Category: Drills

Golf Swing Plane Drills – How to Swing Better

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There is one name you are most likely familiar with: Ben Hogan. The reason I am mentioning him is the swing plane. He held the importance of swinging on or under the plane very high. That way your ball hitting improves and makes the swing better. The golf swing plane drills below will help you to get there.

You might be wondering what the plane is. Hogan imagined it as a glass surface that goes parallel with your golf club shaft at the initial swing setup.

If you pay attention to professional golfers, all of them swing on the plane or under the plane. When you swing above the plane, the results are usually not the best.

The main benefit of swinging on or under the plane is better contact with the golf ball. It also means that you have shallowed your club on the downswing.

If you are swinging that way already, you are doing the right thing. In case you are not, some of these drills could help you to get there.

Image by Virgile Donadieu on Unsplash
Image by Virgile Donadieu on Unsplash

Swing Under the Alignment Stick Drill

When you are looking for swing plane drills there is no other one that shows up as often as this drill. It is a simple and efficient drill that will help you both shallow your club on the downswing and swing from the inside out. All you need is an alignment stick with or without a pool noodle on it. Another option can be placing one of your club headcovers on the stick.

Nonetheless, there is a downside to this drill. To do it properly you need to place the alignment stick in the ground. That means you have to be at a driving range where you hit the balls off the grass. No artificial turf will work in this case. Assuming that you do have access to such a practice facility, here is how you do the drill.

  1. Put the stick into the ground at a 45 degrees angle, facing you
  2. It should be placed parallel to the outside of your trail foot
  3. The end of the stick (pool noodle or headcover) should be about your wrist high
  4. When you make a swing your club should go under the stick
  5. You will get instant feedback while doing the drill
  6. If you hit the stick on the downswing, it means you have to adjust your swing

Two Golf Balls Drill

This drill can be done with another golf ball or any object that you can place outside of the golf ball you are hitting. Just make sure the object is light enough so it does not break your club or hurt you if you hit it. The main objective of this drill is for you to check if you are swinging from outside in so you can fix it.

If you are swinging on or under the plane you either have a neutral swing path or you are swinging from inside out. This way you can find that out and make the necessary adjustments. The drill can be done anywhere where you can swing a club. In case you are doing it at home make sure you are hitting foam or whiffle balls and have room to swing a club.

  1. Place another golf ball about two inches outside of the ball you are hitting
  2. Make sure you have enough room for the club to hit your ball without hitting the other one
  3. Swing and hit the golf ball without touching the other one
  4. In case you hit the other golf ball in the process, some adjustment is needed

Swing the Club Loosely Drill

Unlike the other drills, for this one, you do not need anything except your club. It is a very simple drill designed to give you a feeling for your club’s natural swing motion. That way you can see what the natural swing path looks like so you can transfer it into your full swing. You can do it anywhere you want.

  1. Grip your club more loosely that you usually do
  2. You can set up in your regular swing position
  3. Start slowly swinging the club in one single motion
  4. Do shorter swings with the club continuously swinging from your trail to your lead side
  5. Repeat that more times to get the feel of the club path

Do the Same Groups of Drills at a Time

When it comes to golf practice the most efficient way is to do related drills at a single time. That way you are focusing only on one area you want to work on. It will help you to improve faster since you are not mixing different types of drills. Make a practice plan and stick to it in order to maximize the results.

Practicing with a purpose will always generate better results compared to just going to the range and hitting balls. Whenever you do go to the range choose one part of your swing you want to work on. No matter which types of drills you are doing, it will take some time to see proper results. Have some patience, be persistent, and your hard work will pay off.

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Driving Range Drills for Beginners – Road to Success

How to Practice Golf Effectively – Make the Most of It

Golf Swing Impact Drills – How to Hit It Pure

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Here is a fact. No matter how you swing your club at the end of the day the most important part is contact. Don’t get me wrong, you should still pay attention to how you deliver the hit. Otherwise, even with good contact your ball can end up anywhere. Here we will focus on golf swing impact drills you can do to improve your ball striking.

How you hit your ball and where on the clubface you hit it can make a difference between a great shot and a bad one.

Another thing that will improve with solid impact is distance. More distance usually means better chances for lower scores.

I am sure you know exactly when you hit a good shot. There is no feeling like the one when you know you have hit that ball purely.

That gets even better when that ball does exactly what you wanted it to and goes the distance you have envisioned.

Granted, even professionals do not do it every single time. However, the drills below can help you do it more often.

