17+ Drills That Will Help You Lower Your Handicap in Just 2 Weeks.
Are you sick of embarrassing missed swings and unpredictable shots?
Don’t get discouraged! While it takes a lifetime to master the art of golf, you’ll be surprised by how quickly you can improve your game. These drills are designed to help you optimize your practice time to lower your handicap in just two weeks.
1. Start and Stop Drill
Get a refresher on the basics with this stop-and-start drill. It focuses on improving your balance. You’ll want to start the swing usually but pause at several key places.
Stop when you reach the point where:
- Your club is parallel to the ground.
- Your club is pointing toward the sky.
- You’re at the top of your backswing.
- You return to the impact position
2. Three-Foot Putt
You can try this drill on a practice green or at home. Set up three feet from the hole and practice your putting. Keep at it, paying close attention to your body mechanics, until you can sink ten balls straight.
3. Target Chipping
Instead of focusing on a hole, you’ll be focusing on a particular spot on the green. Head to a practice green and pick a landing spot near the hole, placing a golf towel on your target. Once you’re setup, hit chip shots to land your ball on that target. After getting to the point where you can hit the mark every time, remove the towel and try again. You should notice an improvement.
4. Swing Slow Drill
Like the first drill on this list, half-speed swing drills help you with your balance. Use your normal club, place a ball and pick a target. Just keep in mind that the ball won’t fly as far. Use your regular swing, but keep your movements slow and steady to look for technique problems.
5. Ladder Drill
Setup on a relatively flat area of a practice green around 30 feet away from the hole. You’ll want to bring five balls and a putter. The goal is to get the first ball 10 feet from the hole, the second a little further, and so on. This drill should help you get more control over your putting speed.
6. Ball Striking Secrets
One of the most important aspects of getting a good strike every time is your swing path. All you’ll need to evaluate and improve is an alignment stick set to a 45o angle, a golf ball, and some space. Aim for the ball but try not to hit the alignment stick. You may find that you need to swing on a shallower path to get full contact.
7. Pure Contact Formula
If you want a formula for improving your contact points, it starts with your posture and setup. Your hips should be extending toward the ball while your spine should be tilted back. Bend your hips and pretend that you plan to hit the ball. If this stance feels less-than-natural, you might have a problem with your setup. Remedy it now.
8. Chip Like A Pro
Want to learn to chip like the pros? To try this drill, put a club down behind the ball outside your back foot. Adopt a good chipping setup with your feet together and your weight forward. Try to chip without hitting the club on the ground. If you can’t, it means you’re not swinging your weight forward into the ball. Keep practicing until you don’t.
9. Getting in the Rhythm
This drill will help you work on swinging your driver. There are two things to focus on: rhythm and contact. Set up four tees roughly three inches apart in a line and place a golf ball on the farthest tee. Start with the closest tee and try to sweep it out of the ground. Continue until you reach the ball and see how much your drive upswing and rhythm are improving.
10. Chalk Lines Rock
You can improve your accuracy while putting by practicing with a chalk line. Stand perpendicular to the line and settle into your putting stance. Look down to see where your shoulders, forearms, hips, and toes are. They should run parallel to the line to create a neutral setup that will help you hit the ball along its intended path.
11. Medicine Ball Drill
Try this one at home. Use a medicine ball to practice high, low, and medium trajectories for chipping. It will help you get the motions down until they feel natural.
12. Practice Your Pitch
Good pitching in golf is all about placing the club on the plane both in your backswing and finish. Practice this swing often. You may need to ease up on your grip to create the perfect amount of hinge. Focus on your thumbs to make sure they’re pointed toward the sky at these pivotal points.
13. Dip and Shoot for More Power
Pro golfers know that their strength on long shots comes from the lower body. You can harness that strength by practicing dipping and shooting. Just dip down as you begin your downswing, then shoot up into the air on your toes as you hit the ball. Practice with and without actually striking the ball.
14. Form a Pendulum
Your putt stroke should be like a pendulum. The length of its swing is what changes the distance of your putts. Practice this stroke by grabbing a yardstick and marking it every two inches. Set it on the ground and use it to practice getting your stroke length even on each side of the ball.
15. Use CBD to Improve Your Practice
Much of your accuracy and speed rely on your physical ability. You should include critical stretches and exercises into your daily practice routine and use CBD as a workout supplement.
Try these stretches and targeted exercises:
- Shoulder stretches
- Standing forward bends
- Standing quad stretches
- Hip flexors
- Standing band stretches
- Lower back stretches
- Toe touches for hip flexibility
16. Uphill Putting
Most golfers practice putting on flat areas, but greens are anything but flat. Take a simple putting drill and apply it to an uphill slope.
17. Practice the Chunk-and-Run
Every golfer knows about bunker swings, but they aren’t great for carrying distance. To practice the chunk-and-run, adjust to a narrower stance and shift your weight to the left. Make your bunker swing as usual but stop when you reach waist-height. Practice until you can get 40-yard distances.
Final Thoughts?
You don’t have to be a pro golfer or have all the time in the world to improve your handicap. Use these practice drills to up your short and long game. If you stick with them until you have them down, you’ll notice improvements in no time.