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5 simple drills created by golf coach and biomechanics expert Tyler Ferrell to help you achieve consistency and finally take control of your clubface.

Achieve consistency and master clubface control with 5 simple drills.

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How to Practice Golf at Home – Complete Guide with Tips & Best Drills for at-Home Practice

Everybody needs more golf practice. It’s not just you.

However, to get more practice in that could mean heading to the course, and with work and family and obligations, that becomes hard to do.

Luckily golf practice at home has become much more realistic in the last few years.

Whether you want to practice your short game, long game, or even your putting, there are ways to do it at home.

I’m a big practicer and spend a lot of time practicing at home when I can.

Here are some of the best ways to practice golf at home and ensure it is actually helping you get better on the course.

How to Practice Golf at Home (Key Takeaways)

The key features of being able to practice golf at home include the following:

  • Having the right training aids and feedback tools.
  • Ensuring that you have ample space.
  • Knowing how to track practice.
  • Spending time doing things that will translate to on-course improvements in your game.
  • Creating an area that encourages you to want to practice.

The Best Tips to Practice Your Golf Swing at Home

Practicing golf at home is not just about working on your game; it’s about making sure that what you work on transfers to the golf course.

Having practiced at home for many years, here are my tips and advice to help you get your golf swing to the next level.

Take a 2-minute Quiz and Step Up Your Game!

1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?

Make the Area Inviting

One of my favorite tips for practicing your golf swing at home is to create a space that you actually want to be in.

Not everyone has room for a golf simulator room (but if you do, that’s great!).

If you have a space, even just a corner, where you can keep all of your golf gear, maybe put on the latest PGA Tour event, and get to focus on your game, you will be more likely to do it daily.

When your practice equipment and training aids are buried in the garage, and you can’t find any of the practice golf balls you purchased, it’s tough to get the motivation to practice.

Make your at-home practice location more inviting, have it easily accessible, and make sure it’s something you are actually going to use.

Trust me; it doesn’t take a lot of space to make this a reality.

man playing golf using indoor golf monitor

Use Training Aids

At-home practice is made much more effective when you use training aids.

I recommend having some type of swing speed training and a positional trainer.

The swing speed trainer usually has a program where you can put in a certain amount of time each day (or week), and it will pay off in mph.

Gaining even just 3mph in the golf swing is a lot and will result in major distance gains.

Training aids that work on position include tools like HackMotion that can let you know exactly where your wrist is located throughout the swing and ensure that it is in the correct position.

These swing type training aids give you feedback and make it much easier to make progress that will continue for months and years to come.

You won’t have your golf teaching professional at home, so use these tools to replace the pros.

Learn to Track and Manage Progress

How are you tracking your golf game?

If you plan to practice at home, it makes sense to know what to practice and what areas of your game would benefit you the most.

Sometimes it makes sense to buy a large net with a target and hit drivers until you finally straighten out the slice.

Other times, you need a chipping net to work on distance control. Look at your golf game and figure out the areas where the practice will help the most.

Now that you have determined what to practice, you must track how it is working on the course.

I recommend writing down what you did during your practice session, what was accomplished, and what you learned.

Start tracking your rounds of golf (strokes gained, greens in regulation, etc.) and see how you are improving.

If your handicap is going up and you are investing all of these hours at home, you may not be practicing the best way.

Plenty of golf apps allow you to track your handicap and see changes, which is a great addition to the practice at home.

golf player training swing indoor

Mental Game Practice is Incredibly Important

Your mental game can be practiced not just at home, but anywhere.

When you watch the PGA Tour players the significant difference between all of these golfers is the mental game.

Some of these players know they can win, others doubt it, and they continue to finish outside the top ten.

Books and books on tape can help you work on your mental game when you are not on the course.

Most of the mental game work that you will do will help you to focus more on positive thoughts than on negative thoughts.

Be Smart About What You Invest in

When you are first learning how to practice at home, the golf simulator will come up as one of the most important purchases you can make.

I won’t tell you that a golf simulator is a bad idea, but I can tell you that it will be expensive.

If you see a cheap golf simulator, chances are it isn’t accurate, and it won’t be all that enjoyable to work with.

Plan on spending $5000 or more to get some great information about your game and to be able to play a real round of golf.

I would recommend starting with less expensive training aids, maybe even a portable launch monitor, but you may want to wait for the simulator until you learn how to practice at home.

