Practice
Every drill on the site
Grouped by the part of impact they change. Pick one for tonight, then follow the link to the fix it belongs to and read why it works before you practise it.
None of them are timed. Where a drill says how many balls it wants, that is shown beside what you need to bring.
Path
Which way the club is travelling through the ball. The difference between the path and where the face points is what bends the shot.
Show every groupThe exit gate
Put a headcover on the ground about a foot in front of the ball and a few inches beyond the target line, on the far side from your feet.
- Needs
- A headcover or a spare glove
Parallel lines at address
Lay one alignment stick on the ground just beyond the ball, parallel to the target line, and a second parallel to it along your toes.
- Needs
- Two alignment sticks, or two spare clubs · A phone
Chest-high, left finish
With a mid-iron, hit three-quarter shots and hold a finish with your chest facing the target and your hands around to the left of your body at about chest height.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
The gate
Put a headcover just outside the ball and slightly behind it, on the line the clubhead would travel if it came from outside.
- Needs
- A headcover or a spare glove
Split-second pause at the top
Swing to the top, stop for a full second, then start down.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Feet-together swings
Hit half-shots with a mid-iron and your feet touching.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Face angle
Where the face is pointing when it meets the ball, which is what sets the direction the shot starts in.
Show every groupHold the half finish
With a mid-iron, make half swings that stop when the shaft is level with the ground past the ball, and freeze there.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten rehearsals
Trail thumb and forefinger off
Take your normal grip, then lift the thumb and forefinger of your trail hand off the handle so only the other three fingers hold on.
- Needs
- A tee
Chest to the target
Hit three-quarter shots with a mid-iron and hold the finish until the ball lands, chest facing the target and weight on the lead foot.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Start-line gate
Push two alignment sticks upright into the ground about ten paces ahead, either side of your target line and two paces apart.
- Needs
- Two alignment sticks
- How many
- Twenty three-quarter shots
Build the grip twenty times
Without a ball, sole a mid-iron behind a tee with the face square to your target.
- Needs
- A tee · A phone camera
Why it works: Fixing a clubface that changes from shot to shot
Nine-ball face control
With a mid-iron and half swings, hit three balls trying to start them slightly right, three trying to start them slightly left, and three at the target, in that order.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Three balls
Why it works: Fixing a clubface that changes from shot to shot
Matching checkpoints on camera
Prop a phone behind you, looking down the target line.
- Needs
- A phone camera
- How many
- Ten balls
Why it works: Fixing a clubface that changes from shot to shot
Ten-ball spread test
Push two alignment sticks upright about ten paces ahead, either side of your target line and two paces apart.
- Needs
- Two alignment sticks
- How many
- Ten balls
Why it works: Fixing a clubface that changes from shot to shot
Toe up to toe up
Take a mid-iron and make swings that stop when the shaft is level with the ground, first on the way back and then on the way through.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten rehearsals
Split-hand half shots
Grip the club with your hands a hand's width apart, the trail hand lower down the handle, and hit half shots with a mid-iron off a low tee.
- Needs
- A tee
Level swings, then tilt
Hold the club out in front at chest height, shaft level with the ground, and make slow swings around your body as if the ball were sitting on a post.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Five half shots
Start-line gate
Push two alignment sticks upright into the ground about ten paces ahead, either side of your target line and two paces apart.
- Needs
- Two alignment sticks
- How many
- Twenty three-quarter shots
Low point
Where the bottom of the swing arc lands relative to the ball. It decides fat, thin, and a strike that takes the ball first.
Show every groupPump to hip height
Take a mid-iron to the top.
- Needs
- A phone to film from behind
- How many
- Ten balls
Level swings down to the turf
Check you have a clear club's length of space around you.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Three smooth swings
Clip it off a low tee
With a mid-iron, tee a ball so it sits just above the grass, no higher than a very good fairway lie.
- Needs
- Tees
Second tee in front
Tee your ball at normal height.
- Needs
- Tees
Address check on camera
Prop your phone at chest height directly in front of you, facing your chest.
- Needs
- A phone to film with · An alignment stick or a spare club
- How many
- Five drives
Sweep it off a tall tee
Spray the face or colour it with a dry-erase marker.
