Shooting balls into the dark all winter is pointless. Fabian Bünker shows five exciting alternatives to improve your game.Knowing that not all golfers can invest a lot of time in their training, here are five tips for improving your long game that you can apply on any driving range even with limited time.
1. Evaluate the Quality of Your Shots
Take 30 balls. Hit each ball with a different club at a different target. Before each shot, perform a routine similar to what you’d do on the course or even better, in a tournament. After each shot, rate the quality from 1 (very good) to 6 (poor). You’ll notice your concentration improves over time—no one wants to give themselves a bad grade.
2. Tai Chi Swing Practice
This exercise requires high concentration and a quiet environment. Perform your golf swing, especially the elements you want to change, in extreme slow motion. This way, you can feel each part of the swing and consciously control it. Closing your eyes can help strengthen the internal image of the movement. Experts can time their Tai Chi golf swing to seconds. You might aim for movements lasting 30 seconds to a minute.
Practice this at home without a ball, unless you have space to use a practice ball. It also works well on the driving range, where you can gradually increase your tempo using a 30-60-90 percent rule. Start swings at 30%, then 60%, and finally 90% tempo. Avoid 100% tempo swings on the course to maintain control.
Key points for Tai Chi tempo swings:
• Give yourself clear movement instructions
• Focus on one movement aspect at a time (e.g., first part of backswing)
• Find a quiet setting (turn off your phone)
• Get external feedback (trainer)
• Begin practicing swings without a ball
3. Practice the Draw
A draw is a ball flight curving from right to left. The ball starts slightly right of the target line and curves back left. Hit a draw by swinging the club from inside to outside with the clubface slightly closed relative to the swing path. If you tend to slice, this is a perfect exercise to correct that.
4. Practice the Fade
Occasionally try hitting a fade, which curves from left to right. Simply reverse the draw swing: swing from outside to inside with a slightly open clubface relative to the swing path. No specific technique tips are provided here because each golfer’s swing differs. If you struggle with hitting a draw or fade, consider a lesson with a pro who can guide you.
5. Focus on Specific Body Parts
If you take lessons and want to stabilize your swing over winter, training alone can be tricky since you can’t see yourself hit. Although you might record your swing with a smartphone, angles might be suboptimal, making analysis difficult for amateurs.
Instead, concentrate on one body part, such as your left wrist, when hitting shots. Do not think about other movements or swing tasks, just feel how that body part moves and feels during the swing. Ideally, focus on something you’re working on with your