It takes a certain amount of dedication and understanding of the game to get good at practicing at home.

golf coach give lesson to golf player

Check for Clearance First

This one may sound simple, but when you first learn to practice your golf swing at home, you have to make sure you have enough clearance.

Remember, your driver is considerably longer than your wedge, and if you are a tall golfer, you will need high indoor ceilings to make it work.

Many golfers like to use foam golf balls when practicing indoors, which can save you a lot of money on damage to the walls!

Don’t Forget About Exercise

Doing some weight lifting, a yoga class, or even taking a walk or a run can count as practicing golf.

All of these things will help you become a stronger player.

Video Doesn’t Have to be Fancy

Lastly, find a way to take some video of your golf swing at home.

The great thing about this is that all it takes is a phone.

Years ago, you would need a camcorder and a tripod, with cords everywhere.

Today you can simply prop your phone up and get some videos of what your swing looks like.

Take your videos and compare them to that of a professional, the feedback is very helpful.

Saving videos and comparing from the beginning of the season to the end is also an excellent option for golfers looking to make progress.

How to Use HackMotion to Practice Golf at Home

HackMotion can give you data about your wrist position and whether or not it is where it needs to be to play great golf.

HackMotion does not need to be used outdoors, and it will work for both full swing and short game (and putting) practice.

The HackMotion biofeedback technology gives you a way to practice your goals and keep the wrist position within the proper range.

In addition, HackMotion allows you to save individual practice sessions and analyze trends and tendencies.

How will you know if your wrist motion is improving over time? Aside from your play on the golf course, you can look back at all of your HackMotion data and have something to track.

Reinholds focus mode learn correct wrist motion

How Long to Practice Golf at Home?

When you go to the driving range to practice, you probably get a bucket of golf balls, hit a few putts, and walk away.

It’s a little harder to determine how long you should be practicing for at home practice. Here are a few guidelines to help golfers that are really looking to become better players.

  • Try to spend 10 minutes per day on putting, it doesn’t seem like a lot, but over the course of a week, it will be well worth it.
  • When practicing any kind of drill, even with the HackMotion on, try to make five to ten repetitions to develop muscle memory.
  • Indoor practice is much different than on course play; make sure you are not standing in one position, hitting the same practice shot repeatedly. Vary from chipping, putting, and full swing, so it feels more like the course.
  • The key is to develop a setup in your home where you can practice golf for 30 minutes at least five days per week. Start tracking what is working and how your on-course scoring is impacted.

Know the Drills – 10 at Home Full Swing Golf Drills to Try

Do you know any golf drills?

Golf drills can make at-home practice much more fun as well as encourage you to take your game to the next level.

Here are some of my favorite drills for at-home practice, things you can work on without investing too much money into your game.

Feet Together

Hitting shots and swinging the golf club with your feet together can make a big difference in your progress.

With feet together, your upper body and lower body are forced to work together.

I love warming up for a round with my feet together and hitting some basic wedge shots. I highly recommend doing this at home, with or without hitting a ball.

Simply put your feet so they touch each other, and then take some swings where you still feel in balance and transfer your weight.

The concept is that if you can do all things correctly with your feet together, you should be able to do it when they are back at shoulder width apart.

Cross Handed Swings

Cross-handed putting is one thing, but have you tried swinging the golf club with your hands crossed?

For a right-handed player to take the left hand and put it below the right hand, you will feel a different amount of extension in your takeaway.

This extra extension is a positive that helps you get a bit more power and consistency in the golf swing.

Some players will try to hit shots like this, but be prepared that the direction and distance of these shots will be compromised.

One-Legged Golf Swings

Another popular drill is to take some swings standing only on your right leg (for right-handed golfers).

By standing only on the right leg, you must engage your lower body and larger upper body muscles.

When you only use one leg to swing, you can easily lose balance. This drill will quickly point out if you have trouble with balance or the swing plane.

It takes hard work to hit great shots off of one foot, and it will improve your precision in your game.

Pause and Transition

At the top of your golf swing, take a second to feel what happens in the transition.

The transition from the top is not the same for all players.

In fact, when HackMotion was being developed, the wrist action of the professional golfers at the top of their swing was studied in depth.

One of the things that were determined is how quickly these professionals get the clubface square after hitting the top of their swings.

This quick transition to a square clubface can make all the difference when improving speed and consistency.

