Golf is a challenging sport, both mentally and physically. You have to stay calm and focused while playing. You must also repeat the same movement patterns for hours if you want to improve your game.
What if you could find fun ways to train for golf? You can practice in your backyard instead of driving to the nearest driving range each time. If this sounds like an exciting idea, try one of these nine creative ways to practice golf.
Hit many balls into a golf hitting net
You do not need to hit balls on a driving range when you have a golf-hitting net. Install it in your backyard, 7 or 8 feet from your strike zone. Use a hitting mat with your golf irons to avoid damaging the grass.
Then choose a spot on your net to use as a target and hit many balls in a row. The net will prevent you from damaging your or your neighbor’s house.
Practice your shots on a chipping net
Instead of a simple hitting net, you could practice your shots with a chipping net, which offers you different targets to aim at. Alternatively, you could use buckets as targets. Set them at different distances from your hitting mat and try to hit a few balls in each bucket.
If you don’t have a large backyard, you should use foam golf balls, which are less likely to damage your property.
Do some golf exercises at home or the gym
Did you know you could become a better golfer by getting to the gym regularly? You don’t even need to go to the gym. You can exercise at home. Squats, for example, will improve your strength and mobility over time.
You can also do horizontal pulls and pushes, vertical pulls and pushes, and any other exercise to develop your core muscles and upper and lower body strength. Exercising can help you become a better golfer and reduce your risk of injury while practicing and playing golf.
Use a putting mat to improve your putts
Improving your putts is a helpful way to reduce your handicap. You can easily do so at home with a mat set in your backyard or basement.
Although the mat will not feel like practicing on a green, it will still allow you to work on your strokes and distance control.
Turn a sandpit into a bunker
If you have trouble getting your ball out of the bunker while playing golf, it’s time to act. If your yard has a sandpit, turn it into a bunker. Practice getting balls out of the sand and into a bucket or chipping net. You don’t have a sandpit in your yard? You could make one by pouring sand into a small kiddie pool.
Practice flop shots over an obstacle
Practicing flop shots is best done with foam golf balls, especially if you have a small backyard. Take a small tree, a lawn chair, or another object you’re not afraid of damaging.
Grab a club with many lofts, and practice hitting balls as high as possible, right over your obstacle. You could place a bucket or a chipping net on the other side as a target.
Try a one-handed chipping drill
Learning new drills will equip you with more creative ways to practice golf. If you struggle to hit a chip shot, this one-handed chipping drill is for you.
The drill is simple: try hitting chip shots with only one hand. This will help ensure you don’t slow down your club through impact and allow gravity to do its job instead.
Try a pitching drill with hula hoops
You can also practice pitch shots with hula-hoops. Get three or four of them, and place them at different distances from you. Then, try hitting one ball in each hula-hoop with one of your wedges. When you get good at this drill, try it with a different wedge.
Film yourself to improve your swing
Filming yourself on your phone and watching videos is a helpful way to improve your posture and swing. You will see what you are doing right and what you need to improve.
Try doing this occasionally, even when you feel more confident. It would help if you always noticed which small mistakes you might notice when hitting a ball.