- Needs
- Tees · Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker · A towel to wipe the face
Stick up the grip
Hold an alignment stick against the grip of a mid-iron so it runs up past your lead hip, with both hands wrapped round the stick and the grip together.
- Needs
- An alignment stick
- How many
- Ten slow half swings
Lead hand only
Grip a wedge a little down the handle with your lead hand only and put your trail hand behind your back.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Twenty short pitches
Towel behind the ball
Lay a towel flat on the ground a hand's width behind the ball, in line with the ball and the target.
- Needs
- A towel
- How many
- Ten balls
Grip end at your middle
On the chipping green, take a wedge, stand with your feet close together and the ball in the middle of your stance.
- Needs
- A coin or a tee to mark a landing spot
Why it works: Fixing a handle pressed too far forward at impact
Thud, not cut
On grass, with a wedge and no ball, make small swings that brush the turf.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten chips
Why it works: Fixing a handle pressed too far forward at impact
Grip to the lead thigh
Stand face on to a mirror or a propped-up phone with a mid-iron and your normal ball position.
- Needs
- A mirror or a phone camera
- How many
- Ten half shots
Why it works: Fixing a handle pressed too far forward at impact
The line drill
On grass, scratch a straight line across the target line with a tee, about the length of a clubhead.
- Needs
- A tee, or a little sand, to mark a line on the grass
- How many
- Ten swings
Why it works: Fixing a low point that moves from shot to shot
Five brushes in a row
Pick a spot on the grass, such as a dark blade or a small mark, and set up with a short iron so the spot sits where the ball would.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Why it works: Fixing a low point that moves from shot to shot
Held finishes
Hit ten three-quarter shots with a mid-iron and hold each finish for a count of three: chest facing the target, weight on the lead foot, trail foot up on its toe.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten three-quarter shots
Why it works: Fixing a low point that moves from shot to shot
The divot map
Use this as a scorecard at the start of each session, not as practice.
- Needs
- A tee
Why it works: Fixing a low point that moves from shot to shot
Lift the lead foot at the top
Without a ball, make a slow backswing with a mid-iron and stop at the top.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Step back into your stance
Set up normally with a mid-iron, then bring your lead foot in until it touches your trail foot.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten rehearsals
Towel behind the ball
Lay a folded towel on the ground a hand's width behind the ball, on the line the club travels back and through.
- Needs
- A hand towel
Trail foot off the ground at the finish
Hit half shots with a mid-iron and hold each finish for a count of three with the buckle facing the target and the trail foot up on its toe.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Stick outside the trail hip
Push an alignment stick into the ground just outside your trail foot, angled so it touches your trail hip at address.
- Needs
- An alignment stick, an umbrella, or a golf bag stood on end
Head shadow on a spare ball
Practise with the sun behind you.
- Needs
- A spare ball or a tee · Sunshine from behind you
Towel under the outside of the trail foot
Fold a hand towel and slide it under the outside edge of your trail foot so the foot tilts slightly inward.
- Needs
- A hand towel
- How many
- Ten slow swings
Stick across the chest
Take your stance without a ball and hold an alignment stick across the front of your chest, one hand on each end.
- Needs
- An alignment stick or a spare club · A mirror or a phone
- How many
- Five half shots
Why it works: Fixing body rotation that stalls through impact
Hold the finish for three
Hit half shots with a mid-iron and hold every finish for a count of three before you look up: shirt buttons facing the target, trail shoulder nearest the target.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Why it works: Fixing body rotation that stalls through impact
Headcover under the lead arm
Tuck a headcover or a folded glove under your lead armpit and hit half shots with a short iron, keeping it there until the finish.
- Needs
- A headcover or a glove
Why it works: Fixing body rotation that stalls through impact
Step through after the ball
Hit smooth three-quarter shots with a short iron and let your trail foot step past your lead foot toward the target once the ball has gone, walking out of the shot.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Five normal shots
Why it works: Fixing body rotation that stalls through impact
Pump drill
Take a mid-iron and swing to the top.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten balls
Upside-down swish
Turn a club over and hold it just below the head with your normal grip.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Five balls
Nine to three with a marked face
Colour the face of a mid-iron with a dry-erase marker.
