Golf is a difficult game to learn. It’s a ton of fun and totally worth the effort to get started, but that doesn’t change the fact that as a beginner, you are in for a challenge.
Golf drills are a great way to make progress on your game in the early stages. In fact, drills are useful for all levels of golfers.
With that in mind, we are going to focus specifically on 5 golf practice drills that you can use to dial in the fundamentals and start to make some meaningful progress.
1. Slow Motion Balance Drill
Source: Ben Hogan Slow Motion Drill
Balance is a huge part of making a consistent golf swing. When you are balanced, it’s much easier to put the club in the right positions as you move back and through. Most amatuer golfers, unfortunately, struggle badly in this area.
For this drill, you are simply going to make slow-motion swings in order to feel where your balance is at every point. You should feel centered and stable throughout, even when moving slowly. If anything is off with your balance during a normal swing, you might be moving too fast to notice - but not when you are going slowly.
2. One-Handed Chipping Drill
Source: Peter Knight: One-armed chipping drill
This might sound a little odd at first. You are a beginning golfer and we are telling you to chip with one hand - isn’t chipping hard enough with two hands?
Well, yes it is. However, by using one hand in this practice drill, you can get a feel for how the chipping motion is supposed to work. Then, when you put the other hand back on, you should have an easier time making clean contact.
For a right-handed golfer, this drill should be performed with the left hand. With only your left hand on the club, hit some short chip shots. Focus on swinging down through the ball and making clean contact. The key to your success will be a firm left wrist - that’s what you need to learn in this drill.
Keep your left wrist firm and flat and then use a rocking motion in your shoulders to move the club back and forth. Once this feels more comfortable, put your right hand back on and hit a few more chips - you might be amazed at the difference.
3. Feet Together Drill
Source: BEST DRILL IN GOLF-FEET TOGETHER DRILL
Like our first drill, this is another one that is all about balance. Only this time, instead of going through your swing slowly, you are going to make some full swings while your feet are placed next to each other.
Using such a narrow stance will make it impossible for your weight to drift very far to the left or right as you swing. You’ll be forced to stay centered or you’ll fall over. On the driving range, try hitting a couple of balls while swinging with your feet together, then go back to your normal stance. Remember the feeling of staying centered during the drill and your standard swing should feel more stable than ever before.
4. Putting Gate Drill
Source: GOLF: Putting Gate Drill
This is one of the best golf drills for beginners and is certainly worthy of a spot on our list. Improving your putting is one of the fastest ways to achieve lower scores and employing this simple practice drill as part of your routine is a smart move.
To set up for this drill, find a hole on the practice green and drop a ball about three feet away. Address the ball as if getting ready to putt, but pause before actually making a stroke. While holding the putter in place, reach down with one hand and place a tee just off the toe of the putter, and another off the heel. This will effectively create a “gate” that will force your putter to swing through the ball precisely on each putt.
Using the drill is easy once the setup is complete. Just hit some putts, trying to swing your putter head between the tees. If you contact one of the tees, you’ll know your putting path got off-track. With practice, you should get better and better at missing the tees while rolling the ball nicely toward the hole.
5. Pause at the Top Drill
Source: Master the Downswing Transition: Pause Drill
Our last drill returns to the full swing and it is another one that relates to balance - but it also helps with timing and tempo. To do this drill, grab one of your irons and get ready to make a swing. Instead of swinging as normal, however, swing up to the top (the point where the backswing turns into the downswing) and then pause and hold that position for a moment.
What’s the point of pausing in the middle of the swing? There are two things to be learned here. First, as with earlier drills, you are checking your balance. If you can pause for a moment and then continue your swing without tipping over, your balance must be in pretty good shape.
Also, you are working on the timing of your transition from backswing to downswing. Many new golfers tend to rush this action and that can cause disastrous results. A smooth, even transition is what you are after. With this pausing drill, you’ll learn that you don’t have to rush the transition to hit good shots - you can hit the ball solidly - and hard - even if you pause at the top.
How Voice Caddie Can Help
Golf drills are great for beginners who want to improve their level of play. Adding in a bit of technology like the products offered by Voice Caddie can help in that pursuit, as well.
Specifically, having a portable launch monitor on hand to track your performance as you practice is extremely valuable. A tool like the SC4 PRO gives you immediate feedback on each shot during your practice sessions, helping you to see what’s working and what isn’t. By using the data it provides, you can keep making adjustments and dial in your swing technique one shot at a time.
Start Making Steady Progress Today
Wouldn’t it be great if you could do a few drills and immediately start hitting every fairway and green? That’s not how the game works, of course, so the drills above aren’t going to turn you into a scratch golfer overnight.
But that’s not actually a bad thing. A big part of the excitement and thrill of golf is gradually making improvements, a little bit at a time, until you look up and realize you are a far better player.
So, we encourage you to get started with some of these golf swing drills right away. You don’t have to do them all at first. You may choose to just pick one and repeat it until it feels comfortable and natural before moving on to the next.
Good luck and play well out there! And as always, Voice Caddie is here to help.
