VICTOR, N.Y. (WROC) — We’re all trying to improve our golf games, but how many of us actually take the appropriate steps to do so?

If the majority of your range sessions is just hitting a bucket of balls as quickly as possible before your tee time, Lauren Tallman, the lead instructor at Ravenwood Golf Club, says you need to start practicing with a purpose.

“Practicing with a purpose means making sure that you know why your golf ball is doing what you’re doing instead of guessing,” said Tallman. “It’s also having an intention for your practice session.”

Some of the most important steps to ensure you practice with a purpose happen before you even start.

“When you’re practicing it’s very important that you’re putting down an alignment stick,” said Tallman. “The alignment stick will tell you if you’re aimed correctly. It takes the guesswork out of wondering why your ball went to the right or to the left, if it was your aim or if it was something you were doing in your golf swing.”

An alignment stick can be something as simple as a driveway marker from a home improvement store or another golf club.

“Set up to the golf ball with your feet on one side of the stick and your golf club on the other and that way you know that you’re lining up correctly,” Tallman adds.

It’s easy to figure out if you’re aligned properly, but diagnosing your swing might take a little bit of outside help.

“The other thing I ask my students to do every time they go out for a practice session is to collect feedback from the video,” said Tallman. “Take one or two videos during your practice session, make sure you’re doing what you think you are doing, or what you’re intending to practice.”

The key things to remember when setting up your tripod are to be about ten feet back, have the camera at belt level, and get your entire swing in the video.

If you’re working with a teaching professional you probably know what you’re looking for, but even if you’re just trying to figure out your swing there are a few things you can see with an untrained eye.

“One thing that you’re really going to want to observe and take note of when you’re watching your swing on video is what is my clubface doing,” said Tallman.

Checking to see if your clubface is neutral, open, or closed when you’re initially taking back your club is a great way to see if your swing is being set up for success.

So next time you head to the range, remember these few easy tips to make sure you’re getting the most out of your session.