- Needs
- A dry-erase marker or foot powder spray
- How many
- Twenty balls
Chair behind the hips
Set a chair or a bag so it just touches your backside at address.
- Needs
- A chair, or a golf bag stood upright
Heels-down rehearsals
Make half-speed swings with a conscious feeling of pressure staying in both heels as you start down.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Trail-foot-back split swings
Pull your trail foot back a few inches so you are slightly closed, and hit smooth three-quarter shots.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Stick outside the lead hip
Push an alignment stick into the ground a few inches outside your lead hip at address, standing upright.
- Needs
- An alignment stick, an umbrella, or a golf bag stood on end
- How many
- Ten slow rehearsals
Club across the hips
Take your stance without a ball and hold a club across the front of your hips, pressed against your belt, grip end toward the target.
- Needs
- A mirror or a phone
- How many
- Five half shots
Turned finish, straight divots
Lay an alignment stick on the ground just beyond the ball, parallel to your target line.
- Needs
- An alignment stick or a spare club
Send the coin
On grass, set a coin down about a ball's width in front of the ball, on the target side.
- Needs
- A coin
Stop just past the ball
With a mid-iron, make slow half swings and stop the club a short way past where the ball would sit, well before it reaches hip height.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten rehearsals
The loft ladder
Take a wedge, a mid-iron and the longest club you hit from the fairway.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Five half shots
Step-in swings
Hold a mid-iron and stand with your feet together, the ball opposite your lead foot.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten rehearsals
Walk-through finish
Hit half shots with a mid-iron.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Trail foot on its toe
Take your normal stance, then draw the trail foot back a few inches and rest it up on its toe, so it balances you without carrying any weight.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Fifteen three-quarter shots
Towel behind the ball
Fold a towel lengthways and lay it across the target line about a hand's width behind the ball, on your side of it.
- Needs
- A towel
- How many
- Ten clean strikes
Strike
Where on the face the ball meets it. Off the middle costs ball speed, and with a driver or a wood it bends the shot through gear effect.
Show every groupTwo balls, hit the near one
Set two balls on the ground side by side, level with each other and a ball's width apart, with the second ball on the far side of the first.
- Needs
- A second ball
- How many
- Ten half-swing pitches
Toe strikes on purpose
Mark the face of a wedge and address a ball opposite the toe side of the grooves.
- Needs
- Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker
- How many
- Twenty short pitches
Towel under both arms
Lay a small towel across your chest so it sits under both armpits, and hold it there lightly with your upper arms.
- Needs
- A small towel · Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker
- How many
- Twenty short chips
Open first, grip second
Take your most lofted wedge and mark the face and neck.
- Needs
- Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker
Hovered driver, marked face
Spray the driver face with foot powder or colour it with a dry-erase marker, and tee a ball at your usual height.
- Needs
- Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker · Tees · A towel to wipe the face
- How many
- Ten balls
Head-height film
Prop a phone on your bag face-on to you, lens at chest height, and film five swings with a mid-iron.
- Needs
- A phone to film with
- How many
- Ten slow rehearsal swings
Grip-down pair from a ball sitting up
Find a ball sitting up in light rough, or tee one a finger's width above the grass.
- Needs
- Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker · A tee
Take the flush tee
On grass, push a tee into the ground until its head sits barely above the turf, and set a ball on it.
- Needs
- Tees · A dry-erase marker or foot powder spray
Long arms to hip height
With a mid-iron, make slow swings that stop when your hands reach hip height after the ball.
- Needs
- A mirror, or a phone to film with
- How many
- Ten rehearsals
Driver marks at two tee heights
Once the iron marks have centred, spray the face of your driver with foot powder.
- Needs
- Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker · A towel to wipe the face
- How many
- Five balls
Ten-mark map
Mark the face of a mid-iron.
- Needs
- Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker · A pen and paper · A towel to wipe the face
- How many
- Ten balls
Tee gate
Address a ball with a mid-iron and push two tees into the ground, one about an inch beyond the toe and one about an inch inside the heel.
- Needs
- Two tees
- How many
- Ten half-swing shots
Speed ladder
With one club and a marked face, hit five balls at half speed, five at three-quarter speed and five at full speed, reading and wiping the face after each ball.