Image by Virgile Donadieu on Unsplash
Image by Virgile Donadieu on Unsplash

Impact Bag Drill

This is one of the most popular impact drills you can do. To perform it as intended you will need an impact bag. If you do not have an impact bag you can use something that will serve the purpose. That could be a regular duffel bag or even a backpack you can fill up with something like towels to make it firmer.

  1. Place the bag just ahead of where you would place the golf ball
  2. Start with shorter swings at first then work your way to longer ones
  3. Every time you hit the bag make sure you move it forward
  4. Keep your position at impact for a few moments so you get the feel for it
  5. It is important that you keep the wrists quiet through impact without flicking the club

The drill will help you to get the sensation of your body motion at impact. More importantly, the way the impact bag is designed will show you the golf club position once you strike the ball. It might be different from what you are used to so it might be weird at first. There is a reason this drill is so popular among golf instructors.

Tee Peg Behind Golf Ball Drill

All you need for this simple drill is a tee peg. It will help you make better contact with the ball by forcing you to shift your weight forward. Besides that, it will help you strike the ball while you lean the club shaft forward. You can do it at the driving range, at home, or anywhere else where there is enough room to swing a club.

  1. Place the tee peg about one clubhead length behind the golf ball at the setup
  2. Start with shorter swings and gradually work toward a full swing
  3. The goal is to miss the tee peg in order to hit the ball first then the ground
  4. It will give you instant feedback depending if you miss or hit the tee peg

Tee Peg Behind Golf Ball by golfballsworld.com
Tee Peg Behind Golf Ball by golfballsworld.com

Press Clubface Against Object Drill

The main purpose of this drill is to get you used to the impact position. It will help you get the feel of the moment when you strike the golf ball. You can do it anywhere as long as there is a firm object you can use to press your clubface against. It is a drill you can easily do at home or anywhere else.

  1. Find a firm object like a wall, a desk, a bookshelf, or even a sofa
  2. Place your golf clubface against the object and assume the impact position
  3. Now press your clubface against the object to get the feel of your body in that position
  4. Make sure you are in the right position in order to get the right sensation

This might feel different from what you are used to. It might feel a bit odd, but the objective is for you to feel the right impact position. You will see which muscles activate during the impact and how your body has to be positioned.

Short Swing Drill

This is a drill that is straightforward and self-explanatory. The goal is to feel the proper impact position while actually hitting the ball. It is a good way to get used to the feeling of delivering the club in a solid manner. Because it is a shorter swing it will help you slowly build up your impact sequence in your swing.

  1. Set up for your regular swing
  2. Bring your club until parallel to the ground in your backswing
  3. Pause briefly before swinging
  4. Swing until your club is parallel to the ground in the downswing
  5. Make some dry swings until introducing the golf ball

Don’t Forget to Play

Drills are a great way to improve or sharpen your golf skills. I would always recommend them even as occasional reminders when it comes to technique. They can help you with straightening your game and take you to the next level. This is especially the case with basics which should always be learned thoroughly.

On the other side, sometimes you could get caught up in too many drills and too much time spent practicing. You have to remember that golfing on a course is something entirely different from practicing. Go out and golf as much as you can because that is the only true way of experiencing different situations.

While you might enjoy going to the driving range, nothing compares to playing. It will put you in all sorts of scenarios that are hard to replicate in a controlled environment. You will only truly improve by golfing more. Do drills and practice, but try to golf more in order to see real improvement.

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Golf Chipping Practice Drills – How to Get Better

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You are going to find yourself trying to get up and down a fair amount of times while golfing. As you have already experienced, it is not an easy task. Besides the pressure of saving par, the chip has to be executed close to perfection to work. The good news is there are golf chipping practice drills that can help you get better at it.

There is no easy shot in golf, period. Most of us have learned that the hard way. Even the most manageable chips are not really easy. It all requires skill and hours of practice to work. You may have both the talent and the time to practice. Therefore, you are a fortunate person.

The rest of us need time to reach a decent level of chipping. In case you do not have all the time in the world to practice, you can still benefit from quality drills. They will help you get all the confidence you need for good chips.

Image by Peter Drew on Unsplash
Image by Peter Drew on Unsplash

Chipping is difficult enough because of all the different lies your ball can end up in. To increase your odds of success, you can do the following drills.

