Most of us golfers, regardless of our ability and experience, are guilty of wasting our golf practice time.

More often we would be better off staying at home mowing the lawn or reading a golf magazine. Why? Because we are practising our golf without purpose.

When you are at the driving range or putting green, how many times do you see you fellow golfers aimlessly hitting balls. With tired looks we select the largest bucket and aimlessly hit the ball as far as we can without regard to golf club selection or adhering to our golf drills.

Here are 5 simple and important methods to help you make the most out of you golf practice:

1. Plan your Golf Pracice

Before you start swinging your golf clubs around it is important to learn about the all important golf swing. This can be done by taking some golf lessons, reading some books, or watching some DVDs. It is also important to learn about how not to make a golf swing - learn to identify common bad habits and mistakes. Here you will begin to understand what makes your game better and what is preventing you from hitting the perfect shot.

2. Don’t go to the Driving Range… Yet

Instead of rushing off to the golf driving range and buying a big bucket of balls to slam across the grass, start to practice your golf swing and golf stance in front of a full length mirror. By doing this you will be able to compare your position with those of the pros in the magazines or books. Remember to take your backswing in slow motion and stop at various points throughout the swing to check your stance. By doing this you will get a good feel for the golf swing.

3. Get a Small Bucket of Golf Balls

Here it is important to remember that we are striving for quality not quantity. Instead of getting a big bucket of balls, just get a small bucket and take your time. Analyse your swing with each shot and strive for consistency. When applying this mental pressure as well as the physical pressure of hitting the balls, you might find yourself getting tired. When you do find yourself getting tired, make sure you take a break and have a drink of water.

4. Practice With a Friend

By sharing a bucket of balls and a stall with a friend, you can considerably increase the effectiveness of you golf practice. You are both forced to take a break after a few hits and are on hand to offer feedback on each others techniques. However, it is important that you both tell each other what you are working on and what you are trying to achieve. Ask your partner to focus on different aspects of your technique - your backswing, grip, setup, shoulder turn, etc…

5. Improvement Takes Time

Remember to keep focusing on your weaknesses and not spend all your practice time on your strengths. It is easy to get impatient and important to remember that getting good takes time!

So by implimenting these golf practice tips you should start to see and improvement in your game.

However, remember that no-one went from a 20 handicap down to a single digit over-night. Enjoy your golf practice and also enjoy how you will be getting better at doing something you love. There is no better feeling than achieving your goals!