Shooting balls into darkness all winter is pointless. Fabian Bünker presents five exciting alternatives to improve your golf game.
Knowing that not all golfers can invest a lot of time in training, here are five effective long game training tips that you can apply at any driving range, even with limited time.
1. Assess Your Shot Quality
Take 30 balls and hit each one with a different club toward different targets. Before each shot, perform a routine similar to what you would do on the course or in a tournament. After each shot, rate its quality on a scale of 1 to 6, where 1 means “very good” and 6 means poor. This exercise increases your concentration, as nobody wants to give themselves bad marks.
2. Tai Chi Swing Practice
This exercise demands high concentration and a calm environment. Practice your golf swing and the elements you want to change in very slow motion to feel every part of your swing consciously. Closing your eyes may help visualize the movement better. Advanced practitioners can time their Tai Chi golf swings, performing them in 30 seconds or even one minute.
At home, practice without a ball unless you have space to use practice balls. This method is also suitable for the driving range, where you can gradually increase your tempo following the 30-60-90 rule: start at 30% speed, increase to 60%, and finally achieve 90%. Avoid hitting shots at 100% speed during practice because control is usually lost.
Focus on these points during Tai Chi tempo swings:
• Give clear and precise movement instructions to yourself
• Concentrate on one aspect of the swing (e.g., part of the backswing)
• Find a quiet environment (switch off mobile phones)
• Get external feedback (trainer)
• Begin with swings without a ball
3. Practice the Draw
The draw shot curves from right to left, starting slightly right of the target line and curving back left to the target. To hit a draw, swing the club from inside to outside, feeling like the clubhead moves far to the right of your target line. The clubface should be slightly closed relative to your swing path. If you tend to slice the ball, practicing the draw can help counteract that.