Clean up your golf clubs and shine them hard and get ready for a spin-around for it is time to hit the driving range. Nope not with your car, not with your golfing cart either, driving range of a golf course is for the golfer to practice his or her golfing skills and not driving skills! Sounds confusing? Here's what Brent Kelly, a sports journalists has to say at about.com about driving ranges of the golf variety:

A golf practice facility that is included at most golf courses; driving ranges also commonly operate as standalone businesses away from golf courses. Typically a driving range will consist of a large, open field with teeing ground at one end. Golfers line up side-by-side pounding golf balls out into the field.

So the long and short of it is that driving range is where a golfer practices before he or she actually hits the golf course. Why? Why not practice at the golf range itself?

While trying a new shot at the golf course or a new grip, you may end up with a muffled shot. This may hamper your spirits and affect your confidence adversely during the course of the play.

Secondly you can practice with as many balls as you want to for as many times, there is no chance of losing the balls or gathering those. All balls fall within the range and are collected by carts. As a result you can practice your grip as much as you can before getting off to the golf course.

Now that you understand the importance of driving range, let's look at the best ways of making the most out of the driving ranges during your practice sessions.

You can start with a small club and progress to a large one during your course of practicing at the driving range. First loosen up by hitting using a pitching or the wedge and warm up a little.

However if you are planning to start with a large club like a woods or a driver, then you may want to move progressively to a smaller club like the wedge.

On the other hand, you may also choose to use just one club and practice one particular shot or grip using that club till they are comfortable.

Next you can practice your stance at the driving range for a particular shot. Is your stance too open, resulting in an inaccurate shot? Or is your stance too closed resulting in a shot where the ball is not traveling enough distance since you could not gather enough power for your shot?

You may also want to practice a new shot that you have learned, a tip that you have gathered or may just want to merely experiment with a shot. Driving range is the best place to practice and try out all that.

Driving ranges also have professional tutors with whom you can discuss your shots and practice those before you hit the course. Remember there is no alternative to practice and driving course lets you concentrate on your areas that require improvement and practice.