Have a Clear Aiming Point

The first tip to help golfers who want to improve their game is to have a precise aiming point at the driving range. You will never know how good your shots are without knowing where they were meant to land. Thankfully, there are some great pieces of technology that can help golfers with this.

At the West Essex Golf Club, we have a state-of-the-art driving range that features TrackMan Technology, allowing golfers to track their progress and measure their shots accurately. The app included with this technology allows golfers to access their stats from their phones every time they play or practice.

However, very few golf ranges have this type of technology. If you want to actively improve during your range sessions but don’t have the benefit of the TrackMan technology we spoke about above, follow these steps:

• Warm up – no matter whether you’re going to the driving range for fun or to practise your skills, it’s essential to warm up first. This will prevent you from getting injuries that could set you back.
• Choose the right clubs – the next thing you need to do is choose the right clubs for teeing off. For example, you could choose a hybrid, a 3-wood or a driver.
• Create an imaginary fairway – in order to practice your aim, you will need to have a precise aiming point. You can do this by creating an imaginary fairway at the golf range. This aiming point should be approximately 20 meters wide.
• Reduce the size of the aiming point – as your skills improve, you should reduce the size of your aiming point. You can also imagine there are hazards in the way, such as water, on one side of the course.
• Practise – start by striking ten balls into your imaginary fairway and score yourself for each ball that lands in the right place.

Experiment with Different Grips

According to Jim Flick, to be a successful golfer, you must find out what grip works best for you. The best place to do this is on the driving range, where you can hit lots of balls and see the difference each grip makes.

Try a One-Armed Pitch on the Driving Range

Lots of golfers struggle to get their pitches into the air. If this sounds like you, practice one-armed pitches on the driving range. You can do this by putting your spare hand in your pocket and swinging the wedge with your other arm.

The Water Bottle Drill

If, like most amateur golfers, you slice the ball instead of hitting it, you might want to try the water bottle drill. To prevent slicing a ball, follow these tips:

• Find an empty water bottle.
• Place the empty bottle about 9 inches in front of your front foot.
• Swing your club at about 75% speed. If you notice you are hitting the water bottle, then there’s a good chance you are slicing the ball.
• To prevent this from happening, swing out more on the downswing.
• Keep practising – the only way to get better is by practising. The West Essex Golf Club is a great place to practise this technique. We have a chipping green and bunkers where golfers can practise their shots before they tackle the golf course.

The Battery Roll

One way to tell whether or not you are hitting the ball correctly is by swapping the golf ball for a D battery. Place the battery on the ground and strike it like a golf ball. If the battery rolls smoothly towards your target, you know you are hitting it correctly.

The Worst Ball Game

One of Tiger Wood’s favourite drills is the Worst Ball Game; however, it’s not the right drill for everyone. This drill takes a lot of time, so you must find a golf club near London, such as the West Essex Golf Club, that can accommodate this. Most golf clubs are willing to allow players to practise this drill during quieter times, such as midweek.

This is a simple drill to complete. You need to hit two golf balls at each hole with the same club. When you locate both of your balls, you then decide which was the worst ball and pick the other ball up. You then play both balls again from the worst position.

Chipping Drills

A common mistake amateurs make when chipping a golf ball is to flip their wrists when they make contact with the ball. One main reason for this is that golfers are trying to lift the ball off the ground. To stop yourself from doing this and improve your game, allow your body to turn towards the target after impact instead.

Put on Your Headphones

It is common to see golfers wearing headphones at the driving range; however, very few think carefully about the music they are listening to. The music you listen to can have an enormous impact on your swing. Fast music can make you swing too fast, slow music too slow, and so on. The ideal swing tempo is approximately 100 beats per minute. If you want to improve your game, download music that has this tempo.

Use the Broom Technique

Hold a broom halfway down the handle so that the handle extends past your hip bone. Practise chipping strokes with this stance. Try to keep your wrists and hands quiet and rotate your body after you make contact with the ground.

Record Your Distances

Whether you are playing golf in Essex or London, keeping track of your swing distances is important. A driving range, such as the one at West Essex Golf Club, has distance markers that can help determine how far you hit your balls.

Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, the golf practice tips above will help you improve your game. Why not give them a go?