Golfers in general and amateurs in particular are plagued by all manner of swing faults. In the video and article below, PGA pro Dan Grieve shares a brilliant drill that might just offer you a solution to your problem. 

So this is one of my favourite drills and it's called the split-grip drill. And the reason I like it so much is because it covers so many areas in the swing that so many golfers struggle with.

For example, it works if you struggle with an inside takeaway you get a bit long at the top. It also helps if you get over the top in the downswing or struggle to turn onto the ball. This one drill will give you a great feel for all those areas in the swing. 

To do it, place your left hand at the top of the grip and then put right hand as close to the bottom as you can get it. Next, get into your set-up position and then hold the club in the air about a foot above the ground where your ball would be. 

When you take the club away, you'll notice it isn't whipping away inside and behind you. Instead, the the split grip is going to give you that lovely feeling of the clubhead being outside the hands - that's the first benefit. 

Continuing to the top, because of the gap between your hands, it's not natural for the left arm to fold and break down, which is one of the most common faults I see in amateurs. With this drill, when you swing back and feel the stretch through your left arm, it really pulls you wide and gives you a great feeling for that stable and solid position at the top of the backswing. Once there, slide your hand back into position so you can further hone this feel and make it easier to take out onto the course.

Onto the downswing and we know a lot of golfers have a tendency to cut across the ball. However, the split grip really encourages the club to naturally shallow and attack the ball more from the inside. Over time, this will help neutralise your out-to-in path and really improve your ball-striking. 

And finally, for players that struggle with early extension, the drill will force you to open up with the body and turn through the shot, rather than standing up and flicking. It will feel weird at first but you'll soon realise you're able to square the face up by rotating your body properly, which is going to make you a far more consistent golfer. 

This video was shot on location at Infinitum Golf Resort in Spain.

In the video and article below, Golf Monthly Top 50 coach Dan Grieve runs through his simple tips that will help you hit the ball high and low at will.

Being able to alter the trajectory of your iron shots is a really useful skill, particularly when you're playing into the wind or downwind, or to a pin that's either hugging the front or back of the green. You might also be in trouble and need to hit the ball low or high to escape, so it helps to have something to fall back on.

And it's not as difficult as you might think. 

To hit the low punch shot, a couple of things in your set-up will make it much easier. First, move the ball a little bit further back so it's roughly in the middle of your stance, and them simply look low. What I mean by that is, once you're in your address position, pick out a spot on the ground about eight feet in front of you and look at it. 

Now, if you want to hit the ball higher because, let's say you're going downwind or you're faced with a front flag or you've got a tree to go over. Again, most of the adjustments are made in the set-up.

Move the ball position forward so it's nearer your front foot with your hands slightly behind the ball. Then, in contrast to the low shot, I want you to look high. So look up into the sky somewhere and that will increase the upward tilt in your shoulders, further encouraging a higher ball flight.

In the swing, feel like you hinge your wrists a little more and then finish nice and high in the follow-through.

When you fan the club, your hands roll the face open and inside on the takeaway. This puts your swing out of sync from the word go and can cause a host of poor shots. In this video and article, I'll explain what to look out for and how to resolve the issue if you've been fanning the club open.

If you fan the club open with an inside takeaway, and then you wind your body up to the top of your backswing you’re going to be trapped behind the ball. Ultimately you are STUCK. You'll need a huge tangle of compensatory moves to get back to the ball resulting often in an out-to-in swing path and a big slice to fix. 

A rule I tend to stand by when it comes to an efficient swing is “start as you mean to go on”… The first part of the swing - the takeaway - dictates how efficient and on line the rest of your swing will be. Here are a few drills to help you stay more connected.

Swing Path Takeaway Drill

Out on the golf course place your clubs behind the target line but slightly on the outside - it's always a good idea to use alignment sticks to help you with this. If you are on a tee box drop your driver head cover down in the same spot. You’ll have something now in your peripheral vision to work the club head towards. Keeping your club head and hands more in front of the body and not zipping them behind you from the off. This is a really simple way to work on the start of your swing.

Switch Hand Drill

I’m a big fan of homework drills. It’s hard to concentrate on your swing path on the course when you just want to be “Seeing the Shot and Hitting the Shot." So have a go at standing in your athletic posture, place your trail hand under the lead and keep the back of your hands together (the image above shows what I mean here). Start your swing and feel that your hands stay connected in the takeaway. Rehearse multiple times. If you tend to whip your hands away on the inside, the back of your hands will quickly become disconnected.

Takeaway Checker

Put a club in your hand with a mirror or patio doors behind you, eyes down focussing on your imaginary ball and take the club away. Pause half way back. Your hands should be almost hidden by the club head and the shaft more on line with your feet. Feel it. Pause. Check it. You’ll often find it’s still on the inside, it will feel drastically outside to get anywhere near a correct takeaway position. Trust the repetition of this and don’t just let your eyes wander to check it. It’s important you feel it, then check it. 

Get that first move correct and you’ll be starting your swing on a positive and powerful note.

In this article and video, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Paul Foston explains what connection in the golf swing is, why it's a good thing and how to add it to your game.

What Is Connection In The Golf Swing?

Connection in the golf swing refers to how the flowing motion of the arms works with the rotation of your body. A well-connected golf swing creates effortless power and will deliver the club back square to the ball much more consistently.

It might sound strange but good connection starts at address (it makes sense to work on setting the perfect golf grip). When you stand over the ball there should be a perfect ‘v’ shape made between your hands and arms. If your hands are ahead or behind your sternum, you’ll break the ‘v’ and find it difficult to make a connected swing. The video with this article demonstrates exactly what we mean here.

As you take the club back you should aim to maintain that shape. When you add your wrist hinge halfway through the backswing your hands should still be pointing at your sternum – this is a good checkpoint to have in mind. From this position, continue to let your arms swing and body rotation to work in harmony. The ‘v’ shape is in tact through impact as you powerfully transfer your weight towards the target. In the finish position, again, both your chest and arms should be facing the target.

One of the biggest traps to avoid is when the arms move without any rotation from the body. It feels as if you are making a big swing but you will struggle to find any true power. Remember, a shorter swing that is well connected will deliver much more power, speed and control. Rotate your hips for power to about 45˚ and turn your upper body to around 90˚ - the difference between these two angles is one of the main power sources in the golf swing.

How do you stay connected in the golf swing?

This is where your rhythm or tempo comes into play. In particular, it is easy to become disconnected if you snatch at the ball from the top of the backswing. In this scenario, you attack the ball with such aggression from the top that your upper body out-races your arm-swing and you end up leaving the clubface open and hitting a big block/slice.

A great drill is to hold your position at the top of the backswing for a second. Just pause at the top for a moment. This will help you find the smooth acceleration through the downswing you need to stay connected in your golf swing.

The stack and tilt golf swing might not be something you've heard of before, but this could be the top tip you've been looking for to improve your game. While it might not guarantee you hit the ball dead straight, the altered weight distribution might help you to power up your golf swing.

In this video and article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Ben Emerson breaks down the stack and tilt golf swing to help you strike it better...

Stack And Tilt Golf Swing: What Is It?

Stack and tilt is a swing construction that enables golfers to control three things: the low point, which will improve the quality and consistency of your ball striking; power, so the delivery is more efficient; and control itself, so the curvature of the ball in flight.