- Needs
- Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker
- How many
- Five balls
Toe, heel, middle on call
With a mid-iron and a marked face, hit three half-swing shots trying to strike toward the toe, three toward the heel and three in the middle, reading the mark after each.
- Needs
- Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker
- How many
- Three half-swing shots
A dot above the centre of the face
Put a small dot of dry-erase marker, or a thin strip of tape, on the top edge of a mid-iron directly above the centre of the face.
- Needs
- A dry-erase marker or a strip of tape
Two balls, hit the near one
Sole a mid-iron behind a ball with the ball opposite the centre of the face.
- Needs
- A second ball
Marker ladder at three speeds
Scribble a dry-erase marker across the face of a mid-iron.
- Needs
- A dry-erase marker or foot powder spray · A towel to wipe the face
- How many
- Five balls
A tee inside the heel
Set up to a ball with a mid-iron, the ball opposite the centre of the face.
- Needs
- A tee
Hands out at hip height
From your normal address with a mid-iron, swing slowly through to the point where your hands reach hip height on the target side, and stop.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten half shots
Dot on the top edge, marks on the face
Put a small dot of dry-erase marker on the top edge of a mid-iron directly above the centre of the face, then scribble across the face itself.
- Needs
- A dry-erase marker or foot powder spray · A towel to wipe the face
- How many
- Five balls
Same swing, two lies
Find a spot where short grass meets light rough.
- Needs
- Tees or coins to mark where each ball lands
Why it works: Handling grass or moisture between face and ball
Wet face, dry face
On a pitch of about twenty paces, clean the grooves with a tee, dry the face on a towel and hit three balls.
- Needs
- A dry towel · A damp towel · A tee
- How many
- Three balls
Why it works: Handling grass or moisture between face and ball
Landing towel from the rough
Drop fifteen balls in light rough just off a practice green, with grass behind each.
- Needs
- A towel
Why it works: Handling grass or moisture between face and ball
Call the lie first
Toss ten balls into light rough so each lie is a surprise.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Why it works: Handling grass or moisture between face and ball
Sand
Greenside bunker shots, where the club never touches the ball and the sand thrown forward carries it out.
Show every groupLine in the sand
In a practice bunker, draw a line in the sand at right angles to the target line and stand with the line opposite the middle of your stance.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten swings
Why it works: Fixing a club that enters the sand too far behind the ball
Sand onto the green
Stand in a practice bunker a few paces from the edge of the green, with no ball.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten swings
Why it works: Fixing a club that enters the sand too far behind the ball
One spot, three distances
Mark three landing spots on the green with tees or towels: near, middle and far.
- Needs
- Tees or towels to mark three landing spots
- How many
- Three balls
Why it works: Fixing a club that enters the sand too far behind the ball
Tee under the ball
In a practice bunker, push a tee straight down into the sand until its head is level with the surface, and sit a ball on it.
- Needs
- Tees
Two splashes, then the ball
In a practice bunker, draw a line in the sand at right angles to the target line, long enough for three swings side by side.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Firm sand, face check
Find firm or damp sand, such as a practice bunker after rain.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Rehearse beside the bunker
On the course a practice swing may not touch the sand, so the routine has to work without one.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Three settings, same sand
In a practice bunker, draw a line in the sand at right angles to the target line and set each ball an inch or two in front of it.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Open it, then grip it
Away from the sand, hold a wedge out in front of you, turn the face open with the handle loose in your fingers.
- Needs
- A phone
- How many
- Ten balls
Two lines, one target
In a practice bunker, lay one alignment stick on the sand along the line your toes will take, aimed left of the flag.
- Needs
- An alignment stick · A tee
- How many
- Ten balls
Feet in, then call it
Before every shot, work your feet into the sand and say out loud whether it is firm or soft, choose the face setting that suits your call.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
With and without the stick
Find a straight putt of three paces on the practice green.
- Needs
- An alignment stick · Ten balls
- How many
- Ten putts
Line the ball from behind
Draw a straight line around a ball with a marker pen.
- Needs
- A marker pen · A few balls
- How many
- Twenty putts
Eyes over the ball
Take your putting address to a ball.
