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Favorite Drills

BulldogsGolf

BulldogsGolf

Future PGA Professional
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I am doing up a notebook full of drills for when I am working on my game this summer. These drill are/can be about every aspect of the game, from Drivers to putts. I want to know, what is everyone's favorite drill, and what do you do it it? I.E how is it correctly done?

Thanks Guys!

BulldogsGolf, the Range Rat!!:D
 
I always like trying to hit a golf ball with another while chipping. Can be used to help judge both carry and roll. Another one I like is to practice flop shots. I find a 15 foot tree, get about 5 feet away, and swing over it.
 
Excellent thread!

My fave is a simple putting drill that can be done with or without a ball. Get into your normal putting posture and rest your head against a wall, make your stroke and try to keep the pressure against the wall the same. This has helped me in two ways, staying more stable during the stroke and not picking up my head so quick to watch the ball.


insert witty sig line here. Tapatalk
 
When I practice my putting, I like to place a tee in front of the cup (in the middle of the cup) and try to make putts to the left or right side of the tee. It just makes the hole smaller.

tapatalk: even available for lefties!
 
One my coach recently had me doing:

From 100 yards out:

Land ball anywhere on right side of the green within 18 feet of flag to get a check
Everywhere else I get an X
Object is to get as many checks as possible

I aim at the right because my miss is usually a pull or a draw. If you hit a fade or your miss is a push, aim for the left side of the flag.

I think 18 feet from the flag is the approximate tour average for a shot from 100 yards out.

It's a great drill and I work on it from 100 yards and in.
 
this is great, let's hear some more!!! :D
 
I start every practice session doing the 9 to 3 drill. Helps me with my pivot and rhythm.
 
The 26. The idea is to hit fades/draws with all clubs in your bag (excluding the putter of course). I always start with a draw and then hit a fade. If you hit a draw and then a fade, then you're done with that club and move on to the next. Start with your most lofted club and work your way down to the driver. Obviously it might be a bit hard to sling a draw with a LW, but you'll have to give yourself some leeway with that I guess. The goal is to manage in 26 shots, because then you've succeeded with all shots. If you manage to hit a draw but then don't hit a fade afterwards, you have to start over with the draw. It's about being able to switch between shaped shots like you have to do on the course.
 
I like to work on my short game by putting about 10 ball piles every 10yds out from a practice chipping green. I start with the closest and work my way back to about 60 yds out. I try to do this every time I go out to the range.
 
Go to the chipping green and grab around 5-6 balls. You should be in the rough or so a good ammount from the hole. With your first ball, chip it on the green but as close to the fringe right near you as you can. This drill is for control, the goal is to make each ball land a little bit further than your last until you reach the hole. So ball one can just reach the green but it MUST be on the green, ball 2 a little further and so on until your last ball is almost at the hole.

Works great for touch and control.
 
I like putting two tees on the outside of the ball and hitting the shot trying not to hit the Tee. I have seen this done on the Haney project and it works well for me. When I was coming over the top I destroyed a lot of Tees. I also like practicing my puts to a Tee in practice green then it makes teh hole look huge.
 
BulldogsGolf said:
I am doing up a notebook full of drills for when I am working on my game this summer. These drill are/can be about every aspect of the game, from Drivers to putts. I want to know, what is everyone's favorite drill, and what do you do it it? I.E how is it correctly done?

Thanks Guys!

BulldogsGolf, the Range Rat!!:D
Click to expand...

For me, one of the most critical parts of my swing is the first section of my backswing. Thus, I often stand in front of a mirror (or look at the reflection off my office window) and review my backswing position when the club is parallel to the ground. In this position, I glance in the reflection to ensure that (1) my spine angle is correct; (2) my club face angle is correct; and (3) I am maintaining the triangle in my arms (right elbow is beginning to get into position).

This may seem fairly mechanical, but the goal is to groove it in front of the mirror so that when I am on the course I don't even have to think about it... it is second nature.
 
I get two tees and put them slightly wider than my putter and put a ball in the middle. I make my stroke and I can't hit the tee. I leave a few mm's distance from the toe and heel. I think this has really started helping my putter.

I also like to take swings while putting my bum against the back of a chair or alignment stick. This helps me from throwing my hips forward.

If I start getting too much rotation, I will stick a basketball between my legs to remind me to stay flexy with my right knee and not straighten it out.
 
thepete said:
The 26. The idea is to hit fades/draws with all clubs in your bag (excluding the putter of course). I always start with a draw and then hit a fade. If you hit a draw and then a fade, then you're done with that club and move on to the next. Start with your most lofted club and work your way down to the driver. Obviously it might be a bit hard to sling a draw with a LW, but you'll have to give yourself some leeway with that I guess. The goal is to manage in 26 shots, because then you've succeeded with all shots. If you manage to hit a draw but then don't hit a fade afterwards, you have to start over with the draw. It's about being able to switch between shaped shots like you have to do on the course.
Click to expand...

I really like the sound of this drill pete. I'll have to try it some time to see how successful I am at working the ball both ways.
 
4 for 4

A killer putting drill.
Find a hole with a decent amount of break
Find the straight uphill putt to that hole and mark a 4' putt off with a tee
Then go across the hole 180 degrees (straight downhill putt) and mark the 4' putt with a tee
Mark the remaining 2 at 90 degrees to the left and right.
You should have tees in the ground 4' from the hole in a 3,6,9,12 oclock position

Start with the straight putt and make 4 putts in a row. Move to the next position around the hole. Keep going until you miss.
You can play this in competition or by yourself. Try to minimize the number of attempts it takes to make all 16 putts. When playing against somebody else, you keep going until you miss and then it's the other person's turn. First one to make all the putts wins.

This will help your short putting as well as your chipping and lag putting. Just try to put the ball into the 4' radius and you will have a lot of confidence in your ability to read and make 4' putts. Note: this is a LOT harder than making 3' putts.
 
at my home course their putting green is pretty nice. There are different hills all around the green. So I can practice chipping from atop the hills or down in the valleys. It's nice to work on chipping up to the green and down to it. I have a hard time with my finess on short shots. Plus the have a practice sand pit. I haven't used it yet, cuz they haven't raked it or fluffed the sand in a couple years. I think they said something about redoing it this year so we will see. Its hard to get good at sand shots, if you cant practice them.
 
If I start missing puts I put a water bottle in the cup. Once you aim for something and not the lack of something (a hole) you will hit the bottle every time. It never fails.

On the practice green, I poke a tee just above the metal/plastic cup diagonally so as I'm adressing a 6' putt, I'm looking directly at the top of the tee. The idea is to have your ball roll into the cup and hit the top of the tee. That'll give you the right speed and line.

Spend an hour watching the practice green at a pga/nationwide event and you'll probably learn at least 10 new drills. I've seen Azzinger use the "bottle in the cup" drill more than once.
 
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