The premise of stack and tilt is great, because it's designed for the weight to be on your lead side. The 'stack' derives from the upper half of your body, as it sits on top of the lead leg, with the 'tilt' being a result of the left shoulder pointing downwards in the backswing.

This is in the opposite of what we expect to see in most golf swings, with weight transferring away from the lead side in the backswing. This can make it more difficult to synchronise everything in the downswing, so staying over the ball can produce a more consistent delivery of the clubface at impact.

Stack And Tilt Golf Swing: How Do I Do It?

If you think this is a technique that could help you play better golf, here are some handy checkpoints to keep in mind. At address, work on feeling like 60 per cent of your weight is on your lead side and your hands should be ahead of the ball.

Also, in a stack and tilt golf swing, the angles in the set-up don’t have to be so pronounced. For example, you can introduce a little more roll in the back without compromising your ability to hit good shots.

Then, from this position, you want to make a nice big turn, getting the left shoulder under your neck and staying low, with the hands working nice and deep. If turning effectively is something you struggle with, flaring your feet out at address will make it easier to get the club further back, and therefore deliver more power.

As you start the downswing, feel like your weight is still on your lead side as you bump your hips forward and turn. Ensure your hands are ahead of the club and the ball at impact, as this will give you a powerful and more consistent strike.

As you hit down on the ball more often, continue to rotate with body to produce a nice stable follow-through and a penetrating ball flight.

We’ve all heard this bit of swing-related terminology, but what does being laid off mean in golf? Well, that’s the question we put to PGA professional Ben Emerson in this video and article, which you can check out below...

“Problems seem to come in pairs,” Ben begins. At the top of the swing, if the club is pointing left of target, that is what’s known as being laid off. Conversely, if the club points to the right of the target, that would be across the line.

RELATED: Most forgiving irons

While good golf can be played from both positions, what we’d like to see is a club that points bang down the target line. Being laid off means the club is underneath the ideal plane, which can make it difficult to square up at impact, leading to a myriad of potentially disastrous shots.

And getting into this inefficient position is usually a consequence of something that happens at the start of the swing. In the all-important takeaway, a lot of golfers roll their forearms early, causing the path of the club to track inside and behind the golfer. Turning to the top from there will leave the club pointing a long way left.

A handy checkpoint for those who struggle with this is to work on getting the club to cover the hands at the point where the shaft is parallel to the ground. That might mean setting up a camera when you practise or getting a friend to film the odd swing for you, but it’ll be worth it when you’re hitting consistently better shots.

RELATED: 5 biggest golf swing mistakes and how to fix them

Also, don’t worry if you overdo or underdo it slightly as it’s nigh-on impossible to nail the perfect position each time. However, if you’re getting close it means the club won’t be getting stuck behind you early and compromising the rest of the swing.

While working on keeping the hands more in and the club more out, you should also notice that the clubhead is a little closed in the takeaway, matching the angle of the spine - that’s a great place to be.

So, in summary, being laid off means the club is pointing way left of target at the top of the backswing. While such a position has worked well for the likes of Matt Kuchar and Rickie Fowler, it’s not something to be encouraged for club golfers as it usually leads to compensations and a lack of consistency.

Like many golfers, you might be thinking... what is wrist hinge in the golf swing? This fundamental concept not only helps you to generate speed and power, but also create a brilliant angle of attack.

In this video, by Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins, and this article, by Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach John Howells, we explore wrist hinge in the golf swing and give you all the information you need...

What is wrist hinge in the golf swing?

The wrists work as a link between the lead-arm lever and the club. You almost want them to be a conduit for storing up speed in the backswing and then releasing it in the downswing, as it's the wrist hinge that allows for increased clubhead speed in a full swing. Sometimes golfers underuse the wrists in the backswing; sometimes they overuse them.

A good checkpoint is when the left arm is parallel to the ground. The angle between left arm and shaft should ideally be 90-100˚ (as demonstrated in the image above), an appropriate amount of wrist set to deliver some speed and power into the ball.

If the angle is too acute from using the wrists too much, things normally get thrown out in the downswing. This results in a cast, with the clubhead passing the hands too quickly through impact.

What does each wrist do in the golf swing?

The lead wrist (above) is mainly for wrist cock or ‘radial deviation’ as it’s known. This allows the left thumb to move up towards the left forearm, almost like putting a thumb up towards your nose if your hand were in front of you.

It’s where that angle starts to be created. The trail wrist (below) is basically bending back on itself. The knuckles on the right hand move back towards the forearm, or outside of the elbow, so the palm is almost looking down at the ground. The two wrist actions are slightly different because of the formation of the grip, but they combine to create a lovely, powerful position in the backswing.

The wrists should then unleash that stored energy into a straight-line position post-impact to generate the right amount of pressure and a downward strike. The angles stored in the backswing have been released out in the downswing.

I’ve had more success in teaching where I want players to get to post-impact than in drawing attention to the impact position. You are almost guaranteeing impact would have been correct if your left arm and shaft are in this position just after the ball has gone.

The optimal angle of attack in golf depends on so many factors. But before we talk about them, what is the angle of attack? In simple terms, it’s the angle the sweet spot of the clubhead is travelling at when impact occurs. It's an important concept to know, as Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins explains in the video and article below.

First of all, what makes the ‘right’ angle of attack is all relative to the golfer in question and the club in hand. For example, those with a slower swing need to be careful not to hit down too much. Understanding this is key to unlocking your potential. 

It's also important to know what your angle of attack is, which is why it is always a good idea to see a PGA professional. Not only will this help if you are struggling with your game, but it will also make it much easier to get clubs that match your swing.

So, if you are hitting DOWN on the ball, which is desirable when it comes to iron play and pitching, your attack angle will be NEGATIVE. Assuming your driver address position is as good as it can be, hitting UP is ideal for a driver so you can sweep it off the tee - this would be a POSITIVE angle of attack.

Driver

This is where modern technology comes into its own. Launch monitors can provide an incredible amount of data to an incredible degree of accuracy. For example, technology allows us to know that the average LPGA Tour player hits two degrees up on their driver, and they do that because that’s what helps them hit the ball as far as possible. 

The same is true in the men’s game. Most, if not all of the PGA Tour’s longest hitters will have a positive angle of attack. Dustin Johnson averages around four degrees up when he unleashes a drive. Going further still, the people who compete in long-drive competitions launch it with an upward angle of attack as high as eight degrees.

But, and it’s a big but, with this normally comes a loss of accuracy. So while it pays to be positive with your driver, it’s important not to overdo it as it can land you in trouble. 

Irons

Moving onto the irons and this is where it all changes. With more loft comes a need for accuracy and control. A descending blow will generate more spin and give golfers more stopping power to hit and hold greens.

If you aren’t hitting down on the ball or taking a divot, you’ll suffer from inconsistent strikes, distance and direction. Therefore, work on brushing the grass and hitting down to get the ball to go up. 

And for those who think they are struggling when it comes to either aspect of the game, my advice would be to invest in a lesson where you’ll find out WHY you do what you do.

Often it’s a simple fix, but it can be one that has you achieving the perfect attack angle for your swing, resulting in longer drives than ever before, and deadly approach shots to match.

Golf Monthly created this content as part of a paid partnership with Garmin. The contents of this article are entirely independent and solely reflect the editorial opinion of Golf Monthly.