- Needs
- A spare ball
- How many
- Ten putts
Phone on the line
Push a tee into the green three paces from a ball on a straight putt.
- Needs
- A phone · A tee
Lead eye ball drop
Take your normal putting address without a ball.
- Needs
- A spare ball · A coin
Why it works: Fixing a putting stroke that bottoms out in the wrong place
Slow-motion roll check
Set your phone on the green face-on, about a metre from the ball, lens level with it, recording in slow motion.
- Needs
- A phone that records slow motion
- How many
- Five putts
Why it works: Fixing a putting stroke that bottoms out in the wrong place
Lead hand only
On a flat putt of two or three paces, grip the putter with your lead hand only and rest the trail hand on your trail thigh.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten putts
Why it works: Fixing a putting stroke that bottoms out in the wrong place
Ten to one group
Pick a flat putt of five or six paces with no hole, and push a tee into the green as the target.
- Needs
- A tee · Ten balls
- How many
- Ten balls
Why it works: Fixing a putting stroke that bottoms out in the wrong place
Tape behind the ball
Find your sweet spot with the tee tap test and stick a thin strip of tape on the top edge above it.
- Needs
- A tee · A thin strip of tape · A dry-erase marker
Why it works: Fixing an off-centre strike on the putter face
Tee gate at the head
On a flat putt, set the putter behind the ball with the ball opposite the tape, and push a tee into the green just outside the heel and another just outside the toe.
- Needs
- Two tees
- How many
- Ten putts
Why it works: Fixing an off-centre strike on the putter face
Elastic bands on the face
If the shape of your putter allows it, stretch two elastic bands around the head so they cross the face either side of the sweet spot, a ball's width apart.
- Needs
- Two elastic bands · A tee
- How many
- Ten putts
Why it works: Fixing an off-centre strike on the putter face
Toe, heel, middle
On a flat putt of four paces, roll three putts deliberately off the toe, three off the heel and three off the sweet spot, all with the same length of stroke.
- Needs
- A dry-erase marker · A few balls
- How many
- Three putts
Why it works: Fixing an off-centre strike on the putter face
Start-line gate
Find a flat putt and push a tee into the green three paces away as the target.
- Needs
- Three tees · An alignment stick · Ten balls
- How many
- Ten putts
Why it works: Fixing an open or closed putter face at impact
Trail hand only
On a flat putt of one metre, hold the putter in your trail hand alone, palm facing the hole and parallel to the face, and rest your lead hand on your lead thigh.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten putts
Why it works: Fixing an open or closed putter face at impact
Round the clock
Choose the flattest hole on the practice green and place four balls one metre from it, on four sides.
- Needs
- Four balls
Why it works: Fixing an open or closed putter face at impact
One start line, three paces
On the practice green, find a putt of about four paces with a clear break.
- Needs
- Two tees
- How many
- Three balls
Why it works: Matching the break you play to the pace of the putt
Say the pace before the read
Choose six breaking putts of three to six paces around one practice hole, each from a different side.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Why it works: Matching the break you play to the pace of the putt
Around the clock at one pace
Find a hole on a gentle, even slope and push six tees into the green in a circle around it, each a putter's length away: one straight below the hole.
- Needs
- Six tees
Why it works: Matching the break you play to the pace of the putt
Start above the high point
On a putt of five or six paces with plenty of break, read the line for your chosen pace and push a tee into the green at the high point of the curve you see.
- Needs
- A tee
- How many
- Three balls
Why it works: Matching the break you play to the pace of the putt
Setup
Aim, ball position, posture, stance and grip: everything settled before the club moves.
Show every groupTwo positions, one swing
With a mid-iron, hit three balls from your usual spot behind the middle of your stance, then three from a ball or two ahead of the middle.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Three balls
Stick at the middle of the stance
Lay an alignment stick on the ground at right angles to the target line so it points at the ball and runs between your feet, exactly at the middle of your stance.
- Needs
- An alignment stick
Feet together, then step apart
Before every shot in a bucket of twenty, stand with your feet together and the ball opposite the middle of them.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Feet together, then step apart
Take a mid-iron and stand with your feet together, the ball opposite the middle of them.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Five half swings
Why it works: Fixing a ball position that is too far forward
Line in the turf
On grass, scratch a line across the turf with a tee, at right angles to the target line.