Take some swings where you pause at the top and look to see what moves first. For some players, this feels like dropping the club with the right elbow falling into place; for others, it’s a bit of a left hip turn.

Mirror Drills

When you can find a place to practice at home with a mirror, use it. One of my favorite things to do was take dry-erase markers and make lines on the mirror where my head should be at setup and then again at impact.

As I came into the ball, I would look up to see if I was in the right place or if there was horizontal or lateral movement.

There can certainly be movement of the head in the golf swing, but if it gets exaggerated, it’s hard to recover.

These little lines wipe right off the mirror, but they give you some guidance you probably wouldn’t find at the driving range.

Arm Connection Drill

So many golfers struggle to stay connected in their golf swing. Have you ever felt like your elbow was flying away and your body and arms just don’t work together?

You aren’t alone.

Placing a towel under your arms while you take some swings will help ensure you get the proper motion.

The great thing about this drill is that you don’t have to do it while hitting shots; you can simply swing like this in your living room.

If you have a net, that makes the learning even better.

Clubface At Impact Drill

Many amateur players struggle with what a clubface should look like at impact. Most flip their wrists and try and lift the ball up into the air.

Practicing by choking down on the golf club shaft and making this motion with a smaller club can show what it takes to hit the ball with a square face.

This video will show you how to do this drill and how it can easily be done without even hitting a golf ball.

Chair Drill

The chair drill is one of my favorite at-home drills for practicing golf. If you are practicing golf at home, chances are it won’t be hard to find a chair to use.

Place the chair to the side of your right leg (right-handed golfer) so that when you turn back, you are efficiently turning behind and around the chair. Golfers that slide and lose power in their swing will bump into the chair.

Medicine Ball Distance Drill

The medicine ball distance drill is a great idea for golfers who are really intent on adding more power to their swing. I would recommend this for golfers that already have a good bit of physical fitness.

Swing back holding a medicine ball (you decide on the weight, but it’s fine to start with something light, three or five pounds).

When you get to the top, you will exaggerate the movement of throwing that ball down to the ground. The concept will play into striking longer drives with a lot more clubhead speed.

Hip Bump Drill

The chair helped us fix our issues with sliding in the backswing, but on the downswing, we also need to make sure the lead leg turns efficiently and clears as it should.

This simple drill has you put a medicine ball or even a pillow between you and a wall while you practice some swings (without a club).

If you do this properly, the ball stays in place. In addition, you can feel yourself putting pressure where it needs to be.

Putting Practice at Home

The easiest area of your game to practice at home is putting. Luckily you don’t need too much space, and most homes can be easily adapted to accommodate some putting practice.

If you are interested in putting practice at home, here are some of my best tips and drills to make it successful.

putting practice with HackMotion

Tips for Success when Practicing Putting at Home

When practicing putting at home, there are a few things you must keep in mind.

  • Speed may be different even when using a putting mat; make sure you are practicing your stroke and consistency because that is what will carry over onto the golf course.
  • Use a combination of low-tech (mats and putting greens) with high-tech (HackMotion & video) to gain the most in-depth knowledge of your putting stroke.
  • Make sure to move and walk around in between putts; you can hurt your back, putting too many straight putts in a row with a ball return tool sending them right back to you.
  • Whenever possible, make sure to stand on the same level as your golf ball; if you purchase a mat, try to have one where you can stand and walk around on it when you putt.
  • Leave your putting setup out at home so you are tempted to use it more often!

At Home Putting Drills to Practice

Depending on what your weaknesses are in your putting game, there are a variety of drills that you can get involved with.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Putting Wall Drill

For this drill, you will take advantage of a wall or straight edge that you have in your home. We know that even golfers who have a slight arc stroke will want to keep the putter from moving outside of that arc.

Use the wall as a general guideline to make sure you are taking the putter back and through the ball at the correct angles.

Do a few test strokes and then hit a few putts. Going from drill to putt is a great way to let this sink into your brain.

Alignment Stick Putting Drill

I love using alignment sticks on the carpet to work on putting. Sure, the sticks can help you with alignment and aim and ensure that the putter head is on the right track.

However, where you will really see a benefit with the alignment sticks is with the length of the stroke.

You can place take on your alignment sticks to mark the length of your backswing, as well as the length of the follow-through that you are looking to achieve.

Timing Putting Drill

To become a more consistent putter, you will want your putting stroke to have the same timing, similar to a golf swing having the same timing.

