1. Swing Consistency: The Four‑Step Basic Drill
Adam Bazalgette of Scratch Golf Academy recommends a simple but effective drill to improve the repeatability of the golf swing. This drill trains the body positions from setup to finish:
- Setup: Shoulder‑width stance, weight evenly distributed; relaxed grip; check alignment with an intermediate target.
- Controlled Backswing: Shoulders turn fully while the hips remain stable; the club stays on the correct plane (not too flat or too steep).
- Transition: Pause briefly at the top to feel the weight of the club; the downswing starts with hip rotation, then the hands and arms follow – this promotes a powerful, reproducible strike.
- Impact & Follow‑Through: Hit the ball with a square clubface; keep your head steady and rotate fully through; weight finishes on the front foot.
Common mistakes: Grip too tight (prevents fluid motion), excessive force (destroys rhythm) and incorrect alignment. Bazalgette emphasizes that daily practice sessions of 10–15 minutes, combined with feedback from alignment aids, mirrors or video, are more effective than long, unstructured ball‑hitting sessions.
Additional drills to strengthen consistency:
- Towel Drill: Tuck a towel under the lead arm; during the swing the towel must not fall out – this keeps the arms and body connected.
- Slow‑Motion Drill: Perform the full swing exaggeratedly slowly and feel the positions; this trains the „feel" for planes and transitions.
- Impact‑Fix Drill: Pause briefly at impact and check whether the clubface, weight shift and hand position are correct.
2. Top Drills for the Short Game and Distance Control
Canadian coach Bryn Parry compiled five drills for the start of the 2025 season aimed at amateurs and advanced players. Each drill targets a specific aspect of the game and includes guidance on how to measure success.
Drill Goal & Execution Effect
Gate Drill (Putting): Two alignment sticks or tees are placed in the ground slightly wider than the putter head. The ball sits just behind them. When putting, the club must glide through the “gate” without touching the sticks. Promotes a straight putting path, centered contact and boosts confidence on short putts.
Line Drill (Swing Path): A chalk line or an alignment stick is laid toward the target. The ball is placed slightly forward of center. During the swing the clubhead should travel back and through along the line to identify over‑the‑top or inside‑out errors. Helps develop a neutral swing path, reduces slices/hooks and improves ball‑striking quality.
Ladder Drill (Distance Control)Several targets at different distances (e.g., 20, 40, 60 meters) are defined. Hit three balls to each target, adjusting swing length and tempo accordingly. Develops feel for partial shots, improves wedge control and builds confidence for varying shot lengths.
Clock Drill (Short Game)Several balls are placed in a circle around a hole (like the numbers on a clock). From various angles, chip with the same wedge; the goal is to place each ball within one club length of the hole. Trains adaptability from different lies and slopes and sharpens chipping accuracy.
Fairway‑Finder Drill (Driving)On the range use trees, posts or cones to mark a “fairway” about 60 yards wide. Ten tee shots with the driver should land inside this area; then reduce the width to 40 yards. Increases tee‑shot precision, encourages controlled tempo and reduces penalty strokes from dispersion.
Parry recommends recording results (hit rate, proximity to target) and sending videos to your coach to analyze swing path and posture.
3. Correcting the Swing Path: Drills Against Slices and Hooks
An incorrect swing path is one of the most common causes of slices, hooks and lost power. HackMotion coach Britt Olizarowicz describes six exercises to keep the club on the correct plane and control wrist angles.
3.1 Two‑Headcover Drill
Place two headcovers on the ground: one slightly outside behind the ball, the other slightly inside closer to the body. The player swings back and should avoid hitting the headcovers on the downswing; if the outer cover is hit, the club is coming too much from outside (slice); if the inner cover is hit, the swing is coming too much from inside (hook). The goal: neutral path and stable wrist angles.
3.2 Clockface‑Entry Drill
Imagine the ball at the center of a clock (12 o'clock points to the target). Those who slice usually strike the ball from around “5 o'clock” (too steep, from outside); those who hook come from “7 o'clock” (too far inside). In the Clockface Drill you visualize the ideal entry angle and practice bringing the club to the ball from the correct “hour.”
