repeat that good swing to make it muscle memory.

Here are some key points to take with you, the next time you hit the range:

• Focus on the good swings and shots.

• If you are taking lessons, take to the range what you have learned and stick with it. Don't get distracted by frustration or trying something new or most importantly (avoid people trying to help you on the range).

• When you hit a good shot, reinforce that swing by reflecting on the feel and repeating what you just did instead of always trying to fix the bad swings.

• Take time to make practice swings and to relax and take a breather between shots.

• Practice after a GOOD round of golf.

Hitting bad shots during a practice session is okay as long as you work through it with a solution in mind. If you are hitting bad shots with a negative attitude and no solution, just pick up your bag and go home. Tomorrow is another day. Practice when you are hitting good shots or working on your swing and not always when you are struggling and frustrated after a bad round of golf.