Read more: Golf Chipping Practice Drills – How to Get Better

Quiet Wrists Drill

This is one of the most important things when it comes to chipping. The less your wrists move through your swing, the more your chance for a good outcome. It is especially important for chipping around the green. Here is where mistakes can cost you the most with minimum room for mis-hits.

Now, you can do this drill at home as well which makes it easier to do. The goal of the drill is to get you comfortable with hitting the ball without moving your wrists to get more consistency and accuracy. It also helps to gain more distance control while chipping. There are a few steps to follow:

  1. Take a stance like you usually do for chipping
  2. Position your club with a slight forward shaft lean
  3. Start making short swings without hinging the wrists
  4. When swinging try to make contact with the ground at the same spot each time
  5. Once you are comfortable with the drill, start doing longer swings
  6. Try to do it all over again this time with a golf ball (if circumstances allow)

Body Rotation Drill

Another key thing you should be doing while chipping. It helps with all the elements, starting from consistency, contact, accuracy, and distance control. Turning your hips and upper body through the swing is crucial for a good outcome. This is where solid short-game golfers get separated from the rest.

Here are the steps to do the drill:

  1. Setup as usual for a chip
  2. Tuck a piece of your shirt under your lead arm armpit
  3. That will help your arms to stay tight to your body through the swing
  4. It is important that you keep your arms as straight as possible
  5. You can open up your lead foot a bit toward the target to help you with the turn
  6. Start with shorter swings the way your piece of shirt stays tucked under your armpit
  7. It is important that you rotate your upper body and hips in harmony with your arms
  8. Work your way from shorter to longer swings

Image by Myron Drawdy on Unsplash
Image by Myron Drawdy on Unsplash

Different Lies Drill

While golfing it is impossible for you to hit your ball from the same type of lies each and every time. This goes especially for chipping due to different hazards around the green. The best way for you to prepare for a round is to practice chips from different lies. Not everyone will have access to all the different lies to practice, but if you do it can be beneficial to your game.

For this drill simply try different chip shots from a certain type of lie at a time. Chip from the green fringe, from shorter grass, from long grass, and from bunkers. Hit multiple times different shots to see what the ball does in each situation. Even with all that the course might still surprise you, but you will at least have more shots in your bag.

Close to the Flag Drill

This drill is self-explanatory. In a few words, you pick a target, a flag if you are at a driving range, and try to land the ball as close to it as possible. As simple as it sounds if you never did it before it can be challenging. Once you nail this down your short game is going to go to the next level.

I would recommend hitting 10 to 20 balls at one target and then switching to a new one. The major reason is you are unlikely to hit two shots at the same distance on the course one after the other. This not only helps you with accuracy but also helps you build your stock chip shots.

Your stock shots are basically chips you have for every single distance. It does not have to be for each yard, but it should be within 5 to 10 yards apart. So when your distance to the pin is 20 yards, you know exactly how to hit the ball. The same goes for 15 or 30 yards and so on. This can lower your score quite a bit.

Image by Cristina Anne Costello on Unsplash
Image by Cristina Anne Costello on Unsplash

Different Clubs Drill

A lot of golfers automatically pull a wedge out of their bag when chipping comes into play. Guess what? You do not have to chip every single time with your wedge. What ultimately determines which club to use is the distance to the pin and the ball’s lie. Not every chip has to go up in the air and land close to the hole.

For example, sometimes it is a better option to go for a bump and run chip shot with a 7 iron. In fact, you can use almost any club in your bag to chip. If there are obstacles in front of your ball you can definitely go with a more lofted club. But if the ball is close to the green or it is a clear path to the hole, you can bump and run it with a less lofted club.

The objective of this drill is for you to try to chip with different clubs and see how the ball reacts in those situations. See how much your ball rolls and what the total distance is for each one. Do it from closer to the green and from further from the green. Add some creativity to your short game to improve your score.

Always Be Prepared for a Difficult Chip

The bottom line is if you practice for all sorts of scenarios, there are not many situations that will surprise you on the course. There is a good chance your practice time is limited, which is fine. Try to make the most of it by doing various drills. More importantly, do the drills correctly so it is all purposeful.

Chipping does not have to be something you are scared of. On the contrary, it can be fun once you get better at it. There are enough potentially frustrating situations while you are golfing. Do not make chipping one of them. Stay positive, visualize a good outcome, and execute that chip with confidence.

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Categories: Chipping Drills Practice

Driving Range Drills for Beginners – Road to Success

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Not all golfers enjoy hitting balls at the driving range. It takes commitment, a certain amount of time, and it costs some money. If you fall into the category of golfers who spend time on the range and have recently started golfing, this might be something for you. The driving range drills for beginners will give you some suggestions on how to improve your game and become a consistent golfer.

