It can be a never-ending debate: should you reverse the trend? When you watch the best players on TV, do you see them take one? The answer, almost always, is yes.
If they need it, you probably do too. Throwing a tool – and should be taken seriously if you want to shoot low scores.
Here are some ways you can improve your game and lower your score by paying attention to your practice swings.
1. Turn thoughts into feelings
Most of us don’t have perfect golf swings, and most of us don’t have enough practice time for the techniques to become automatic. If that sounds like you, use your swing practice to practice proper movement with intention. Often this requires a conscious effort.
When you do that right movement, your body starts to remember the feeling. Once you’ve finished your setup, you can just repeat that feeling instead of overthinking it. Over time, this technique can help improve your technique by playing more carefully.
2. Practice the length of the club
On the course, you keep switching between clubs of different lengths – from driver to wedges. Going from a very long club to a short one without swinging can be difficult. Your body needs time to adjust.
If the ball is on the ground, your practice swing should brush the ground (except for the driver). If not, you may be practicing a high shot without realizing it.
You can see this especially in your short game – sometimes it takes a few swings for the club to properly hit the ground. That’s because the club is shorter than the one you just used.
3. Uneven lies
Uneven false positives require setup adjustment.
For example, if the ball is above your feet, you may need to hold on to the club. Tossing helps to ensure that you have adjusted correctly. If you didn’t grip well enough, the club might hit the ground, which is a clear response that you need to adjust further.
These little exercises help you learn to adapt to different lies, so when you step up to the ball, you can feel more confident in your setup.
4. Use the bounce
To get the best shots around the green, you want the ball to start and stop quickly. Because these swings are short and slow, it is important that the club melts into the drill. This is where the bounce comes into play.
Modern wedges have bounce built in, and you can open the clubface to increase it. This helps the club slide, even if you make contact with the ground slightly before the ball.
Your practice swings give you valuable feedback here. You want to feel a soft “thrust” as the club brushes the turf instead of a deep, aggressive divot.
If you take large divots, it may indicate a closed face or too much shaft lean, both of which reduce loft and bounce. Use that practice to make adjustments before getting in line. It can save you strokes.
5. Move the bottom point forward
On low, running shots, the club should still make contact with the ground, but slightly ahead of the ball. Ideally, this happens on the target side of the ball and creates a proper setup, with your upper body positioned slightly forward.
If your practice swing shows the club hitting the ground too far for your stance, it’s a sign to adjust your setup by shifting your weight and focusing forward.
Also, this feedback allows you to make adjustments before shooting, resulting in consistent communication.
