Club/ Ball Less Training Aids

[Dueller]

Hi Spy's,

Just wanted peoples opinions on what training aids or drills have worked for them when they cant swing a club or very least hit balls? I currently work away and dont have access to facilities to hit practice balls. My work stints are 2 weeks at a time and when I get back home for my week off work im finding all my practice is in vein again when I have so much time off swinging the club. So im hoping for something to keep me entertained and the swing thoughts and feels going while im away from the course. I've seen the Gravity Fit golf rubber band gadget as an idea and I've started to swing a clothes hanger in my room to try and get some type of golf practice in my working life. Appreciate your help.

 

Cheers,

Matt

[mychm]

I've seen drills done with knotted up bath towels that are supposed to be good for practicing lag and tempo. May be useful to find a goodwill store or pawn shop during those 2 week stints and just buy an old $3 iron or putter to practice with. Then just toss it or donate it back at the end.

[Tomf]

I live in Minnesota and so am unable to hit balls outside for about sixth months every year.  That drives me crazy.  A friend and I share an optishot...but it is fifteen miles from my home so I cannot get there as often as I'd like during winter.  So like the OP, but for different reasons, I have also been looking for drills I can do indoors...even at the office or in  my living room.

( BTW, I am a high handicapper and so you may or may not want to read on....do so at your own risk LOL.)

 

I recently ran across a book by Adam Young, as well as a series of videos you can access online for a fee, that convey some drills that can be done in your living room carpet over the winter.  I am not going to share all of them, because that probably wouldnt be proper. 

 

The drills that intrigue me most have to do with developing the skill of center-face contact and divot placement.  Important skills for a golfer at any level to attempt to improve.

 

To help develop the skill of center-face contact you can, for example, place three guitar picks on the carpet, the two outer picks just outside the heel and toe of where the club would pass, and the middle pick dead in between the two.  Practice hitting the middle pick without moving the other two.  This helps in developing club-face contact awareness.  There are several variations to this that Adam mentions, which can help you develop the skill of correcting a heel or toe shot during a round of golf when face strike goes sideways...literally and figuratively speaking:-).  But I would refer you to his book or online videos for that information.

 

By using a guitar pick in place of a ball, you can also work on divot placement.  Place a thin towel five inches behind the pick and hit the pick and sweep it away without touching the towel.  You can make this more challenging by either folding the towel to make it higher or by seeing how close you can get the towel to the ball while still not hitting the towel.  Again, there are many more ways to do this and many more drills that can be done indoors mentioned in Adam's materials.

 

Again, a caveat:  I have not yet tried this....I have done these things using real balls on the range the past month or so....but I have not tried these indoor drills using guitar picks and a towel.  So I cannot vouch for it, personally. And even if I did, I am a high handicapper and so my advice may not be valuable.  But I have been looking for some drills to do indoors over winter and am really eager to try whatI have found....and these are a couple of examples I thought I'd share.

 

Great op.  I look forward to reading about more ideas on this thread!!!

 

(BTW if anyone replies and I don't answer it is probably because I am rarely logged in.  I usually just lurk.)

[txgolfjunkie]

Orange Whip or Sklz Gold Flex Swing Trainer are both good for keeping the golf swing going in the winter. Swinging the whip or Sklz slow and fast has really helped me groove a consistent swing on days I can't get out to the range/course. 

 

If you want to go for a cheaper option, a coat hanger and a tall mirror will do just fine so you can keep an eye on your swing. 

[Garush34]

I use a meter length of rope from time to time to work on swing speed and tempo, waiting for the rope to hit my shoulder before starting down and whipping it through. 

[Just another lefty]

I bought an Orange whip back in February and have liked it more than I thought I would. I'm a bit skeptical of most training aids but this one seems useful and might help you out when you can't make it to the range - just hard to use inside given the length of it. I was at the St. Jude Classic this summer and saw it in several pros bags which further validates it (for some people).