Of all its intricate parts, starting the downswing is the last place you want to have any swing thoughts - it's a recipe for disaster. Yet, it’s often approaching impact where technical aspirations creep in. Advanced PGA pro and Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins explains the do's and don'ts in the video and article below... 

Not only will swing thoughts in the downswing result in tension and a loss of accuracy, but it can also cause the natural flow of the swing that is so crucial for generating power to be lost. Consider how you would answer the following…

* Do your longer irons all go a similar distance?
* Does it feel like a lot of effort is going in for not a lot of distance in return? 
* Do you cut across the ball through impact and hit a lot of slices?

If the answer is yes to one or more of these questions, then pay attention. The key to achieving maximum power with minimal effort is getting the sequence of moves right in your downswing. And like any act where you are looking to propel an object towards a target, you want the sequence to work from the ground up.

Master this in golf and the benefits are countless. For starters, you will increase your clubhead speed, you’ll be able to square the club at impact far easier, and you’ll launch it a good distance.

In simple terms, an efficient downswing should start with your weight shifting onto the front foot. Then your hips and then your chest turn towards the target. This is followed by the cracking of the whip as the arms and hands release the club and extend through the ball and down the target line. This is a chain reaction of different movements, that when timed correctly, deliver the sort of easy power we see all the time on Tour.

During practice, it is worth using technology to track your tempo. The Garmin Approach S70 includes a Tempo Training activity and this, partnered with the Garmin Approach R10 launch monitor swing statistics, can help to offer important feedback for the rhythm of your swing as a whole. You can use this if you are making downswing changes to see how different moves are affecting your clubhead speed. The idea is to get to a point where you are delivering more force through impact without feeling as if you are swinging any faster.

Downswing sequence mistakes

Known as the “kinematic sequence”, and I tend to see this happening out of order in higher handicappers or beginners.

Chief among the faults is a tendency to start the downswing by throwing or casting the arms out and forfeiting any stored power. It’s as though the body has gone to sleep and is also a common cause of the dreaded slice.

So why does this happen? Sometimes it can be a physical limitation - a bad back or immobility in the hips - but it could also be the consequence of a poor set-up. 

Even assuming you are in peak condition, nailing an efficient downswing is very difficult from a poor address position. This applies to the best players in the world just as much as the rest of us. 

Be ready to run when stood over the ball, don’t sit back on your heels. Your downswing is a reaction to your backswing, so be athletic and you’ll be able wind and unwind powerfully, posing in perfect balance at the end. 

Golf downswing drills

Imagine for a moment you are in Yankee stadium poised to hit a home run. Make a few practice swings standing like this with your driver. You'll be amazed at how your body moves when swinging at hip height ready to smash a gong or bash a baseball - it's a great drill for people who struggle to shift their weight coming down. A few of these before you hit your first tee shot will wake up those bigger muscles and have your drives flying. 

It’s also worth saying that everyone is different. As the world's best have proved, an efficient downswing is possible from many different positions at the top of the swing.

So if we focus on just the body for a second, simply thinking about turning through to a finish can really help with that first step as the weight shifts onto the front foot.  It’s something many golfers who come to see me complain about, yet they rock up with very little athletic angle in their address position. 

Another great drill is to make some swings with an iron but without a ball. As you reach the top of your backswing, let you lead foot step towards your back foot (you should have your legs together at the top). Then, as you start down, your lead foot should step back into its original position. This is a really simple drill that forces the correct weight movement from the top - it is a great one for those who tend to come over the top at the start of the downswing.

Try these simple moves to trigger a much more powerful and effective downswing!

If you, like many, have a tendency to get ‘armsy’ when you swing, the chances are you’re not tapping in to all the power and consistency at your disposal. For those for whom this rings a bell, PGA pro Katie Dawkins has a fantastic elbow-fold backswing drill that will help you gain control over your swing and reclaim those lost yards.

First, hang your arms down while standing in your golf posture, letting the arm furthest from your target go really soft. Now, take your lead hand and tuck it behind the back of your trail elbow. 

Keeping the right arm (left for left-handers) soft, simply rotate and turn your back to your imaginary target. The back elbow should fold and remain relaxed at the top of your swing. At this point, your elbow will be neatly tucked, almost as if you have a tray of drinks on your hand, and your body will be nicely coiled up.

RELATED: Best golf training aids

Repeat as many times as you like or until you start to hone the feeling. Try to recreate it when hitting shots and you should notice a difference. Warning: as with most things golf-swing related, it will take time and effort to achieve the desired results, but stick with it as the rewards will be worth it.

When we keep the swing more compact and use the bigger muscles (our core and glutes) to wind ourselves up, the power makes a dramatic entrance. So, if you are prone to high hands at the top of the backswing or a flying elbow, this is a brilliant fix as it provides golfers with a feeling they can rely on and a drill they can return to if bad habits creep back in. 

RELATED: 5 biggest golf swing mistakes and how to fix them

You’ll find it hard not to notice if your arms misbehave, making this an extremely effective check. And what’s more, it can be done out on the course while you are waiting between shots, at the range during a practice session, or even in the comfort of your own home, giving your muscles a constant reminder of what they should be feeling.

In a game as intricate as golf, it's wise to keep swing thoughts to a minimum as having a list of positions you want to achieve while trying to actually hit a ball is usually a recipe for disaster. In the video and article below, PGA professional Katie Dawkins discusses how the orange whip golf trainer can help...

One of the best ways to stamp out bad habits is to add plenty of ‘no-ball practise’ into your training. The moment we throw that dimply round thing into the equation all hell breaks loose and we just resort to what we know best (worst), which is a return to old patterns. For that reason, it's great when a new golf training aid hits the market that does the thinking for you while delivering feels that'll enhance your game.

The orange whip is a fantastic bit of kit and one we believe will provide countless benefits to the recreational golfers out there. Originally designed as a golf fitness tool it’s available in a few different lengths - I use the mid-size one with the ladies and seniors I coach.

RELATED: Best golf accessories

The instability of it immediately invites you to adopt an athletic posture, something so many golfers fail to do. In that ready-to-run pose you hover the weapon above the ground and start to gently gather momentum, swinging it back and through.

What you'll find is that it actually swings you and really whips you through to a fuller finish than you might be familiar with. And not only is it brilliant for gaining length in your follow-through, but it also promotes the feeling of gathering the ball through impact, rather than hitting. This is a more desirable and consistent swing feeling to develop.

RELATED: How to get more power in your golf swing

I use the orange whip a lot with my pupils who are new to the game but I also highly recommend it as a warm-up and practice aid, even for those who've been playing for years.

A few sessions will have you feeling the power and unleashing it the next time you’re on the course, perhaps with a few less swing thoughts than you had before.

Struggling for distance is a common complaint among golfers, with the thought of extra yards exciting for even the most casual player. Reasons for a lack of power in your golf swing vary and can have as much to do with your physical capability as it does your technical prowess. 

In the video and article below, Advanced PGA professional Katie Dawkins reveals how you can add distance to your game with this simple split-grip golf power drill...

Think of your swing as a lever system, requiring two (the club and your arm nearest the target) to consistently send the ball a good distance. If two becomes three (your lead arm folds) then the efficiency of it breaks down and you can kiss goodbye to long drives and say hello to a bag full of clubs that all seem to go the same distance!

RELATED: Best golf drivers for distance

Once the lead arm bends it has to straighten at just the right moment in order to deliver the clubface back to the ball. Distance can be literally thrown away in the process as can the chances of a consistently good strike as you're now relying purely on timing. The result is a succession of uncontrollable contact points and poor distance.