Practicing at a driving range has its positives and negatives, but it can definitely be helpful. This time we will focus only onballs at the driving range the positives. The most important thing about the range is that you go there only if you have a plan. Aimless ball hitting will most likely not result in the best outcome for the long term.

When at the driving range it is beneficial to hit different clubs and get the feel for different types of shots from different distances and scenarios. All that is something for a different conversation. This time we will talk about how you can make your golf swing more consistent. There are different drills for different aspects of your swing that can help you with that.

Below we will focus on the swing basics through the following drills:

  • Backswing Drills – this will help you start your swing the best possible way.
  • Downswing Drills – the downswing is the crucial part for impact, these drills will help you to get to the ball the better way.
  • Impact Drills – solid contact is all you want, and some drills can help you with that.
  • Follow Through Drills – the last part of your swing is as important as any other, the drills will help you finish your swing like a pro.

Read More

Golf Improvement Drills – Lower Your Score

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Every golfer at any time during their playing years wants to improve their game, this includes professional golfers. Not everyone wants to make a living playing golf, but it is nice to see a good score on the card. There are a lot of golf improvement drills you can do to elevate your game to the next level, especially if you are fresh to the game. It is a great feeling to see your handicap drop after all the hard work and dedication you have put into practice.

Yes, it is hard, and it is like that because golf is a hard game that can take you to the brink of tears in a moment. That is going to be a reality no matter how good of a player you are, but what you want is consistency. It will help you turn those bad mis-hits into manageable ones which will help you lower your score. There are some drills you can do that can get you there.driving range

This article focuses on the following:

  • Know What You Need to Improve – the first step is to know what part of your game you want to work on. If it is multiple parts, prioritize them and get going.
  • Driver Drills – most of the holes on an average course can start with a solid drive. Hit the fairway and hit it far.
  • Irons and Wedges Drills – these are the clubs you will use the most in each round, it is important to learn how to use them better.
  • Putting Drills – often your putter can bail you out when every other club has failed you. It is probably the segment of the game an average golfer spends the least time practicing.
  • Plan Your Sessions – to reach the wanted results you need a good plan, and more importantly to stick to it.

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Categories: Drills

Golf Drills for Beginners – Avoid Bad Habits

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Golf is a very simple game on the surface, but underneath there is a lot to comprehend. When starting to golf, it is easy to do things wrongly and develop bad habits. There are golf drills for beginners that can help you build the right fundamentals for your game. If you learn your golf swing wrongly, it is harder to fix it later on. The mechanics of the golf swing are more complicated than golf professionals make it look.Driving Range

There is a reason every component of the swing is done in a certain way, and it is all designed the way for you to hit the golf ball properly. The perfect golf swing does not exist, but there are probably players that execute it close to perfection. You should not expect to develop a perfect golf swing, but you definitely have to have solid foundations in order to develop the one that works the best for you. The golf swing is always a work in progress, but here are some simple drills that can help you. Read More

Categories: Beginners Drills

Driving Range Practice Ideas – Drills for Beginners

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I love going to the driving range. In the beginning, when I first started, I was just shooting the ball with no purpose. After some time, I realized I should spend my time at the range doing something more constructive. Since then, I started doing different drills that focus on individual segments of my swing. There are a lot of driving range practice ideas that can help you improve your game. It is a perfect place to test things, try different approaches, see what works for you, and what you can apply on the golf course.Driving Range

When I’m at the range there is always this feeling nobody is judging me no matter how good or bad my shots are and no matter what I’m doing at that moment. Everyone there seems to be relaxed minding their business and practicing their swing their own way. I always go there full of enthusiasm and always leave satisfied. In this article, I’m going to focus on the importance of the driving range sessions, and give you some simple drills you can do while there. Read More

Putting Drills for Beginners – Guide to Success

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We already know that practice makes perfection, especially when it has a purpose. Just grabbing a putter and rolling the balls towards the hole can help, but if you just started golfing some putting drills for beginners will help you improve faster. When you get on the green, you will find yourself in a lot of different situations.

You could find yourself in some difficult ones and you want to be ready for it. No matter if it is a 2-foot or a 20-foot putt, downhill or uphill, breaking to the left or breaking to the right, in dry or wet conditions, there are drills that can make your putting easier. Read More

Categories: Beginners Drills Putting