- Needs
- A tee · A grass practice area
- How many
- Five practice swings
Why it works: Fixing a ball position that is too far forward
Cross-stick check
Lay one alignment stick along the target line and a second at right angles to it, pointing at the ball and running between your feet.
- Needs
- Two alignment sticks
- How many
- Five full shots
Why it works: Fixing a ball position that is too far forward
Railway lines
Lay one alignment stick just outside the ball, pointing at your target, and a second parallel to it along your toe line.
- Needs
- Two alignment sticks
- How many
- Ten balls
Shoulder club on camera
Lay an alignment stick on the target line and put a phone on the ground a few paces behind the ball, pointing at the target along that stick.
- Needs
- An alignment stick · A phone
- How many
- Ten shots
Intermediate mark routine
For every ball in a 20-ball session, stand behind the ball and pick a mark on the target line about a metre in front of it.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Railway tracks
Lay one alignment stick just outside the ball pointing at your target, and a second parallel to it along your toes, and check from behind that they run the same way.
- Needs
- Two alignment sticks, or two spare clubs
- How many
- Ten half shots
Square, then at the flag, then square
Set up to a ball with an alignment stick along your toes, square to the target line.
- Needs
- An alignment stick
Shoulders on camera
Lay a stick on the ground along the target line, then prop your phone a few paces behind you at hand height, pointing the same way as the stick.
- Needs
- An alignment stick · A phone camera
Pick a near mark
At the end of a range session, hit twenty balls with a full routine and no sticks.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Twenty balls
The T on the ground
Lay one alignment stick on the ground just beyond the ball, parallel to your target line.
- Needs
- Two alignment sticks, or two spare clubs
Grip in the air, then sole the club
Hold the club out in front of you at waist height with the leading edge pointing straight up.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Tee on the start line
Stand behind the ball and push a tee into the ground on the target line about two feet in front of the ball, so only its head shows.
- Needs
- A tee
- How many
- Twenty half shots
The address audit
Stand your phone on the ground a few paces behind the ball, lens pointing down the target line, with an alignment stick laid on that line just beyond the ball.
- Needs
- A phone · An alignment stick
Knuckle count in the mirror
Stand facing a mirror, or prop a phone at chest height facing you, and take your normal address with a mid-iron.
- Needs
- A mirror or a phone camera
Build the grip in the air
Hold the club out in front of you at waist height, shaft horizontal, with the leading edge pointing straight up and down.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Start-line gate
Push two tees into the ground about 30 centimetres apart, two paces in front of the ball, either side of your target line.
- Needs
- Two tees
Hold the aim while the grip settles
Lay one alignment stick just outside the ball pointing at the target and a second along your toes, parallel to it.
- Needs
- Two alignment sticks
- How many
- Ten balls
The two-stick station
Lay one alignment stick on the ground just beyond the ball, pointing at the target, and a second at right angles to it, pointing at the ball from between your feet.
- Needs
- Two alignment sticks
- How many
- Twenty balls
Freeze-frame address
Prop a phone at hip height directly in front of you and hit ten shots with the same club, walking away and restarting the routine each time.
- Needs
- A phone · A bag or something similar to prop the phone against
- How many
- Ten shots
Routine against the clock
Write your routine down as five or six steps, then time it with a stopwatch from the moment you step behind the ball to the moment the club starts back.
- Needs
- A phone or watch with a stopwatch
- How many
- Ten balls
Change club, change target
On the range, change club and target on every ball, the way the course makes you.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Fifteen balls
Three-height ladder
Spray or mark the face of your driver.
- Needs
- Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker · A towel to wipe the face
- How many
- Five balls
Why it works: Fixing a tee height that does not suit your swing
Marked tees
Take the height the ladder gave you and push a tee in to it.
- Needs
- Wooden tees · A permanent marker · Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker
- How many
- Ten drives
Why it works: Fixing a tee height that does not suit your swing
Short-hole iron tee
With a mid-iron, tee the ball so it sits just above the grass, as if on a good fairway lie.