Golf power drill: Split-grip drill

The split-grip drill is a fantastic way to keep the body connected and really boost power. Try it by splitting your hands on the grip so you've got a fist-sized gap between them.

Hovering the club above the ground (you'll struggle to do anything other than this) swing to the top and turn your back as much to the target as is comfortable. You’ll notice a fantastic amount of width between your head and your hands. This is POWER people!

From this sprung position at the top really unwind and turn through to a finish. This drill helps to keep the swing connected and you can even go as far as hitting some half shots with this hold.

It's a great drill that can be done as part of your pre-shot routine to help provide a powerful feeling when you need it on the course.

RELATED: How to hit fairway woods and hybrids

Of course, if you have limitations in your rotational capability - perhaps you suffer from a bad back or simply can't turn like you used to be able to - then don't expect such a full shoulder turn but you can still achieve width in your swing. Simply accept your swing will be more efficient while remaining a little bit shorter.

But take into consideration what you are actually capable of. Perhaps a bit of flexibility work is in order, or perhaps you don’t need as long a swing as you think to be at your most effective.

If you're struggling hitting slices or hooks it's likely you're falling foul of one of the common golf swing mistakes. But never fear, you aren't alone and help is on its way. We've teamed up with PGA pro Alex Elliott in this video and article to tackle some of biggest issues that plague the everyday golfer so you can hit the ball straighter, farther and, most importantly, start enjoying your time on the course more.

So, without further ado, here are five of the biggest golf swing mistakes and Alex's tips on how to fix them...

Golf swing mistakes: The grip

Golf is hard enough without attempting to navigate yourself round a course with a bad grip. To check whether this is the source of your struggles, first assess whether you're holding the club in the palm of your hand. If so, you're limiting the amount of power and control you can deliver at impact, making it very difficult to hit good golf shots with any sort of consistency.

If you've got it in the fingers then look down at your left hand (right for left-handers) to see how many knuckles are in view. If it's more than three or less than two, that's something you want to remedy.

RELATED: Biggest driving mistakes and how to fix them

A strong grip (more than three knuckles) will have you struggling with hooks and a weak grip (less than two knuckles) can cause the ball to slice. Neither are desirable so you want to edge it back towards neutral over time.

To set the perfect grip, hold a club by the shaft with your right hand if you're right-handed and then wrap the fingers of the left hand around the grip as Alex demonstrates in the video. Roll the thumb over so you've got it securely held before sliding the other hand into place.

If done correctly, both lines created between the thumbs and forefingers should point towards the right-hand side of your chest as shown above.

Alignment

Something the best players in the world work on religiously yet the recreational golfer often neglects is alignment. And it's so easy to do. However, let it go wrong and it can cause endless headaches.

An easy mistake to make is to think your body should be aiming at your target. If you're trying to sling in a draw this might work, but when flighting it straight you want the body to run parallel to the club-to-target line.

When at the range, always set two alignment sticks on the ground as Alex does until it becomes habit. This will ensure you're set-up position is consistent, giving you the best chance to execute. Alignment sticks are great for this as they are one of the best golf training aids on the market and their uses don't stop there.

If struggling to take this onto the course, aim the line on your ball at the target and use that as a guide for how the body should be positioned.

Slicing

The slice is undoubtedly the golfer's arch nemesis. It's detrimental effects are felt particularly with the driver in hand as it results in a shot that lacks distance and consistency and can lead to many packing the clubs away for good.

RELATED: Best drivers for slicers

If you're a slicer, think of this tennis analogy next time you're heading to the practice ground. With or without a club, imagine you're hitting a topspin forehand and really emphasise the move.

Do it a number of times then try to recreate the feeling when hitting a shot. It's not an instant fix - nothing is - but over time this will help you straighten up your slice and maybe even have you hitting some draws. Wouldn't that be nice?

The takeaway

If you don't start the swing well, it's likely compensations will have to be made later on, and that's never a good thing. Therefore, it's vital to nail the takeaway. And whether you take the club away inside, outside or out of sync with the body, Alex has a brilliantly simple drill guaranteed to help.

As shown above, place a club on the ground pointing towards the target with the grip end behind the ball. From there, set up as if you're going to hit a shot and work on taking the club back in unison with the body. If done well, you should move the club on the ground well out the way (below).

Check out the video to find out exactly what we mean by this.

Posture

Last but not least is the posture. Specifically, standing up in the downswing is something many golfers have a habit of doing. And it leads to inconsistent strikes and a really inefficient club delivery.

A drill to hone a far better move can be done using your golf bag or even a wall at home. With a club across the chest, turn to the top, ensuring your back right pocket remains in contact with whatever it is you're using. Crucially, you want to do the same with opposite pocket on the through swing.

This will ensure you're retaining good body angles throughout the shot, which will help you compress the golf ball far better, leading to crisper strikes and extra distance.

The great thing about this drill is it's a non-technical fix to address a technical flaw that will develop a feel you can use for the rest of your golfing days.

Improving the effectiveness of your weight distribution in the golf swing is one of the most important tips for better ball striking, but it's a problem that many amateurs struggle to overcome.

In this video and article, we asked PGA professional and Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Kristian Baker to explain everything you need to know about weight distribution in the golf swing...

Weight Distribution In The Golf Swing Explained

While it won't be the same for everyone, there are some general principles that apply to all golfers and are a great checkpoint for those struggling with weight distribution in the golf swing.

The first is your address position, and it often depends on your club selection. When you have an iron in hand, stand with your weight balanced equally between both feet and feel as though it runs through the front of your ankles.

Pair that with knowing how far to stand from the golf club, and you will create a good solid base to make an athletic swing.  A lot of modern professionals remain very centred throughout their swing, so let me explain how it works...

How Your Weight Shifts In The Backswing

When turning to the top, the best players in the world coil brilliants, with their weight shifted to the inside of their trail foot. While this creates the impression of being stacked on top of the ball, they actually assume a great position to unwind, push of their back foot and generate plenty of power.

A word of warning however, if you are trying to replicate this, as with an iron in hand the lead foot can become unstable. Try to keep your left foot planted to help firm up the lead side, as this will allow you to swing more aggressively and boost your clubhead speed.

Weight Distribution With Driver

When it comes to the driver, keep the weight fairly evenly spread at address but make sure you're in a set-up position that promotes a good driver launch angle. That means the ball position should be lined up with the inside of your lead heel and the spine should be tilted away from the target slightly.

Amateurs are often guilty of swaying when they unleash the chief, meaning that, instead of the weight moving back then through, the opposite happens. To keep balance with a backswing sway, the upper body tends to lean towards the target, resulting in the dreaded reverse pivot (see the image below) - one of the biggest driving mistakes in the game.

Reverse Pivot And Weight Distribution

When the pelvis shifts back and forward laterally, the low point is constantly changing, thus making it incredibly difficult to find the centre of the face consistently and costing you precious yards.

So, what does a good pivot look like and how should your weight be distributed through the golf swing? Well, turning rather than swaying is a good place to start. This will get you set up in a much more athletic position at the top of the backswing.

From there, you want to feel like the lead hip initiates the move towards the ball, which will ensure the weight shifts forward and brings the club nicely on plane. Then you can turn through the ball with your entire body, which will result in more centre strikes, and therefore more power and accuracy. Simple enough, right?

