Practice With one Hand

If you want to sharpen-up your pitching and chipping game, the next time you go to the practice range, try hitting these shots with just one hand.  Take your normal grip using both hands.  Now, release your right hand from the club.  Pick a target and chip/pitch about 15 balls.  Keep your left wrist perfectly straight all through the impact zone and beyond.  This drill is perfect for the golfer that tends to drag their hands behind the ball as the shot progresses.

Now grip the club with your right hand and do the same thing, hit about 15 shots with each club.  Notice how much heavier the clubhead feels just using the right hand.  These two exercises teaches perfect control and acceleration.

Rule for Practice

photo credit: matsubokkuri   It’s never a good idea to practice in windy conditions, especially when the wind is blowing at your back. 

For right-handers, when the wind is blowing at your back from left to right, the tendency is to swing over the top of the ball (outside in).  This is to compensate for the wind direction, however, it creates a slice/pull swing.  When the wind is blowing from right to left just opposite is true.  The golfer will swing too much on the inside created a hook/push swing path (inside out).

Practicing with the wind in your face isn’t helpful either because of the tendency to punch the ball without taking a full swing.  The best rule of thumb is to practice on windless days.

Point of Impact

Do you know exactly where your your clubface is striking the ball?  Many players are happy just to make good contact but in order to be consistent, you need to strike the ball in the same spot on the clubface.

You can purchase impact tape that is placed on the clubface.  When the ball is struck a mark will be left where the contact with the ball was made. 

If you cannot find the tape you can purchase talcum powder.  Powder the golf ball with the Talcum.  When the ball is struck there will be a distinct mark left on the place of impact.  Once you locate the impact point you can make the necessary adjustments.  Solid shots come from hitting the clubface directly in the center.

Slow Motion Drill

photo credit: rioncm   The slow motion drill can be done in your own home.  It requires patience but it’s worth the effort.

The drill should be done in super slow motion.  1)  Swing the club very slowly to the top of the backswing while keeping your eye on a target (blade of grass or pattern on a carpet) which represents the ball.  As you reach the top, your left heel should be off the ground.  2)  Replace your left heel on the ground, at the same time bring your right elbow in close to your body.  Do this in super slow motion.  3)  Bring the club 1/3 the way down and stop and just hold the club, feel it.  4)  Now start from your holding position and go to the top.  Do four repetitions per day.

Pre-round Warm-up

photo credit: shibuya246   Every golfer should try to warm up prior to their round.  Use the following method on the practice range:

Arrive at least one hour before your round and begin by spending about 5 minutes hitting 30 to 100 yard shots with your sand/pitching wedge.  Move to your 7-iron and then to a 5-iron, hitting at least 10 balls with each club.  Practice draws and fades towards the end of your practice with the 5 and 7 irons.  Next, with your 3-wood, hit about 10 shots directly off the turf.  Now move to the driver and hit at least 10 shots.  Lastly, go back to your pitching wedge and hit a few more shots.  In the final segment, spend about twenty minutes chipping and putting.

Fail to Practice ~ Prepare to Fail

photo credit: tnarik   1)  Practice Constructively:  Most weekend golfers, just don’t have the time to practice the way the Pros do.  When you go to the range, work on the most effective way to reduce your scores and that is the short game.  Practice your pitching, chipping and putting.  Don’t neglect your fairway game altogether, however. 

2)  Know What to Work on:  “Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent.” This means that unless you are practicing the right things, you simply won’t improve.  Take lessons regularly.  Devise drills on the practice range that will help you during play.

3)  Practice During Play:  Go to the course in the evening hours by yourself and utilize the time practicing many different shots from all sorts of locations.  This is equivalent to O.J.T. (on job training).

Check Your Aim

photo credit: Dave-F   It does no good to hit a perfect golf shot, if it is not aimed properly.  It’s amazing how many golfers pay so little attention to this part of their game.  Most of the time, poor aim involves open shoulders.  Even though your feet may be  lined up properly, if your shoulders are open to the target, your shot will go in the direction of your shoulders.

Check your aim:  Get into the address position, carefully place your club along the back of both of your heels.  Now step away and go behind your address position and observe where the club is aimed.  Now take the club and aim it towards your target in the same location.  Now set up with the club at your heels.  Being correctly aimed will most likely feel uncomfortable.

Productive Practice

photo credit: Zunami   The majority of amateurs do not have good practice habits, they don’t set goals for themselves.  Going to the range and hitting balls relentlessly is not good practice, it’s just good exercise.  Setting goals for each practice session leads to accomplishments and that leads to self confidence.

Rather than just hitting balls, set a goal.  For instance:  Just bring a 6 iron and a pitching wedge.  Your goal may be to learn to hit high 6 iron shots that land softer.  As for the pitching wedge,  just practice short pitches but vary the distances.  Play shots using increments of five yards out to 30 yards.  Practicie such as this will do wonders for your short game, consequently, improving your score.

Zero in Your Wedges

photo credit: hr.icio   Golfers don’t spend enough time practicing their wedge shots, maybe it’s just more fun to hit the big D instead.  Good wedge shots can save you precious strokes, so the next time you’re at the range just take one club, your pitching wedge.

Try moving your hands down the grip in one inch increments.  Every time you grip down one inch, you subtract five to eight yards from your shot and no swing changes are required.  It is necessary to stand a bit closer to the ball every time you change your grip, however.

Doing this allows you to continue to make a full swing while hitting shorter shots, all the while generating the proper amount of spin on the ball.

Smart Practice

photo credit: tnarik   Don’t waste your practice time by hitting as many balls, with as many clubs as you can.  Hit every practice shot as if you were playing an actual shot on the golf course.  Decide which clubs you will use (3 at the most) and divide the practice balls equally.  Have a purpose for each shot. 

Work on developing good tempo, then work on specifics.  Don’t expect to hit perfect shots one after another, it just doesn’t happen that way.  Learn how to work your shots (fade-draw etc.).

Devote most of your time to your short game, shots between 70 and 120 yards and inside of 15 yards.  Spend the majority of your time practicing short pitch shots within 15 yards.  Don’t forget putting practice.

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