In this article, we’ll look at affordable
ways to practice golf at home and become a better player without even having to
go out. Yes—it can be done!
There are many ways you can practice and improve your golf at home. And, while the more space, the better, it’s not necessarily essential to have a garden or any outdoor space to make inroads on some progress away from the course.
How to practice golf at home
1. Putting
Putting is one of the most obvious
areas of your game to make progress in from home, and given that around 45% of your shots will come on the greens, it’ll benefit you hugely when you get
back out there.
You don’t have to break the bank to
buy a putting mat, either. The carpet or flooring you already have in your
house can work just fine, and this is a great way to work on your alignment,
stroke and distance control, too.
There are a wide range of training aids to help you with the different aspects of putting—mirrors, holes, gates, pressure putts, path trainers, breaking putts and mats that return the ball to you. There’s even a ball that has to be hit perfectly to roll straight. So, however you struggle on the greens, there’s no excuse not to put some work in!
2. Chipping
Similarly, there are all sorts of training
aids to help you with your short game. Whether you like something technical
that will help you get your arms and body in the right position, or something
more visual so you have a target, there’s plenty of help out there.
Being able to chip better is a quick way to get your scores down, and you need very little space to practice this at home—just some air-flow or indoor balls to get a feel for a good chip. This is also a great way to use your imagination around the garden for different types of shots and trajectories, and the more you practice, the more likely you are to start getting up and down a few more times.
3. Mirror work
You often hear about golfers using mirrors
for practising, but how many of us have actually made the most of what we’ve
got at home to work on our swings?
A great way to add a new move to a swing is by doing it in slow motion. Robert Rock is one of the best swingers in the game, and he’s a big fan of slow-motion work.
4. Practice net
We all love the feeling of hitting balls, and if you have the space, a good practice net is a brilliant purchase.
During the various lockdowns, these were among the most popular purchases for golfers, as they’re a great way of maintaining your swing away from the course. Just make sure you have enough room to hit it and that the net is decent quality—the last thing you want is to smash through it and break a window!
If you’re looking to hit a lot of
drivers, consider how much headroom you have, too, as well as a strong net.
Hitting balls on a regular basis should really bolster your confidence. In fact, simply having a club in your hands every day will make it start to feel like second nature, and you can work on hitting different shots with different clubs.
5. Video analysis
An adjustable tripod for your phone is
an excellent purchase if you’re looking at how to practice golf at home, as you
can see exactly what you’re doing each time.
Of course, there’s nothing better
than having an in-person lesson with a PGA pro, but this way, you can share
your progress outside of lessons by sending videos. Your instructor can then
send feedback quickly and easily.
6. Strength and flexibility
The importance of being strong and
flexible when it comes to hitting it better and further has never been more
evident.
By adding yards, you’ll lower your
scores. Fact. YouTube is full of tips to help your balance, bad back, shoulders
and neck, core and any other body part used in the golf swing.
Try and spend just 15 minutes a day working on some part of your golfing fitness, and you’ll notice the difference very quickly—whether it’s longer drives, less pain or more stamina at the end of a round. Where you may lack in inspiration when it comes to getting going, you should make up for it in how you’re generally feeling and swinging.
7. The mind game
We can probably all think better on
the course, and if there’s one thing that Tiger Woods always did brilliantly
throughout his career, it was his breathing and visualisation.
Just look at a video of his chip-in at the 16th at The Masters in 2005, and look how much attention he’s paying to the shot before hitting it.
Golf is a game played between the ears, and by being able to deal with the inner voices and awkward situations we’re guaranteed to face on the course, we’ll all be better off. Read up, seek the relevant information, and start to practice at home, too.
8. Read, watch, listen
Golf has arguably never been in a better place in terms of what’s ‘out there’ in regards to online instructions, playing tips, reading material and podcasts.
Some of the greatest golf teachers and
instructors on the planet are giving their tips away for free, and there’s
always an answer to the questions we might have.
If you’ve never read a Dr Bob Rotella on the mental game of golf, you truly are missing out. Feed your mind and educate yourself on all areas of the game, and it will add to your overall enjoyment and lust to get better at playing it.
Great news! You now know how to practice golf at home—so you don’t have to miss out on playing if the weather takes a turn or if you just don’t feel like going out.
But, before you do head back out to put your hard practice to the test, you may want to consider protecting yourself and your equipment with specialist golf insurance first.
With Golf Care, policies include Equipment Cover up to £7,500 and Public Liability up to £10m, so you can play with peace of mind.
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