The general rule of thumb is to say “one thousand one,” and that is the length of your entire stroke. The “one thousand” happens on the backswing, and the “one” is the rest of the stroke.

This can be said at different speeds, but the ratio of one thousand to one is the cadence that develops a really solid putting stroke.

You can use a metronome to practice your putting at home and also take some videos of your stroke to see how it plays out from a timing perspective.

Consistency in Putting with HackMotion

HackMotion is a great piece of golf technology that can allow you to work on your putting at home. With the HackMotion wrist sensor, you will be able to measure the wrists in the putting stroke and how they differ from one stroke to the next.

With wrist position being different depending on how you grip the club, there is no perfect position.

However, what most amateur players learn is that their putting stroke changes considerably from one stroke to the next, and this creates problems on the putting greens.

If you want a complete guide on HackMotion putting, take a look at our detailed guide here.

Take a 2-minute Quiz and Step Up Your Game!

1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?

Chipping Practice at Home

Chipping is another area of the game that you can practice at home. With the invention of foam golf balls, chipping across the house is a reality for many players.

For chipping practice at home, here are a few tips and drills to find success.

Tips for Success when Practicing Chipping at Home

  • You can use a carpet as your mat, but it’s best to invest in a small hitting mat to feel as though you are getting more consistent turf interaction.
  • Clean your wedges before you bring them inside the house; sometimes, they have sand and dirt that can fly when you take your indoor swings.
  • Foam golf balls feel a little different than real golf balls, focus on the mechanics of your chipping stroke, and you can bring that with you out on the course.
  • Try to work on the trajectory of shots as well; see what happens when your clubface is open as opposed to close and vice versa.

At Home Chipping Drills to Practice

My favorite way to practice chipping at home is to pick a target (usually a bucket or bowl of some kind) and try and hit shots into that bucket.

I change angles often so that it feels more like being on the course. Do this while you are watching golf this weekend. The next time you go out to play, you will feel more confident with the wedge in your hand.

Don’t Hit the Towel

Place a small dish towel or washcloth just behind the ball. When you hit the golf ball, make sure you don’t hit the dish towel. Of course, you can also work on this drill without hitting golf balls and simply taking practice swings.

With most golfers using too much wrist flip in chipping, the drill will keep your hands where they need to be to hit down and through your golf shots.

I like doing this drill with my HackMotion wrist sensor on, as it can help give me a goal for what that wrist angle should look like through the ball.

Pillow Impact Bag

I bet you never thought about using a pillow as an impact bag. When hitting great chip shots, we need to hit down and through the ball with a descending blow.

Place an old pillow directly in front of where the golf ball would be. You will want to make short chipping strokes where you move the pillow forward. If the pillow flips up in the air and your club is stuck under it, that’s a mistake.

You will always want to look for that lead wrist to be pressed a bit ahead of the club head and ball at impact.

Alignment Stick and Club Chipping

Take an alignment stick and grip it in your hands while also gripping the golf club. Essentially you will make a really long golf club. Make sure the alignment stick is running up under your lead arm.

Many amateurs struggle with the flip at impact, but if you try and flip with this extended alignment stick/club, it will hit you on the side.

Avoid having this happen by hitting down and through the ball with the lead wrist ahead of the club head.

FAQs

Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about practicing golf at home.

Can I really practice golf swing at home?

Practicing the golf swing at home is a great idea.

It can ensure that you keep up with your skills and increase the chance of shooting lower scores on the golf course.

Just ensure you have enough clearance inside your home, or set up a nice practice mat and net in the yard.

Is it possible to practice golf without hitting balls?

Practicing golf without hitting balls is entirely possible, especially for those that have training devices and feedback tools. Golf technology allows us to see exactly where our swing is going wrong and what can be done to fix it.

How to practice putting at home?

Practicing putting at home can be done on a carpet or with a putting mat. However, if you decide to practice putting at home, focus on the fundamentals of your stroke.

How to practice chipping at home?

Chipping at home can be done with foam golf balls. One of my favorite ways is to place a bucket on one side of the room and take little chip shots with a foam ball and try to hit it in the bucket.

You can change your position and work on distance control to make you more accurate on the course.

Final Thoughts

Now that I’ve given you all the best tips on how to practice your golf swing at home, I challenge you to put in at least a ½ hour of time this week on your golf game.

If you find that you can commit to a full hour, that’s even better.

It won’t take long for you to see the impact that this practice and dedication have on the golf course.

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