- Needs
- Tees · Foot powder spray or a dry-erase marker
- How many
- Ten shots
Why it works: Fixing a tee height that does not suit your swing
Build it in the air
Hold the club out at waist height with the leading edge pointing straight up.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Old grip, new grip
With a mid-iron and the same target throughout, hit five balls with your old grip and five with the new one, and repeat that pairing three times.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Five balls
Lead hand only, half swings
Hold a short iron in the lead hand only, in the new grip, and make hip-high to hip-high swings at balls teed low.
- Needs
- A few tees
- How many
- Fifteen more half swings
Club along the spine
Hold a club upright behind you so it touches the back of your head, the middle of your shoulder blades and your tailbone.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten half shots
Stand, tilt, hang, flex
Build your address in four separate steps with a one-second pause after each: stand tall with the club held out at waist height.
- Needs
- A mirror or a dark window
- How many
- Twenty balls
Head height on film
Prop a phone behind you on the target line at hip height.
- Needs
- A phone that records video
- How many
- Five balls
Rock and settle
At address, rock gently forward onto your toes, back onto your heels, and then settle in the middle, where either end of the foot could lift.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Pencil on the face
Sole a wedge on flat ground and press a pencil or a long tee flat against the middle of the face, pointing straight out from it.
- Needs
- A pencil or a long tee
Sidehill aim ladder
Find a slope with the ball above your feet.
- Needs
- An alignment stick · A sloping patch of grass to practise from
- How many
- Five balls
Shoulders with the hill
On an uphill or downhill lie, set your shoulders roughly parallel to the ground and make ten practice swings without a ball, brushing the grass.
- Needs
- A sloping patch of grass to practise from
- How many
- Ten practice swings
Hold the finish
On any slope, hit ten three-quarter shots and hold each finish for a slow count of three without stepping.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten three-quarter shots
Build the distance from hanging arms
Take a mid-iron and stand tall, holding the club out in front of you at waist height.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Twenty balls
Headcover beyond the toe
Set up to a ball with a mid-iron and lay a headcover on the ground on the far side of it, parallel to the target line and about an inch beyond the toe of the club.
- Needs
- A headcover or a rolled towel
- How many
- Ten balls
Marker on the face, before and after
Scribble a whiteboard marker across the face of a mid-iron.
- Needs
- A whiteboard marker or face tape
- How many
- Five balls
Toes free before every ball
Set up to a ball with a mid-iron and, just before you swing, lift your toes inside your shoes and put them down again.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten balls
Hanging arms in the mirror
Stand side-on to a mirror or a dark window with a mid-iron.
- Needs
- A mirror or a dark window
- How many
- Twenty balls
Two-tee gate
Push two tees into the turf so only their heads show, level with the clubhead at address: one just inside the heel and one just outside the toe.
- Needs
- Two tees
- How many
- Ten balls
Tempo and tension
Speed that disappears before the ball, and hands held tight enough to change what the face does.
Show every groupTee markers for swing length
Drop a ball on a flat lie just off the green.
- Needs
- Tees
Three-distance ladder
Mark three landing spots on or beside the practice green: short, middle and long for a chip.
- Needs
- Three coins or tees to mark the landing spots
- How many
- Three balls
Clip the tee after the ball
Push a tee into the ground so its head is level with the turf, about a ball's width in front of the ball on the target line.
- Needs
- Tees
Short back, longer through
On a flat putt of four or five paces, push a tee into the green a putter head's length behind the ball and another twice that distance in front.
- Needs
- Tees
Squeeze, release, settle
Take your address with a mid-iron.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Ten balls
Pressure ladder
Pick a clear target and hit five balls at your normal pressure, noting where each one starts.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
- How many
- Five balls
Waggle and breathe out
Once the grip is set, make two small waggles and one slow breath out before every takeaway.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Play the first tee on the range
Hit one ball at a time as if it were your opening tee shot: full routine, a named target, and a change of target and club before the next ball.
- Needs
- Nothing but a club
Not sure which of these you need?
A drill only helps if it is aimed at the fault you actually have. Start from the shot you can see instead: pick the symptom, answer a few questions, and the fix you land on brings its own drills with it.