Do you want to improve your golf but find it difficult with a busy job and family time? Or it may be that the golf club or nearest driving range is out of the way. If you want to improve, you need to be able to stick at it weekly, and I believe to do this, we need to be able to make it as easy as possible to make it happen. Anytime that there is too much friction involved we massively increase the chances that we won`t participate in that activity. If you can practice for 15 minutes a day over a year, think how much better you could be ….. and it’s very achievable.

1. A Golf Net

Making it easy to practice is key to making it stick. Having a golf net at your home, whether it’s outside or in the garage, will be so helpful in helping you make a swing change. It could be as simple as a sheet over the washing line or hung up in the garage. Some good nets/mats are available at very reasonable prices these days, and it’s worth the investment if you are committed to your game. Think of the cost of traveling to the range and the balls each year, and also, I find golfers improve faster when they aren’t driven by the outcome.

2. Have Your Clubs Accessible

Firstly, don’t leave it around as a tripping hazard as I’m sure this activity will soon be banned from the house. A nice and easy one here is to create a habit after a regular habit. After I finish washing the dishes or before brushing my teeth, I will practice my golf swing for 5 minutes. This doesn’t have to be hitting balls. It could just be doing some practice swings or using a mirror for feedback. Check back in to your coaching notes for drills and send across some feedback to your coach!

3. Roll The Rock

Similar to having a golf net this can be done on a real budget or you can invest in a putting mat with various training aids to help improve your tendencies. This could be as simple as putting through a couple of spice jars into a mug to help improve your start line. The key to this again is to create a habit. After I finish doing X I will go and work on my putting for 5 minutes. Make it easy and achievable with some measurable improvement games. Build in things like putting mat templates for further feedback.

4. Speed Up That Grip Change

A grip change can be a real struggle to go through…so make it easier by having a golf club lying around where you can clip a grip trainer on it and pick it up when the advertisements come on. You could even dedicate an old club like Scottie but I would recommend changing between the training aid and normal grip so you don`t become dependent on the aid. But just having that club in your hands and moving it around, tracing your name in the sky, will give you better control and feel of the relationship between hands and club. …Until next week!

Remember, practicing at home always comes with a warning: we accept no responsibility! -Coach Tim