Golf Swing Drills-The Driving Range

In another discussion we talked about some thoughts on taking a golf lesson from your local teaching professional and how you can get the most out of those lessons and golf swing drills.

For today, I’d like to give you a couple of ideas on how to get a bit more out of your practice session and have a bit more fun while practicing your golf game.

First of all, the most common problem I see with golfers on the practice tee or driving range is that they just hit a shot – reload – hit another shot – and on and on with no purpose (at least that I can determine) to what they are doing. Actually this is an outstanding way to develop some really bad habits in your golf swing.

To make your practice session more productive and interesting play a round of golf as you practice.

By that I mean (after proper warm up) approach your first shot as though you’re standing on the first tee.

Pick out a target down the fairway and hit your drive (did you hit the fairway or not – make notes of fairways hit).

Then pick out a target of shorter yardage for your approach, and select your golf club for the distance (did you hit the green or not – make notes of greens in regulation).

To Get the most from these golf swing drills, you must be completely honest.

If you really want to make it interesting take along your score card from your course and play each actual hole in this manner. Then evaluate your stats.

The idea here is from a couple different angles.

First, this will heighten your focus. It will also put a small element of pressure on your golf swing and shot making.

It will force you to vary your distances.

Doing this will also help you emulate a real round of golf where you’ve only one chance to hit the shot that you want to hit. Down the road this will help you in an area that so many golfers struggle with… getting their range golf game to follow them and show up at the first tee.

And probably most importantly, from what I see the vast majority of golfers on the driving range doing; it will slow you down and keep you from rapid firing golf shots down the range.

Remember, it’s very important to be honest and no mulligans!

Make sure before each shot you go through your pre-shot routinebefore executing each shot.

Give these golf swing drills a try and have some fun.

Golf Drills-The Tracking Drill

Last time out I broached the subject of chipping and how you can really save yourself some strokes and dough if you take the time to work on your chipping game.

I hope this has spurred you on a bit to take a close look at your short game scoring opportunities.

For the next series of articles, I want work with you on your short game to help you understand the basics of it and to give you some golf drills that you can work on that will help to improve your short game and shave strokes from your golf game.

Let’s start with a simple tracking drill for your chip shots. The basic chip shot requires a low finish with the clubhead as it extends straight down the target path.

To establish your target line simply lay a couple of your clubs down in a parallel fashion pointing at your intended target… just like a couple of train tracks. This ensures that you not only align properly for your chipping stroke, but it also enables you to focus completely on the execution of the shot and make good crisp contact.

Good crisp contact by administering a slight descending blow into the golf ball; but remember the swing is a brushing motion through the golf ball, not a jabbing or hitting motion.

NOTE: contacting the ball with a slight descending blow is not to say that we are looking to put backspin on the shot… not at all. We want the descending blow just enough so the ball will pop slightly up on the clubface on contact and clear the turf long enough to get to the putting surface and begin rolling.

With the chipping stroke it is all about clubhead control. For the vast majority of the chip stroke the clubhead should remain square to the golf ball. It will only open slightly at the top of the backswing and only close very slightly (and naturally) on the follow through.

As you practice your chipping make certain that you NEVER are decelerating the club through the swing… in fact, start slowly then and just a touch of acceleration if you must. Your follow through should actually be longer than that of your backswing… this will ensure that you aren’t decelerating the clubhead.

Start with shorter distance chip shots that require a very short putting like stroke… again work on making good crisp contact. Then, gradually increase your distance which will in turn require a slightly longer swing. Stay with each distance until you can consistently get that crisp ‘click’ sound the ball makes coming off of a well executed shot. Don’t go to a greater distance until you master the former.

Keep in mind that you are not going to learn to be a good chipper of the golf ball all in one marathon practice session… just make this simple golf drill a part of each of your sessions.

Remember it is not how long you practice at each session… the benefit comes with how often and consistently you do practice.