Go to the range and practise getting into the correct set-up position with a variety of clubs, before working on turning rather than swaying. Remember, the weight should feel like it shifts to the inside of your trail heel at the top of the backswing.

Once you've mastered that, work on pushing off so the weight moves through the ball, towards the target and into a nice finish position.

Weight Distribution And Angle Of Attack

As with everything in the golf swing, one movement will cause a chain reaction. One of the reasons to pay close attention to how your weight moves is that it will have a direct impact on your angle of attack through impact. If your weight is too far back as you head towards impact, your attack angle will be too shallow. Conversely, if your weight moves towards the target too much or too early, you'll hit down on the ball from too steep an angle.

Either way, poor strikes and sub-optimal ball flights will be the inevitable result. 

In this video, Kit Alexander is joined by PGA Professional Alex Elliott to look at 7 epic shots and how to play them. From hitting powerful drives to approaching the green over water, these are all risk and reward moments that, if you choose to take on, could really help your overall score.

7 Epic Shots... And How To Play Them!

In this video, Kit Alexander is joined at The Belfry by PGA Professional Alex Elliott to look at 7 epic shots and how to play them. From hitting powerful drives to approaching the green over water, these are all risk and reward moments that, if you choose to take on, could really help your overall score. Alex's simple and effective tips illustrate how to approach these key moments with confidence.

Intimidating tee shot

There are times on the golf course when you just need to hit a long and accurate drive, just like the 18th tee at The Belfry. There are three things I want you to think about in a situation like this. Firstly, tee height. I tend to use three different tee heights with driver: A lower one for a lower shot that’s good in the wind, mid-height for my stock fairway finder and a little higher for my ‘bombs away’ tee shot when I want to maximise distance. You want to have roughly half the ball above the top of the driver at address and the ball level with your lead heel to help you hit it on the up.

Club selection: Callaway Epic Speed Driver

Secondly, having the ball forward in the stance can throw off your shoulder alignment so make sure they’re pointing parallel to your target line and your lead shoulder is a touch higher than your trail shoulder at address. Thirdly, most of the drives I hit are at the equivalent of gear four if you’re driving a car, but when you need that extra distance you have to step it up to gear five. You’ve got to stay balanced and maintain your timing, but just feel like you give it that little bit more without losing your technique.

Long iron approach over water

A long shot over water like the approach to the 18th hole at The Belfry is one of the scariest shots in golf. You can lay up short of the water, but that will make it very hard to make your par. If you’re able to hit a solid long iron shot, there’s no reason you can’t go for the green with confidence – and it’s easier to do than you probably think.

Club Selection: Callaway X Forged UT 18˚

A lot of amateurs struggle with long irons because you don’t see a lot of loft when you look down on it and you try and help it into the air and end up hitting it a bit thin. You have to trust the club to do what it’s been designed to do and launch the ball into the air if you make a good swing, because it will.

You want to feel like your right arm stays long and releases to the target in your swing, so make some practice motions doing that without the club to ingrain that feeling. That will help you hit it more solid and reduce that fade or slice that a lot of players have with the less lofted club.

Fairway bunker recovery 

There’s always a big decision to be made from a fairway bunker that has a reasonably steep face. It’s all about the lie, because if it’s not sitting well and it looks like you’ll get some sand between the clubface and the ball at impact that makes it more difficult to hit a clean shot. If it’s sitting down, you probably have to take your medicine and get it back on the fairway. 

Club selection: Callaway Apex Pro irons

Choose a club that guarantees you get the ball above the lip and out the bunker, even if that doesn’t quite reach the green. You can still make a par from just short, but the last thing you want to do is hit the face of the bunker and leave yourself with the same shot again. Use your normal grip, stance and ball position, but don’t dig your feet into the sand as much as you would for a greenside bunker shot, because that drops your swing arc and increases the chances of fatting it. Get your feet into the sand as little as you can while still giving yourself a stable base. Pick out a mark just ahead of the ball to focus on, keep your legs pretty quiet during the swing and make sure you hit down on it to contact the ball before the sand.

Punch under the trees

The ability to hit a recovery under overhanging branches will enable you to be aggressive and save shots when you get out of position. You need a lie that will enable you to play the punch shot, so you don’t want to try it from rough that’s too thick. You also need to be able to get the ball running up the fairway, so the amount of rough you have to carry to reach it and the angle you’re playing up the hole are also important.

Club selection: Callaway X Forged UT 18˚

You want to take the lowest lofted iron you have in the bag. You want to hit down on the ball more and have less loft on the clubface at impact than for a normal iron shot, but a lot of this can be achieved from how you set up at address. Grip down the shaft, position the ball an inch or two further back in your stance, shift a little more weight into your lead leg, aim your body just a touch left of the target to account for impact coming slightly earlier in the swing arc, and make a smooth three-quarter swing.

Flop shot over trouble

If you’re short-sided and there’s a hazard you need to carry between you and the pin, the only way to stop the ball close to the hole is with height. To get maximum height while hitting the ball only a short distance you need to play a flop shot. But it’s a high-risk shot so don’t be afraid to play a simpler shot long of the pin to make sure your next shot is a putt if you aren’t confident about going aerial.

Club selection: Callaway Jaws MD5 Tour Grey 60˚ wedge, Callaway Chrome Soft X Triple Track ball

You need the right lie to give yourself a realistic chance of success. The ball sitting just above the ground in light rough gives you more room to slide the clubhead under the ball and just enough margin for error. Take the most lofted wedge you carry and treat it a bit like a bunker shot. Open the face as much as you can and then take your grip with the face already open. Take a wide stance with the ball a little forward of centre. Bend your knees, drop your hands a little and favour your lead leg with your weight, which will get the open face aiming at the target.

Imagine there’s a smiley face on the clubface and get it pointing back at you in the follow-through and finish position to encourage the correct path through impact and release. Take a few practice swings to get used to how the club will move through the grass and picture how much force and speed you need to put into it.

Driveable par 4 with danger

A short par 4 is a great opportunity to make a birdie or maybe even an eagle, but there’s still danger involved, especially when the green is as well protected as the iconic 10th hole at The Belfry. You have to think of it like any other drive. If you start attaching greater importance to a shot like this, you’re going to get nervous and tense and probably won’t make your best swing. It’s important to be precise so really hone in on your specific target like the pin itself or a tree behind the green. Stay relaxed and make sure you stay balanced and smooth throughout the swing to maintain good rhythm.

Club selection: Callaway Epic Speed Driver

Good alignment is vital when you’re playing to a specific target, especially if it’s quite a long way away. I like to use a line on my ball and aim it where I want to start the ball. Get the clubhead square to the line on the ball and build your stance around that so your body is aligned correctly too.

Going for it from the rough 

What you do when you’re faced with a long approach shot from the rough can have a huge impact on your scorecard, especially when there’s water involved. There are two options, depending on how you’re playing and feeling: lay up to a sensible yardage or go for it, which could save you one or two shots.

Club selection: Callaway Apex 21 Pro 20˚ hybrid

When the ball is in the rough you need to use a club that’s going to help you get it into the air and maximise your carry distance. A hybrid is a much better option than a long iron because it’s designed to launch the ball higher and will maintain more clubhead speed as it goes through the rough. You want to play it like it’s an iron shot, so you’re hitting down on the ball. Get the ball a clubhead’s length inside your left heel and swing just like you would for a mid-iron so you have a slight descending blow that contacts the ball before bruising the turf or taking a small divot.

