Shooting balls into darkness all winter is pointless. Fabian Bünker reveals five effective alternatives to improve your game.
Knowing that not everyone can invest much time in golf training, here are five training tips for your long game that you can implement on any driving range with little time.
1. Assess Shot Quality
Take 30 balls and hit each one with a different club aiming at different targets. Perform a routine before each shot as you would on the course or even better in a tournament. After each shot, grade the quality from 1 (very good) to 6 (poor). You will notice your concentration improving, as no one wants to give themselves bad marks.
2. Tai Chi Swing
This exercise demands high concentration and a quiet environment. Perform your golf swing, focusing on the elements you wish to change, in absolute slow motion. Feel every movement to consciously control it. Closing your eyes can help strengthen the internal image of the motion. Experts can time a Tai Chi golf swing to the second, practicing durations of 30 seconds to a minute.
Practice this at home without a ball unless space permits air swings. It’s also ideal for the driving range, gradually increasing tempo with the 30-60-90 rule: start at 30%, progress to 60%, and finally 90%. Avoid full-speed swings at 100% on the course due to loss of control.
Key points for Tai Chi tempo swings:
• Give clear, precise movement instructions to yourself
• Focus only on one movement aspect
• Find a quiet place, turn off your phone
• Get feedback from a coach
• Start with swings without a ball
3. Practice the Draw
A draw curves the ball from right to left, starting slightly right of the target line and then bending back toward the target. Swing the club from inside to outside (feeling like swinging the club far right of the target). The clubface should be slightly closed relative to the swing path. This is a great drill if you tend to slice the ball, helping to correct that.
4. Practice the Fade
Try hitting a fade, which curves left to right. Simply do the opposite of the draw: swing from outside to inside with a slightly open clubface relative to the path.
No specific technique tips are given here because each golfer needs different adjustments. Consult a pro coach if you struggle to hit draws or fades for tailored advice.
5. Focus on Specific Body Parts
Technical training alone can be hard as you can’t watch yourself swing. Though smartphones allow swing video analysis, it’s often difficult for amateurs. Instead, concentrate on a single body part, like your left wrist. Hit balls focusing solely on how that part moves and feels during the swing.
This method helps solidify technique improvements you work on with your coach. For example, if you’re working on keeping your arms lowered in the downswing, focus on your right elbow’s position and movement during shots to better internalize changes.
Whether you want to improve your technique or just enjoy hitting balls, bring variety to your winter training with these tips!