Golf Swing Drills

Working on your golf swing at the driving range is one of the best times of the week. Getting away from the hustle of life and just enjoying some time swinging a golf club should be part of your weekly schedule.

However, it can also be frustrating if you aren’t prepared or don’t know the best way to practice your golf swing. That’s where today’s guide comes in handy as we outline a bunch of different golf swing drills you can practice to help improve your golf swing.

Read through this list of golf swing drills a few times, and pick out the drills that you want to include in your driving range practice routine.

Resource: Step by Step Golf Practice Routines + Training System

17 Best Golf Swing Drills

#1: L to L Swing Drill

It is one of the top golf swing drills for those who swing long and struggle with solid ball contact. Most golfers think extra arm motion helps to generate more power, but the reality is the opposite. Instead of power, it messes up with consistency.

How to Do L to L Swing Drill:

• Stand in your golf position.
• Swing back and make sure your left hand (for a right-hand player) is parallel to the ground.
• Swing through and ensure your arms rotate freely.
• Keep your shoulder relaxed during the drill.
• Try to practice with each hand.

#2: Before Shot Drill

Preparing before the shots is a great way to improve your swing. Practicing a few specific things to get your body and mind ready at the driving range.

How to Do Before Shot Drill:

• Take your stance before addressing the ball.
• As you address the ball, perform a couple of swings.
• Now, mark a spot on the club’s face and use it to hit the golf ball along the designed target line.
• Address the golf ball one more time and maintain the body posture.
• Now, hold the golf club firmly, and swing away.

#3: Follow-Through Drill

The vital key to a perfect swing is the release, in which your wrists turn freely at impact with the golf ball. If it doesn’t occur properly, the hit will result in ball flight to the left or right.

How to Do Follow-Through Drill:

• Take your club.
• Make a swing at almost half of your regular speed.
• Form an L shape with your arms during the backswing and check the position of your wrists.
• Release your arms and swing through, turning your wrists freely through the golf ball.
• As you follow through, finish the drill by creating a reverse L.
• Repeat it with an increase in speed.
• Somehow, if you don’t get the desired ball flight, try to adjust your arm angle and grip.

#4: Half-Speed Swing Drill

It is a part of the best driving range drills that work to train your right arm. Players who lose control over their swings and don’t know where the club is throughout the swing can also practice this drill.

How to Do a Half-Speed Swing Drill:

• Be in your golf position.
• With your right hand, start with small and slow chips and progress your way up to the driver.
• Maintain a constant slower pace to train the right hand and arm where it needs to be during the swing.
• You have to be more patient with the drill and try to avoid over swinging.
• It’s better to swing slow and hit high or low and draw or fade shots.

Read: Great Golf Swing Speed Drills to Hit Far

#5: The Ladder Drill

The ladder drill helps golfers struggling with aim.

How to Do the Ladder Drill:

• Place a ball right in front of you.
• As you address the ball, line up to take a full swing with a middle iron to ensure that your feet are neither closed nor open to the designed target.
• Now, put the golf club down to your foot to make sure the shaft runs from foot to foot.
• Make adjustments by examining where the golf club points.
• The golf ball will end up to the left if the noticed line is to the left of the target.
• The ball will fly to the right if the noticed club line is to the right of the target.
• To correct the error, aim slightly right or left of your initial point.
• It means if the line points to the left, adjust your position slightly to the right and hit the shot.

#6: Aim with Iron Drill

Golf is not only a game of technique but also management and course routing. The drill helps you to understand the golf course better and also allows you to hit straight. Also see – Best golf swing alignment drills

How to Do Iron Drill:

• First, you have to look for a visible target near the flag. It can be anything like a noticeable shirt or a fence.
• Once you locate it, focus on it.
• Now form an imaginary straight line from the golf ball to the designed target.
• Create another imaginary target on that straight line. This time, it must be less than 10 feet from your position.
• Square your club after you take the short target.
• After this, adjust your golf position.
• Always keep your target line and body parallel.

#7: Flamingo Drill

The flamingo drill helps golfers struggling with inconsistent contact with the golf ball. It targets the upper body and hips to help with the proper transition and also helps to maintain your body balance throughout the swing.

How to Do Flamingo Drill:

• Be in your golf position.
• Take your back foot behind you so that only the toes of the back foot touch the ground. (take your right foot back if you’re a right-hand player)
• Now, hit the ball as you do and feel the difference.
• You’ll notice that you’re staying behind the ball and hitting the right spot.

#8: The Bench Drill

The bench drill is not like other practices as it aims to give an experience of a takeaway. You’ll need iron for doing the drill. A middle one will be best for the activity.

How to Do Bench Drill:

• Look for a regular bench at the driving range.
• Now, stand close to the bench with both of your shins. Bend slightly to address the golf ball.
• Do not touch the shins with the bench.
• As you begin the backswing, take the golf club behind slowly.
• While doing this, let the club’s shaft ride next to the edge of the bench.
• As you continue the backswing, the club’s head will get to a certain point.
• You’ll notice no more contact between the bench and the head.
• Stop the swing at this point and remember the position of the head and shaft of the club.
• The toe of the golf club faces up if you did it correctly.

