25.The quality of swings, not quantity, will lead to a quantity of quality shots

Since the mid 80s, practice facilities have improved greatly with new Golf Course developments providing big practice grounds and Driving Ranges springing up adjacent to most built up areas. Driving ranges make winter practice a reality and if you are thinking of undertaking a winter workout on your golf game, I suggest some ideas that may save you from wasting your effort.

Warm up by swinging softly and to allow time for the club to begin to feel familiar in your hands. If you are not use to practicing, do not go at it like the couch potato who having watched the London Marathon on T.V., decides, "I can do that". The first half mile of his run is on his own 2 feet, the remaining 3 miles is in the back of an ambulance on his way to casualty. It takes a long time to build up the reserves to be able to hit balls for an hour or more.

To start out, buy just one basket of balls and take plenty of time between shots. Avoid turning the driving range into an artillery range by attempting to launch 200 balls in 20 minutes with your driver, this is not practice, this is self destruct. Remember, there are targets short of 300 yards and discipline yourself to devote a big percentage of your time to the markers at a 100 yards and less.
                     
Take advice from your Professional, (not a quick tip from a golf magazine,) as he will know what you need to be working on. Take a couple of minutes break after every 10 shots to make sure you are still clearly focused on your aims. I say this because concentration levels with most people are short and on an exercise like golf, with all its distractions, they become even shorter. To see for yourself how difficult it is to stay focused, get someone to time a minute as you picture in your minds eye the image of a candle flame and nothing else. Do not let any other thought come in and distract you. It’s not easy is it?

If you are going to practice, make it quality practice. It is better to hit 3 balls in3 hours with the right thoughts and feelings flowing rather than a 100 balls in 30 minutes with frustration an aggression present. Avoid hitting iron shots off the long rubber tee pegs as it will leave your confidencein tatters next April when you have to play it off the ground and finally, remember that improvement at the game is slow; any attempt to try and force results will in fact set you back.