Winter Golf Practice at Home: Drills for a Garage or Living Room

What to work on indoors

• Grip and setup, because they decide where the clubface starts.
• Posture: a tilt from the hips with a fairly straight back, not a rounded back.
• Balance and tempo, which show up when you swing slowly and finish still.
• Rotation, so your chest and hips turn instead of sliding.

What to leave for the range

Distance, ball flight and contact are best judged with a ball and a target. Use the winter to build the movement, then test it in spring.

Mirror setup check

1. Stand in front of a full-length mirror (or film yourself face on) with a club.
2. Check that your grip shows about two knuckles of your lead hand and that the Vs point toward your trail shoulder.
3. Check that your spine is tilted from the hips, your knees are soft, and the club sits on the ground at the right distance.

What you should feel: Balanced on the middle of your feet, relaxed arms, not hunched.

Towel under the arms

1. Tuck a small towel under each armpit.
2. Make half swings, keeping the towels in place until your hands reach about waist height on each side.
3. Build up to three-quarter swings as long as the towels stay.

What you should feel: Your arms and chest working together, with your body turning the club instead of your hands.

Slow-motion swing

1. Make your whole swing at a quarter of your normal speed.
2. Pause for a second at the top and at the top of the finish.
3. Check your balance at each pause.

What you should feel: Smooth and balanced, with the downswing starting from the ground up.

Finish and hold

1. Make a swing at about half speed.
2. Hold your finish for three seconds with your weight on your lead foot and your belt buckle facing the target.

What you should feel: Standing tall, still and in balance.

Alignment stick plane check

1. Stand an alignment stick or a spare club in the ground at the angle of your lead forearm at address, pointing at your belt buckle.
2. Make slow practice swings, checking that the club does not rise above the stick on the way down.

What you should feel: The club dropping into the slot instead of looping over the top.

Film it and send it in

1. Film two angles as in our guide to filming your swing.
2. Pick one thing to work on from a coach's review.
3. Film again in two or three weeks and compare.

What you should feel: Feedback that is specific to your swing instead of general tips.