In this video, Dan Whittaker discusses what causes an over-the-top golf swing and shares some simple drills

How To Fix A Slice In Golf 

An over-the-top golf swing has plagued golfers for years as it leads to slices and big pulls. Many amateurs often think, or hope, the fix will be simple and turn to the latest bit of equipment in a desperate bid to paint over the cracks.

Alternatively, some will head to the range thinking the movement of the hands and arms are the root cause of this debilitating club path, rather than merely being a symptom.

However, more often than not, the movement of the lower body in transition is what leads to the ensuing problems.

Even when players get into a good position at the top of the backswing, the weight quickly moves forward onto the toes, which throws the club outside the ideal plane. From there, the tendency is for the legs to straighten, which pulls the club back in and way across the ball, resulting in that weak slice nobody likes to see.

And it only gets worse as you work up through the bag to the longer-shafted clubs like the driver.

A good way to set about correcting this is to focus on keeping the right heel – left for left-handers – on the ground for as long as possible to begin the downswing. This will make it easier for golfers to create more of a squatting position in transition, with the lower body shifting towards the target slightly.

By keeping the heel on the floor, the right shoulder will be able to drop and put the club into a better position approaching impact. It’s one of the many things the pros do that we struggle with.

When you’re working on a new move, it’s vital you find a way to make sure you’re getting some feedback. Whether that’s through filming or a golf training aid it doesn’t matter. In this instance, an umbrella or an alignment stick will do the job.

Stick it into the ground at the same angle as the club at address but have it behind and slightly to the right of the ball so you still have room to swing.

Related: Best Golf Training Aids

For the first drill, place a club across your shoulders and rehearse this move, keeping your back heel down and squatting into the ground. If you do it properly, you should see a bigger gap between the club and the umbrella than if you fall back into old habits.

Once you’ve done this a few times, the second part involves hitting a shot with the umbrella or alignment stick still in place. The reason this works so well is that if you fail to execute, the club will strike whatever feedback tool you have in the ground.

It’s an idea to start with half swings and build up to full speed as the chances are you’ll get it wrong many times before you start to consistently get it right.

If you are struggling with slices, add these drills to your practice routine and start investing some quality time into your golf game.

In this exclusive video, Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Andrew Jones asks what is 'coil' in the golf swing? His simple explanation could help you find extra power and accuracy in yours!

This video from Andrew Jones looks at what is 'coil' in the golf swing? We have also asked Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Paul Foston for his explanation of what it is and how - when you get it right - it helps deliver more power and control. His insight and advice is below.

What is 'coil' in the golf swing?

There is a reason golf coaches use the word ‘coil’ when referring to the rotation of the body. This is because your upper body is turning – or coiling – against the resistance provided by your lower body. It is the difference in the angle between your upper and lower body at the top of the backswing that is the secret power ingredient that provides real speed as you unwind through the downswing. Often, this is what the pros do well and amateurs struggle with.

More golf swing tips videos

To picture how it works, think of your body as a coil. At the top of the backswing it is stretched, ready to spring back through the downswing. The only way to create that stretch however, is to resist the turn of the upper body. Without any resistance (if you let your hips turn as much as your upper body) your top of backswing position will be very easy to hold. It might feel like you are making a full backswing and ready for a powerful drive back into the ball but you are actually in a weak position.

Power tips for golf

Instead, at the top it should feel as if your body is under stress and, if you pause for a few seconds, the position is hard to maintain. What you should be feeling here is power that is stored up, ready to use.

How to use your body for power

Remember, the body is the engine of the golf swing. A crucial element to that is the way you ‘coil’ in the backswing. Can you turn your upper body while resisting with your lower body? If so, you’ll unlock that special ingredient for real power. Without swinging any harder you'll pick up crucial yardage without losing control.

In this video, PGA Professional, Alex Elliott offers a great drill for how to stabilize your body rotation and hit better golf shots!

Hopefully Alex Elliott's video (above) has given you a great idea for how to stabilize your body rotation. However, there are a few other ways to improve this area of your game - below Golf monthly Top 25 Coach Ged Walters offers his view on how to stabilize your body rotation in the golf swing!

How to stabilize your body rotation checklist * The centre of your shoulders and hips should stay in line * A club across the shoulders highlights how you’re rotating * Half a tennis ball under your right heel and left toes will help you rotate properly

1) Common faults Good golf swing rotation is essential for strike, power, distance and control. If anything is out of sync, any or all of the above will suffer.

Watch: GM Top 25 Coach Rick Shiels explains how to use your body for power in the golf swing...

The most common faults would be the upper body and spine swaying away from the ball to the right rather than turning effectively against the hips, or the classic reverse pivot, where the weight moves on to the left leg on the backswing resulting in the spine and upper body shifting to the left too. Neither of these upper body movements is efficient or powerful.

2) Good rotation With the sway to the right, yes, you’ve turned the upper body, but you haven’t extended your spine angle to retain position and thus control your rotation. What you actually need to do is keep the centre of your shoulders and the centre of your hips as closely aligned as possible throughout.

Watch: GM Top 25 Coach Neil Plimmer talks you through some great rotation drills...

If you rotate correctly, you can then simply unwind on the downswing to create real power. The most powerful muscles in your golf swing are your glutes and quads, followed by your core. If they’re not getting into the right positions, you will struggle for consistency as you’ll be relying on your hands and arms too much.

3) Shoulder drill This shoulder drill is a great aid in how to stabilize your body rotation. Place a club across the top of your shoulders, with the clubhead over your left shoulder. Get in the address position, then turn so the clubhead goes down towards the ground, almost towards the inside of your trailing foot.

In the downswing, your belt buckle should rotate towards the target, with the grip end of the club moving down and then up to the finish position shown here. The turn away is just a turn – no swaying or movement of the upper body other than around its axis of the belt buckle.

Five minutes of this a day will really help - you could even place your head on a door frame to start with to get used to the movement.

4) Tennis ball drill Here’s another great drill for how to stabilize your body rotation. Take a tennis ball, and cut it in half. Place one half under the heel of your right foot, and the other under the toes of your left foot.

If you rotate properly with no sway or reverse pivot, you will feel your right heel compressing the tennis ball beneath it on your backswing, while keeping the other ball gently in place.

Your left toes should then keep the ball beneath them more firmly in place as you transfer your weight, and turn through the ball.

Michael Bannon, Rory McIlroy's Coach offers some candid insights into the work he has done with the Northern Irishman over the years.

Rory McIlroy's Coach, Michael Bannon, has been with him from the age of 8. Here he offers some advice based on the cornerstones of Rory's own incredible technique that has helped him become one of his generation's true elite golfers.

Point your buckle at the ball

A sloppy setup leads to a sloppy swing. The best thing Rory McIlory did to improve his address position was to increase his hip tilt. Try this: Get into your setup with your hands on your hips and your knees flexed. Use your fingers to push your hips back. Your rear end should “pop” out a bit, creating a crease in your trousers just below your belt. You’re doing it correctly if your belt buckle points just beyond the ball, not straight out in front of you. The right amount of hip hinge stabilizes your turn for a tighter coil during your backswing.

