How to come out of Lockdown 3.0 a better golfer #1

BY HUGO DEMAYA / SCRATCH GOLFER

Lockdown 3.0 is here… How do I become a better golfer ? Golf courses and gyms are closed yet again but a vaccine is on the way and spring/summer golf might be closer than we think.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Just because you’re stuck at home it doesn’t mean you can’t work on your golf game, so we’ve come up with some ideas to help you shoot your lowest in spring 2021.

Work on your Putting

For us, putting is the most important part of your golf game. If you think about it, a golf course is designed to be a par 72, with 18 greens, playing around 36 putts means that 40%-50% of your shots are putting. But in fact, this area of the game is the less practiced. Find below some quick tips you can do at home with or without equipment.

Of course, for optimal training, it’s best to have a putting matt but you can improve and practice your putting with just a coffee mug cup or even a 50pence piece.

1 – Right Handed Putts

Pick a target to putt to from 3 feet away (Puttout pressure putt or coffee mug) and using just your right hand, stroke one handed putts trying to hit the target.

Make sure to keep the putter path straight still as well as the face square to your target. This will build your putting stroke by ingraining skill with one hand.

2 – Left Handed Putts

Repeating the same golf drill from above, use just your left hand to stroke 3-foot putts to a target you’ve selected.

These two one handed putting drills make our list of the best golf drills at home because of their simplicity but also their effectiveness.

These 2 drills will give you confidence that you’ll thank us for when hovering over a 3-foot putt in April. Watch Tiger warm Up here!

3 – Putting to a Tee

One of the best ways to practice putting at home is simply working on your control of the putter face. Set up a golf tee so that it’s upside down.

Starting 3 feet away, putt a ball to the tee trying to knock it over. Then move back to 4 feet, 5 feet, and so on. Try to work your way back to 20 feet away and see if you can still knock the tee over.

You’ll develop a better feel for your putter’s face and it will be easier to identify know when you’ve closed or opened the face during the putting stroke because you’re hitting to a super small target.

4 – Putting to a Card or Sticky Note (Improve your Putting Distance)

Grab a playing card or a sticky note and set it on your carpet, 3 feet, 6 feet, 9 feet or 12 feet away from your start line.

Now practice putting the golf ball with enough speed and distance that it stops on top of the card or sticky note. If it touches it and goes past it, try again until it lands on your target. Try and do this 5 times in a row then change the distance.

5 – Putting through books

A way to practice a straighter back, straighter through stroke is to use two books (or alignment rods). Place them outside the heel and the toe, and putt through them like they’re train tracks.

Let us know how you get on @igosportsglobal  .

And remember Great Golfers are made in Winter