Shooting balls into the dark all winter is pointless. Fabian Bünker shows five exciting alternatives to improve your golf game.Knowing that not all golfers have much time for training, here are five tips for your long game that you can easily practice on any driving range, even with limited time.
1. Evaluate the Quality of Your Shots
Take 30 balls and hit each one with a different club towards a different target. Before every shot, perform a routine similar to what you’d 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 will increase your concentration over time, as no one wants to give themselves poor marks.
2. Tai Chi Swing Practice
This exercise requires high concentration and a quiet environment. Perform your golf swing—and particularly the elements you want to change—in extreme slow motion. This helps you feel every part of your swing and consciously control it. Closing your eyes can enhance your internal image of the movement. Experts can time their Tai Chi golf swings precisely, for example, making the movement last 30 seconds or 1 minute.
Practice this without a ball at home (unless you have enough space to use practice balls). The driving range is ideal to gradually increase your swing tempo, applying the 30-60-90 rule: start at 30% speed, progress to 60%, and finally 90%. Avoid swinging at 100% speed on the course as it risks losing control.
Key points for Tai Chi tempo swings:
• Give yourself clear movement instructions
• Focus on one aspect (e.g., first part of backswing)
• Find a quiet place (turn off your phone)
• Get external feedback (coach)
• Start with swings without a ball
3. Practice the Draw
The draw ball flight curves from right to left. The ball starts slightly right of the target line and curves back to the target. Hit a draw by swinging the club from inside to outside, feeling like the club swings far right of the target. The clubface should be slightly closed relative to the swing path. This exercise is especially helpful if you tend to slice the ball as it helps counter the slice.
4. Practice the Fade
Also practice hitting a fade—the ball flight curves from left to right. This is done by swinging the club from outside to inside with the clubface slightly open relative to the swing path. Both draw and fade require personal swing adjustments, so if you struggle to hit these curves intentionally, it’s recommended to book a lesson with a pro who can guide you.
5. Focus on Specific Body Parts
If you take golf lessons, you might want to stabilize your swing over winter, but solo training can be difficult because you can’t watch yourself. Although smartphones allow recording swings, angles may not be optimal and self-analysis can be challenging.
An alternative is to concentrate on one body part, such as the left wrist. Hit balls while focusing only on that part, feeling its motion and position. Ideally, work