Pull-Back Drill

Get into your address position without a club, then crisscross your arms, left over right, so your palms face away from each other. Start your swing by pulling your right hand straight back. See how this forces your left shoulder to turn, and how connected your arms feel to your upper body? If you notice the same feeling when you take real swings, you’ll make a perfect takeaway.

Turn, Turn, Turn

We always work on limiting Rory’s turn, but you should work on rotating more— and not just your shoulders. The next time you practice, turn your lower body more than you normally would. Try to get your belt buckle to point away from the target when your reach the top. This extra hip turn is what allows your shoulders to rotate a full 90 degrees. The only rules? Keep your right knee flexed and your hands on the right side of your head. If your hands end up behind your head, you’ve lost control.

Lift and Step

To feel the way Rory leans into his irons, make your regular backswing but allow your left heel to come off the ground as you reach the top. When you start back down, replant your left heel. Do it hard—so hard that you feel your weight move immediately to your left side. Once you plant, push off the ground with your left foot, firming up your left leg. This creates a post strong enough to support a strong turn through the ball.

Who Is Rory McIlroy's Coach?

Michael Bannon has been McIlroy's coach since the player was eight years old.

He has helped McIlroy secure four Majors and won European Coach of the year in 2011.

He has been the club professional at Hollywood Golf Club and Bangor Golf Club, which he left in october 2012 to coach Rory full-time.

We take a look at the detail in Rory McIlroy’s 30-minute warm-up for golf, to see how the Northern Irishman prepares for the first tee.

You might think that when a player reaches the upper echelons of world golf he would have an intricate, in-depth warm-up routine. Well, not Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman uses his 30-minutes to warm-up, not practice and the difference is huge. Here we take a look at the detail in Rory McIlroy's 30-minute warm-up for golf.

Rory McIlroy Practice Tips

Starting with his pitching wedge Rory steadily builds up the power. This appears to be all about getting the club on the ball and grooving a good strike. Between five and 10 shots later, he is at full wedge power and it is time to move up into a 7-iron.

Rory McIlroy Pitching Tips

Rory McIlroy’s 30-minute warm-up for golf is simply about getting his body moving, ready for the first tee. He doesn’t try to hit different shots – fade, draws or punches but he keeps it simple, retaining his natural ball-flight throughout.

Expand Rory McIlroy What’s In The Bag?

Rory McIlroy What’s In The Bag?

See the clubs Rory McIlroy currently has in…

Expand Rory McIlroy Launch Monitor Data…Revealed!

Rory McIlroy Launch Monitor Data…Revealed!

TaylorMade's Keith Sbarbaro talks us through Rory McIlroy's…

Expand Rory McIlroy Gym Routine… Revealed!

Rory McIlroy Gym Routine… Revealed!

We discovered how Rory McIlroy keeps himself so…

After his 7-iron Rory moves up to his 3-iron and then onto his driving iron. This is where preparation for the specific task ahead comes into the equation. With certain tee shots requiring a lay-up to a certain number, he hits the club required for that shot as something of a dress rehearsal. With his driving iron, every shot is teed up, albeit only fractionally. Again, he hits no more than five balls with each club.

Rory’s focus narrows as he reaches his driver. He runs through his simple pre-shot routine before each ball and is not swinging at full tilt. Each shot takes a little longer and it is clear that the Northern Irishman is not rushing through his warm-up. Fifteen minutes after arriving on the range, Rory has finished his long game work.

Rory McIlroy Gym Routine... Revealed

He now heads straight to the putting green. Again, it is the simplest of routines. There are no drills or long putting practice. Instead, he takes aim at a hole and hits putts from six to 10ft from a host of different angles. This appears to be all about getting a feel for the greens and his stroke ahead of teeing off. This is not the time to crowd your mind with technical thoughts and Rory is certainly avoiding that.

Rory McIlroy's 30-minute warm-up for golf is one of the simplest you’ll find on Tour. While other players are running through complicated practice drills and hitting dozens of balls, Rory is simply warming-up his body and conserving energy. Perhaps that explains why he’s at the top of his game.

Here we take an in-depth look at the swing of 2017 Masters Champion Sergio Garcia

Sergio Garcia Golf Swing Analysis

Sergio Garcia has consistently been one of the game's finest ball strikers over the past 20 years.

The Spaniard has amassed 33 professional victories to date, including 10 PGA Tour titles and 14 European Tour crowns.

As well as those victories, Garcia has played on eight European Ryder Cup teams.

Related: Sergio Garcia What's in the bag?

Garcia's finest moment to date came last year at Augusta when he beat Justin Rose in a playoff to win the Masters.

It was his first ever major victory in his 74th attempt.

In the video above, we take a look at the Spaniard's unique golf swing, one that can't be taught but works phenomenally well.

WATCH: Henrik Stenson golf swing analysis

As well as being one of the world's most consistent ball strikers, Garcia also creates a huge amount of power with his action.

So what is it that Garcia does so well in his swing?

The 2017 Masters Champion gets into that characteristic 'laid off' position at the top of his backswing, and from there he drives the club down and inside in what is his trademark move - creating a great deal of lag and power.

As Garcia reaches the top of his backswing, you can see that he does a number of impressive things.

His clubface is perfectly neutral and his left wrist is flat, these elements help his ball striking be both pure and accurate.

Related: How Tiger Woods' swing has changed

He has over 90 degrees of shoulder rotation showing just how well his upper body is working

His lower body is working great too, as you can see he has around 45 degrees of hip turn and he has retained his right knee flex for a strong and stable base.

Now we'll look at his impact position.

As you can see from the image above, Sergio has retained his posture perfectly and keeps his sternum over the ball through impact, this allows him to make perfect contacts more often than not.

His left shoulder is higher the the right to allow the ideal upward angle of attack through impact. He sweeps the ball off the top of the tee for a high, launch low spin drive. Ideal!

Related: 10 Tour Pro ball striking tips

His weight also moves from right to left and you can see his hands are perfectly matched up in line with the ball, delivering the sweetest of strikes.

For full analysis, watch the video at the top of the page.

GM Top 25 coach Rick Shiels shows how to get the best out of your practice

Driving Range Tips: Rick Shiels' Ultimate Practice Session

Every golfer yearns to play better, and these off-season months are the ideal time to work.

on your game to give yourself the best chance of doing that in 2018.

Related: How to play bunker shots with Rick Shiels

But how best to practise? Some have more time to devote to it than others, but the beauty of my ultimate range practice session is that it works equally well however much time you have to spare.

I’m not going to tell you how many golf balls to hit in your range sessions. I want it to be based on the time you have available, and I want you to split that time into three equal sections: Master the Mechanics, Own the Ball Flight and The Test.

You might have an hour and a half; you might only have 30 minutes. Whatever it is, split your time into three equal sections.

Driving Range Tips: Rick Shiels' Ultimate Practice Session:

Master the Mechanics

Alignment and ball position

Put down an alignment stick for every single shot you hit in these first 20 minutes.

Once you have set your alignment, keep checking it – and remember, it’s not just your feet but also your knees, your hips and your shoulders.

Don’t have the club or stick right up by your toes, as it’s easy to knock it slightly as you swing.

Use this time to monitor ball position, too. With your driver, it should be just inside your left heel; with your pitching wedge it should be near the centre of your stance.

If you’re working up from your wedge, the ball should move a little towards your front foot with each longer club.

Not just one club

As you do this, it’s important to keep changing clubs.