3.3 Back‑to‑the‑Target Drill
Pause briefly at the top of the backswing; the torso stays oriented toward the target during the first part of the downswing. Only when the hips initiate does the strike begin, and the trailing (right) arm gradually extends. This promotes an inside, neutral path without getting the player “under the ball.”
3.4 Hip‑Turn Drill (No Sway)
Place an obstacle (e.g., a golf bag, alignment stick) slightly behind the right hip. On the backswing the hips must rotate behind the body without touching the obstacle – this prevents lateral sway. The result is better balance and a more consistent path.
3.5 Tees‑Under‑Arms Drill
Place a tee (or a small object) under each armpit. During the backswing the tees must not fall out; this keeps the arms and body connected. On the downswing the arms should fall loosely and rotate with the body instead of hacking independently.
3.6 Casting Drill
Many amateurs release wrist angles too early (“casting”), which worsens the path and costs distance. In the Casting Drill the downswing begins with weight transfer and hip rotation while the right wrist remains flexed; the arm only extends late. This drill trains lag and sequencing and can be monitored with sensors or apps like HackMotion.
4. Improve Ball Contact and Shot Quality
Many mishits result from the wrong clubface or a poor low point. Adam Bazalgette presents several drills for this:
- Half‑Swing‑Impact Drill: With a mid iron make only a half swing and pause briefly at impact; ensure the hands are slightly ahead of the clubhead. This promotes a controlled contact moment.
- Tee Drill for Low Point: Stick a tee 2 cm in front of the ball in the ground. On the shot the ball should be struck before the tee is hit. This teaches you to move the low point of the swing in front of the ball and avoids fat shots.
- One‑Arm Drill: Swing using only the lead arm (for right‑handed players the left hand) to train body rotation and arm‑body synchronization.
- Slow‑Motion Swings: Perform the entire swing in slow motion and focus on the positions. This consolidates the sequence without tempo pressure.
Bazalgette warns against initiating the transition too hastily or “scooping” the ball; the club should hit into the ground, not under the ball.
5. Drills Against the “Over‑the‑Top” Error
PGA pro Brendon Elliott explains on MyGolfSpy that many golfers come over the top with the driver – they swing from outside to inside and lose distance. He particularly recommends two drills:
- Skip‑a‑Stone Drill: Imagine throwing a flat stone sideways across a lake. That sideways motion corresponds to the desired inside‑out path with the driver. On the golf ball the clubface should strike the ball on the rear, inner quadrant.
- Pump Drill: The player takes the club back, stops at the top, then deliberately executes a sequenced downswing. Counting (“one” for takeaway, “two” for impact) helps control tempo and timing.
Elliott also advises reducing tempo, practicing initially with shorter clubs and tucking a towel under the right arm to prevent coming over the top.
6. Practical Practice Tips
- Shorter, frequent sessions: 15 minutes of focused practice per day is more efficient than infrequent marathon sessions.
- Vary the environment: Rotate between the driving range, practice green and home slow‑motion swings.
- Get feedback: Alignment sticks, mirrors or video recordings help check swing path and body position. Apps like DeepSwing or HackMotion can analyze wrist angles and swing plane in real time – ideal for adapting drills purposefully.
- Document: Keep a notebook on strike quality, repetitions and improvements. Share video clips with your coach.
- Patience & variation: Focus on one or two drills at a time and regularly alternate between drills and full swings so the learned movements transfer to normal shots.
Conclusion
Golf drills are a powerful tool to improve your own swing. Whether you want to correct your swing path, refine ball contact or increase your putting percentage – the exercises described above offer clear instructions. The key is to focus on quality rather than quantity: ingrain correct sequences, practice regularly and use feedback. Combined with digital analysis tools, any golfer can optimize their swing, play with more confidence and sustainably lower their handicap.
Resources: scratchgolfacademy.com, brynparrygolf.com, mygolfspy.com