Try This Drill to Improve Your Golfing Skill

One of the biggest mistakes we all make in our practice sessions is that we really don’t try anything outside of the box. I want to give you an easy drill that you can use next time at the driving range that gets you doing things a little bit differently than you normally do.

It’s quite simple, and I first heard about it about 15 years ago from Tiger Woods. He used it as a way to warm up and to test his feel.

Here it is

You are going to try and hit your 7-iron all kinds of distances: 20 yards, 40 yards, 60 yards, all the way up to your full swing. I’m not going to tell you any kind of specific technique to get it done. The whole point of this drill is for you to figure out a way to make it happen.

There are a few things that are going to happen when you become successful at performing this drill, and they are all good for your golf game. You’ll improve your tempo, feel, and most importantly your skill as a golfer.

These are all concepts I discuss in my book, and to me these are probably the most important characteristics of a successful golfer.

Golf is not a straight line

You might be thinking to yourself, why would I need to hit a 7-iron 40 yards on the golf course?

I’ll refer to philosopher Mike Tyson’s famous quote on this one:

A round of golf is not a straight line. All kinds of crazy things happen during your round, and if you want to succeed then you need to learn to adapt. That includes your mental game and your physical game.

Let’s say you were stuck under a set of trees and you had to punch the ball out about 50 yards. That shot requires all kinds of skill. You would need to change the normal technique of your swing, and use your feel to estimate just how hard to hit the ball.

These are all things you will have learned from having the ability to hit your 7-iron various distances. You will develop your skill as a golfer when you become proficient at this drill.

Practicing shots that you might not expect to have on the course can help you learn how to manipulate the golf ball. That is how you save yourself from errant shots, and keep rounds going.

Unintended benefits

Hitting shots like a 60-yard 7-iron might help you figure out something about your full swing, and how to become a better ball striker.

Think of it like encouraging a child to play without any boundaries. The little ones expand their minds, and become creative when there are no restrictions or rules imposed on them. As we get older we forget all of these things, and this is a way to inject this kind of creative process back into your golf game.

Golf is not a straight line. Sometimes you have to think outside the box and experiment with your technique. Try out this drill next time at the range and see what you can figure out.

Check out my best-selling book, "101 Mistakes All Golfers Make (and how to fix them)". Now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.

Subscribe to the newsletter
Join 50,000+ golfers and receive email updates when new articles post.Also, get exclusive offers and discounts on our products and from other partners.

We care about the protection of your data Read our Privacy Policy