While everyone is being called to stay indoors and avoid close contact with their friends and family, golfers can use this time to help practice their technique and keep fit while doing it. Whether you’re practising in the living room or back garden, these drills are designed to do anywhere, using basic golf equipment that every golfer will have to hand.
The Golf Travel People has put together a handy list of stay-at-home golf drills to help you keep making improvements, ready to hit the green stronger than ever later this year.
Fine tune your swing
Go back to basics and simplify your swinging technique. Body rotation is key when it comes to perfecting your swing, and seasoned golfers recommend working towards trying to hit with your turn. There are plenty of books and YouTube videos which focus on teaching swing techniques step by step.
You can’t perfect your swing without homing in on your posture first. Getting your starting position right is key here – make sure your knees are slightly bent and your body is tilted forward and straight with your bodyweight evenly distributed between both your left and right feet. Your hands should also be held in a straight line down from your shoulders. Make sure the club is resting flat behind the ball, and then take the golf ball back square before bringing it back down to hit the ball – keeping a careful eye on your weight transition.
Improving balance
To improve your balance (one of the most important fundamentals), attempt to cross your right foot over your left and practise some half swings. Strengthening your core muscles by practising movements like the plank and holding these for 30 seconds to a minute each time will also help with boosting balance.
You can also try the tightrope walk by attempting to walk in a straight line and placing one foot in front of the other, as though you’re walking on a tightrope. Keep your abdomen muscles tight while doing this and the more you practice, the more you’ll see your balance improve.
Ball basket shots
You can use an artificial grass mat to practise putting at home – this will help give you the same feeling as you’d get on the golfing green. If you don’t want to buy extra equipment, use a mat or spare piece of carpet that Use a small basket or bin and position it at varying distance away from you to practise the accuracy of your chip shots and stay fit. With regular practice, you’ll seen see the accuracy of your shots increasing – both on and off the course.
