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Get Your Golf Game Ready: 4 Easy Drills for a Better Start to the Season
By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on
After nearly three decades in this industry and almost 20 years as a PGA Professional, I’ve seen countless golfers make the same mistake every spring. They show up to the first tee without any preparation, swing away and wonder why their game feels rusty.
The truth is, getting ready for the season doesn’t require hours of practice or complicated training programs. What it takes is smart, focused work on the fundamentals that matter most.
Here are four basic and classic drills that will have you ready to play your best golf when the weather breaks.
1. The Alignment Stick Drill for Ball Striking
Most golfers lose their swing during the off-season because their setup gets sloppy. Your alignment affects everything that happens in your swing, and it’s the easiest thing to fix.
Grab two alignment sticks or even a couple of old clubs. Place one along your target line just outside the ball, and put the other parallel to it along your toe line. Hit balls with this setup for 15 minutes, three times a week.
What you’re doing here is retraining your eyes and body to recognize proper alignment. I’ve watched single-digit handicappers aim 20 yards right of their target without realizing it. This drill eliminates that problem fast. You’ll start hitting the ball more solidly because your swing path will match your body alignment.
2. The Gate Drill for Putting Accuracy
Putting is where you can drop strokes immediately without changing your swing. The gate drill is simple but brutally effective at improving your stroke path.
Place two tees in the ground just wider than your putter head, about six inches in front of your ball. Your goal is to roll putts through the gate without touching either tee. Start with three-footers and work your way back to 10 feet.
This drill forces you to swing the putter straight back and through. Most golfers pull or push their putts because their path is off. Five minutes of this drill before every round will transform your putting. I’ve seen 90-shooters become 85-shooters just by cleaning up their putting stroke.
3. The Towel Drill for Tempo and Rhythm
Tempo falls apart during the off-season. Golfers get quick and jerky, trying to muscle the ball instead of swinging smoothly.
Take a hand towel and grip it at one end like a club. Make full swings with the towel, trying to hear it whoosh at the bottom of your swing. If you hear the whoosh on your downswing, your tempo is good. If you hear it on your backswing, you’re too quick from the top.
Do 10 towel swings before you hit balls. This drill reconnects you with the rhythm of a good golf swing. It’s impossible to force a towel, so your body naturally finds a smooth tempo. Your swing speed will actually increase when you stop trying so hard.
4. The Feet-Together Drill for Balance
Balance is the foundation of consistency. When you’re off-balance, everything else breaks down.
Hit 20 balls with your feet touching each other. Start with half swings and work up to three-quarter swings. You won’t hit the ball far, but that’s not the point.
This drill exposes any balance issues in your swing. If you’re swaying, lunging, or falling off your shots, you’ll feel it immediately. Once you can hit solid shots with your feet together, go back to your normal stance. You’ll feel incredibly stable and centered. This is the drill I use with tour players and beginners alike because balance matters at every level.
Getting Started
You don’t need to do all four drills every day. Pick two or three that address your biggest weaknesses and commit to them for the next few weeks. The golfers who show up ready on opening day aren’t the ones with the most talent. They’re the ones who put in smart, focused practice when everyone else was sitting on the couch.
Here’s to your best season ever!
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org and his stories on Athlon Sports. To stay updated on his latest work, sign up for his newsletter and visit OneMoreRollGolf.com.