#9: Counting Drill

Does slice or hook ruin your golf game? If so, try this drill. It helps those golfers who face problems with the inconsistent velocity with the body and swing, making the ball hooked or sliced. The practice makes the golfer’s body move along with the club simultaneously by breaking the timing issue.

How to Do Counting Drill:

• Take your stance.
• As you backswing and reach the top, stop there for 2-4 seconds.
• Now, proceed back to the golf ball.
• It will help to decrease the speed of the lower part of your body.
• Also, make you think of your swing in sequential parts.

#10: Step Through Swing Drill

It’s for golfers who have a reverse pivot or get stuck on the back leg, resulting in improper weight shift and balance. Moreover, some players let their front shoulder and the head past the golf ball at contact, resulting in a bad shot.

How to Do Step Through Swing Drill:

• Take your stance.
• Move your left leg back to the inside of your right foot as you swing back.
• On the downswing, take a step forward and ensure to turn through the ball.
• Try not to lunge.
• Practicing the drill also helps to maximize the momentum during a golf swing. You can record it to know you stand behind the golf ball.

#11: The Distance Drill

It is a part of the best driving range drills, as it helps to improve accuracy in the course. 

How to Do the Distance Drill:

• First, you have to select a spot on the putting green.
• Take around 10-12 balls and put them down.
• Take another three balls and start moving straight. Place the golf balls at 8, 12, and 16 paces.
• Once you do this, return to the starting position.
• Now, start hitting the balls with your club. Hit 4 balls at 8 paces and do the same with other paces. You’ll learn how to hit different distances to the green with lots of practice.

Resource: How to Score in the 70’s Golf Training Plan

#12: No Turn, Cast Swing Drill

The drill is for golfers who cast the golf club over or early and lift the arms on the backswing. In short, it’s for those players struggling with a casting motion in their swing.

How to Do No Turn, Cast Swing Drill:

• Take your position.
• Start the backswing and try to move your arms back while keeping the body in the same position without turning around.
• Once you attain this position, hit the ball with power.
• Try not to restrict your body movement throughout the swing.

#13: Penny Drill

One of the most practiced golf swing drills is the penny drill. It’s simple and effective and helps you to get the ball off the ground quickly.

How to Do Penny Drill:

• Place the penny on the practice mat.
• Hit it off the mat.
• Try hitting the penny with different clubs.
• Notice how high it goes. The higher, the better.
• Repeat. It helps you to stop topping the golf ball.
• Now, place the ball on the penny and hit it.
• This allows you not to top the golf ball.

#14: Freezer Swing Drill

Golfers intend to fire the hips from the top to gain more speed throughout their swing, which causes the club and hands to get stuck behind the hitter. It becomes difficult to attain a full swing.

The freezer swing drill makes sure that the club is coming through at the perfect time, creating a transition at the top of your backswing.

How to Do Freezer Swing Drill:

• Be in the golf position and take your club.
• Swing to the top of the backswing.
• Freeze there for 2-4 seconds and then swing away.
• Pause the lower body for a long period to make sure the golf club doesn’t get stuck behind you.

Resource: Get the All Access Pass. Learn about our training programs with step by step practice drills, weekly schedules and routines to follow so you can break 90, break 80 or scratch golf. Plus access our video lesson library in addition to following the practice plans.

#15: Feet Together Swing Drill

The drill is for those players who struggle with direction or contact or both. It helps you to maintain your balance throughout the swing. It is also by far one of the best golf swing drills for many players.

How to Do Feet Together Swing Drill:

• Slightly bend your knees and put your feet together.
• Now, start with a lower or half-speed swing.
• Increase the speed level to your comfort.
• By now, your body will start to be more balanced and move more sequentially.

#16: Alignment Golf Drill

Alignment sticks are the versatile training aid used in golf. These sticks help map the clubhead’s path right before, after, and during the impact.

 How to Do Alignment Golf Drill:

• Take position in line with your designated target and place the ball on the ground. 
• Lay an alignment stick horizontally about 5-6 inches on every side of the ball in line with your designated target.
• Adjust yourself and take full swing.
• If you hit the ball without hitting the alignment sticks, it means you’re close to your ideal swing plane.
• You can challenge yourself by bringing alignment sticks closer together.
• The closer together the alignment sticks, the better your swing plane will be.

#17: The Headcover Drill

The headcover drill is one of the most famous golf swing drills among new players. It helps to eliminate the tendency to slice the ball, improving the path of your swing.

How to Do the Headcover Drill:

• Take your driver and set up a ball on the tee with the appropriate height.
• Choose a target for the shot.
• Before taking a stance, take the headcover from the driver and put it on the ground.
• It must be outside of the designed target line.
• Headcover position determines whether the swing is coming in on a good path or not.
• If it is on the right path, it will not make contact with the headcover. A swing coming from outside-it makes an impact with it.
• Now, you’re set up, make a swing and make sure you don’t hit the headcover on the way through.

Golf Practice Plans to Follow

• How to Score in the 60’s Golf Training Plan
• How to Score in the 70’s Golf Training Plan
• How to Score in the 80’s Golf Training Plan
• All Access: Get Every Practice Plan (Lifetime Membership)

Thanks for reading today’s article!

Nick Foy – Golf Instructor