There is certainly no shortage of golf training aids on the market, and some are quite good. I have used a few over the years, but mostly I stick to drills that can be done anywhere with little or no equipment.

My reasoning? I like to get my students to feel what they need to do while holding their own clubs and swinging at real golf balls, and I like to use the natural setting of the range or golf course to re-train swings.

Below, I’ve listed 10 of my favorite drills that my goflers have used to get better over the years. Chances are, one of the drills below can help you get on the path to better golf. If you’re struggling, there’s no reason not to give one of them (or a few of them) a try. They can be done just about any time, anywhere and won’t cost you a dime.

The Release Drill

Golfers hear a lot about release, but it is still quite confusing to many of them. Basically, the release involves unhinging the wrists and rolling the forearms into the shot. It can be difficult to square the face when one is swinging on too steep of a vertical plane due to the fact that the forearms “reverse rotate,” which for a right-handed golfer involves a high left arm and a low right arm (the “held off” look in the finish). If you do that, you need to feel the proper rotation of the arms in the downswing.

So try this: Place your left hand (for righties) on the grip in its usual place. Then place your right hand down on the shaft and make some swings. Start about waist high, like you’re making a baseball swing. Then bend at the waist and try a few golf-looking swings. Take note of what your arms are doing. You will feel the right forearm rolling drastically over the left. Then do it less severely: both hands on grip but still split apart. Then ease into your regular grip and see if you can get that same feeling. In fact, you might even hit some balls with a slightly split grip!

The Back to the Target Drill

The myriad of players who come “over the top” and are working on swinging more from the inside might try this drill.

Set up square to the target. Now turn 45 degrees to your right (if you’re a righty) with your back basically turned facing the target. Now aim the club face slightly to the right of the target (about half the amount of your body) and try to make some swings along your body line. This, of course, will be well “inside-out” of the target line. You should start to see the ball draw a little. Once you’re able to do that consistently, work your swing direction back toward the target line. 

The Ball on a High Tee Drill

I use this a lot for swings that start down too steeply with the butt end of the shaft pointed straight at the ground — not at the ball or outside it — and for people who have difficulty making a level backswing turn.  Learn to make some baseball-type swings; feel like you’re playing tee-ball (kids game) and you’ll develop a lower arm swing into impact.

Take note that this drill is similar to the sidehill drill listed below with the ball above your the feet.

The Swish Drill

The Swish Drill is as easy as it gets. Many golfers move their upper bodies OUT before they start their arms DOWN. If you’re one of them try this: Take a fairly aggressive practice swing and listen for the swish sound. Now, try to hear the swish well behind you!

The Swish Drill is a good way to learn to get your arms down a little earlier in the downswing, and more from the inside. For those of you with a release that is too early and casting from the inside, listen for the swish well out in front of you. This will keep you from releasing too early.

The Feet Together Drill

I have seen just about every swing type imaginable over my many years on the lesson tee. Basically, they break down into two groups: Players with too much arm swing and those with too much body movement.

This drill is for the latter group: If the arms are too “locked up” to the body with insufficient swinging action, try this: Put your two feet together (touching each other) and hit some 6 irons or 7 irons. Do it off a low tee until you get a feel for it. You’ll notice that when you overuse the body (swaying, dipping, getting in front of the ball, etc.) you’ll lose your balance. Use this drill to get a FREE arm swing. You’ll also notice that you’re hitting the ball darn near as far as you do in a regular stance!

The Driver Off The Ground Drill

This is used mostly for the more advanced player, but effective in any case. For those of you who release too early and come too much from the inside, try this drill: Hit some drivers without a tee. You’ll find it necessary to move the golf ball well forward in your stance and slightly open the club face. Basically, you’ll be hitting out-to-in slices, but you will feel what swinging more left is like.

Moguls

I am convinced that most every swing shape can be re-trained on a hill: a simple grass covered, dirt mound like a skiing mogul. The hill will create every uneven lie encountered in golf. Here’s the ones you may consider using:

• If your swing is too upright, hit balls on the sidehill with the ball ABOVE your feet.
• If your swing is too flat, hit balls on the sidehill with the golf ball BELOW your feet.
• Do you tend to release too early or come from under the plane? The downhill lie is your drill.
• Do you tend to come over the top or get in front of the golf ball? The uphill lie is perfect for that.

The Tee Drill

Having trouble shanking the ball or hitting shots off the toe of the club? Try this simple drill: For shanks or heel hits, place a tee INSIDE the ball and try to hit it! For toe hits, place a tee OUTSIDE the ball and try to hit it. It will give a sense of doing the opposite of what you are used to doing (which is what drills are for anyway)!

The Upswing Drill

This is one of my favorites. If done correctly, it is VERY effective. If out-to-in is your swing flaw, try this: Take a normal stance with a driver and place the club on the ground in line with your right heel (for righties) about 3 feet away. Now make some swings SHARPLY UP to right field (or well to the right or where you’re aiming.

Note: The swings must be very acutely UP! Do several of these and you’ll feel a new path, and a new shallow angle of attack for those too steep. Remember UP and IN-TO-OUT!

The Anti-Yip Drill

Some golfers get a condition we call the chipping yips, which are a sudden flip of the wrists that causes the club head to get well ahead of the hands. It results in chilly dips, double hits, etc. Try this: Chip a bag of balls with your eyes closed. Chip another bag with a cross-handed grip (also known as a left-hand low grip). Heck, chip a bag doing both if you want. See if this helps your problem.

There are hundreds of drills, these are just some of the most common I use. When doing any drill, you CANNOT do too much of it. In fact, you cannot overdo any swing change at first, so EXAGGERATE AWAY!

One last thought: If you find that one of these drills helps you, stay with it. But don’t pass it on to a friends unless they have the same swing problem as you.

As always, feel free to send a swing video to my Facebook page and I will do my best to give you my feedback.