Chasing Par

Are you looking for something to do at home that can help you improve your golf game?

The US has around 24 million people who are on-course golfers. When a pandemic like COVID-19 forces golfers into their homes, it’s easy to miss the course.

While you’re stuck in house quarantine, why not try something else you can do to improve your swing? Below, we’ve got tips that may improve your golf swing and your golf game. Keep reading for 7 simple golf swing tips you can do while you wait for the coronavirus to die down.

1. Practice Distance Control

Do you find it difficult to master your accuracy? Here’s a little exercise you can do at home that doesn’t need much space. All you need is a couple of golf balls, a club, and a coin.

Place the first golf ball on top of a coin. Next, from a distance of your liking, try putting the second ball toward the first ball. Your goal is to only make them touch, but not to knock the first ball off of the coin.

As you keep practicing, change your distance from the ball on the penny. To some, this may be a challenging exercise. However, it’s well worth the effort to learn and master your accuracy.

In time, targeting the ball will become second nature to you. The next time you visit courses like Pebble Beach in California, you have a higher chance of sinking your putts. 

2. Master the Correct Grip

Did you know that even professional golfers have trouble getting the correct golf grip? It’s one of the reasons why they may mishit or take bad swings. 

Every golfer knows that your grip has a huge impact on your swing.

This is why getting the correct grip is one of the very first things you learn. However, finding the correct grip needs precision, which isn’t always the case. For this tip, you’ll learn how to check your grip every time you hold your club.

As you may already know, you need to find the ‘V’ created by your hands. The three points of that ‘V’ shape are your index finger and both your thumbs. If your grip is correct, the V must point to your right shoulder (for a right-handed golfer).

Mastering finding the proper golf grip can give you a massive edge in tournaments. 

3. Golf Swing Tips on Forearm Rotation

Forearm rotation is an important technique that many amateur golfers are often missing. Before we go further, note that forearm rotation is different from wrist rotation. As you practice your forearm rotation, make sure you don’t use your wrists in any way. For the following exercise, the stance is for a right-handed golfer, once again.

Start from the takeaway 9 o’clock position where you’ll roll your right forearm clockwise. As you roll it, your right elbow will elevate. At the top of your swing, your left wrist should match the left forearm and the shaft must point left at the top.

It may feel new or laid off at first. However, once you test it on the course, you’ll notice the difference. Doing some forearm exercises will also help.

Forearm rotation is one of the essential keys to the golf swing. It helps you rotate and get the club on the plane. It also fixes any compensation you may already be making and need if you didn’t have forearm rotation.

4. Build Your Swing Speed

The faster your swing speed is, the farther you can hit the ball. When it comes to the average male golfer, most have a club speed between 96-100 mph. Compare this with tour professionals, who have swing speeds ranging from 110 to 125 mph.

If you play golf for recreational purposes, it’s still a good idea to try these golf swing tips to improve your swing speed. Take three alignment sticks. As you get further into the exercise, you’ll work your way down to using only one.

Grip the three alignment sticks together and get into your typical stance. Do a regular swing to the top. Once you’re on the downswing, stop halfway. Do another halfway swing from the top, and for the last swing, follow through.

Check your balance when you stop halfway. If you swing on the correct path, you won’t lose your balance. If you’re on the wrong path, you’ll likely stumble and lose your balance a little bit.

As you go, put away one stick so that you’re holding onto something lighter in each set. This is the progressive swing speed drill.

5. Do Core Exercises

Golf isn’t a sport that demands a lot of physical activity. However, having good physical fitness can do a lot to improve your golf game. Below, we’re going to give you an exercise you can do at home and/or in the gym. 

Core exercises are important for transferring power from your lower body to your upper body in the swing. This example is an exercise known as ‘the dead bug’. It’ll suit golfers of all ages.

Lie on your back and then raise your arms straight up and your legs bent at the knee. Now, bring your left arm and right leg down, keeping them parallel to each other. Keep them parallel to the ground, but don’t let them touch the floor. 

Bring them up and then do the opposite with your right arm and left leg. That’s one count. Remember to keep your lower back flat against the ground so you engage your abs in this exercise.

6. Learn Flexibility Stretches

When you swing, the majority of your body twists and stretches to transfer power to the club. While you’re at home, make it a habit to practice flexibility exercises and stretches.

The following exercises are easy to do at home:

• Shoulder stretch
• Standing forward bend
• Standing quad stretch
• Hip flexor and psoas stretches
• Standing IT band stretch

With regular stretching, you help make your body less prone to injuries. Also, improved flexibility will benefit your general fitness.

7. Stay Smooth

The beauty of a golf swing is in its smoothness. This smoothness also functions to keep you safe. When you swing, the power of your swing transfers from one muscle group to the next.

The secret to a smooth swing is to get all your muscles to work together. If you don’t learn to control this power and transfer it correctly, you can injure yourself. If you don’t practice a smooth swing, parts of your body will compensate for the power of the swing.

One of the most common injuries of golfers is medial epicondylitis or golfer’s elbow. The simple fix for this includes arm stretches and wrist exercises. However, in some cases, you may need to stop playing golf temporarily to allow healing.

Improve Your Golf Game With These Simple Tips

That’s 7 golf swing tips you can try at home. 

While you’re stuck at home, practice and better your swing. By the time you can play golf outdoors again, you’ll notice that your golf swing has significantly improved.