Start with a lofted sand wedge and make sure your alignment and ball position are perfect.

Move on to a 9-iron and do it again, and then perhaps a 5- or 6-iron before finally a few shots with the driver.

Related: Best game improver irons 2018

Try to make every ball last a minute, too – in other words, take your time rather than just smashing ball after ball down the range.

Go through your pre-shot routine and actually take practice swings as you try to really master those mechanics. At this stage, it’s not so much about ball flight but your golf swing.

Monitor the strike

How you’re striking it is important, too, and you can check this using one of the cheapest training aids on the market – foot powder spray!

Apply it to the clubface and when you hit the ball, it will leave a mark in the white mist that clearly shows where you’ve made contact.

You can instantly tell if you’re hitting it in the centre, or more out of the heel or toe.

Impact tape does exactly the same job, but the spray works better in wet conditions.

Record your swing

If you’re working on anything with a golf coach or via instruction from Golf Monthly or my YouTube channel, this is a great opportunity to record the new movements and see how you’re doing.

A selfie stick with a stand is the ideal option, and I would advise always recording your swing at waist height from directly behind or square on.

Never record from too high or too low.

For all of Rick Shiels' tips, watch the video at the top of the page. You can visit his YouTube channel here.

Don't forget to follow Golf Monthly on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

If you need to spice up your range sessions with some fun golf practice drills, these two from Ladies European Tour star Carly Booth could be just what you're after

If you need to spice up your range sessions with some fun golf practice drills, these two from Ladies European Tour star Carly Booth could be just what you're after

The 25-year-old became Britain’s youngest ever club champion at the age of 11, before turning pro aged 17. The Scot has since made 136 starts on the Ladies European Tour, including seven top 10s and two wins at the 2012 Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open and the 2012 Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open.

Related: Carly Booth Swing Analysis

Play A Round On The Range

We all know how important visualisation is during your pre-shot routine. It helps you to work out the wind, your shot shape and where you want to land the ball, so it makes sense to practice it as part of your range routine.

To do this, Carly recommends you 'play a round' when hitting balls on the range. For example, if the 1st hole you usually play has a 40-yard wide fairway, give yourself a 40-yard landing area between two targets. If your second shot with a good drive is then usually a 7-iron, hit a 7-iron to a specific target on the range. For each shot you should go through your full pre-shot routine to make your practice as life like as possible.

Related: Pre-shot Routine Tips

Fun golf practice sessions also tend to be more productive, so try a few fun variations of this game. Why not play the '1st hole' trying to hit a fade for every shot and then on the '2nd hole' hit draws on every shot? If you've hit a wild drive, practice punching a low shot back into play from 'the trees', or why not practice a flop shot if you hit a wayward approach 'the wrong side of bunker'.

Set Yourself Targets

We've all had fun trying to hit the ball collector on the range, so it makes sense that adding a challenge to your practice session is a great way to get the competitive juices flowing. When Carly practices she likes to set herself a target to hit before she can head home or back to her hotel when on tour, such as hitting five fairways in a row, or hitting the 50-yard marker.

If you want to add some new golf warm-up drills to your repertoire then help is on hand, as we recently asked two-time Ladies European Tour winner Carly Booth to share a few of her favourites that will get you ready for your round

If you want to add some new golf warm-up drills to your repertoire then help is on hand, as we recently asked two-time Ladies European Tour winner Carly Booth to share a few of her favourites that will get you ready for your round.

The Scot became Britain’s youngest ever club champion at the age of 11, before turning pro aged 17. She has since made 136 starts on the Ladies European Tour, including seven top 10s and two wins at the 2012 Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open and the 2012 Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open.

Related: Carly Booth Swing Analysis

One-Handed Drill

Carly likes to start he golf warm-up hitting one-handed chips with a wedge. This simple golf warm-up drill forces you to find your rhythm so that you warm-up slowly and don't cause any unnecessary injuries. She also likes to focus on the strike, which is a great way to warm-up your short game at the same time.

Have A Target Carly then likes to move through her bag from wedges to driver. While doing this she has an alignment stick lined up with her target, so rather than hitting balls randomly into the distance, she has more of a focus. This is important when warming up as it replicates the process you go through during your round, meaning this golf warm-up drill also works as a mental game warm-up too.

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Ged Walters explains his high to low hook drill to help you straighten out your ball flight and hit more fairways

High to low hook drill checklist * Make sure only two knuckles are showing in your upper hand * Turn the right side of your chest to the target through impact * Feel like the club moves from high to low on the downswing

Watch: back to basics on the hook with GM Top 25 Coach Clive Tucker...

 1) Where most hooks come from The hook really hurts a lot of golfers whether from fairway or tee, and it often comes from an obsession with wanting to hit a draw – golf’s Holy Grail that we all dream of. But in our desire to hit the draw, we often go a bit too far and get the club travelling too much out towards the right-hand side, but with the clubface looking too much the other way.

It’s easy then to over-rotate the face through impact, and by the time you look up it’s veering away sharply left and you need to reload.

Watch: more hook causes and cures from GM Top 25 Coach Andrew Reynolds...

2) Check your torso It can be difficult to avoid the path being too much to the inside if your torso is tilted away from the target, so try to feel the right side of your chest turning towards the target through impact, so the positions of the centre of your shoulders and the centre of your hips don’t get too far apart.

3) High to low hook drill Ideally, you need to learn how to neutralise things such that you can still hit a draw, but with a swing that feels like it’s going to generate a massive slice or fade. You’ve got to take it to extremes the other way to then be able to control the shot and hit that little baby draw off the 1^st rather than hitting it OOB left.

I know it sounds strange, but bear with me on this and dedicate some practice to this new move. The feeling you really need to get from the top of the backswing is the clubhead forward of the hands, and moving from high, down across the body a bit, to low with the face holding its position pointing at the target.

You need to get the feeling that you’ve blocked it with the back of your lead hand before going through to your finish.

Watch: GM Top 25 Coach explains how to hit a draw shot in golf...

4) The grip holds the key The reason I want you to do this is that a lot of hookers have a super-strong grip, with the right-hand tucked underneath the club because they want to get the face to rotate.

I want you to actually weaken that hand off – I want to see two knuckles in the upper hand, so the back of the lead hand mirrors the clubface much more. The feeling that the back of the hand is then blocking towards the target at impact means the hands can’t then over-release.

If you can get the feeling of clubhead forward of the hands from the high to low hook drill, then you definitely won’t hit the golf ball left!

European Tour player Daniel Im explains three keys to finding more fairways

Peter Finch explains how golf's set-up essentials like grip, posture, and stance have a huge bearing on where you'll be at impact and the resulting flight

GOLF'S SET-UP ESSENTIALS It's important to recognise that set-up essentials like grip, posture, and how you stand to the ball have a huge bearing on where you will be at impact and the resulting ball flight.

Check your grip Your grip is the main controlling factor in what the clubface does at impact - strong grips generally close the clubface to target and weak grips generally open it. Many golfers who hit big hooks have a strong grip in which the left hand sits too much on top of the club and the right hand too much underneath.

The opposite is true of slicers, who typically have a weak grip – the left hand sits too much under the grip and right hand too much on top. This isn’t always the case as some golfers are able to compensate with their wrist angles, but if you’re struggling with a troublesome ball flight, check your grip first.

Watch all 7 videos in Peter's 'Keys to Consistency' series...

• Understanding impact basics
• How impact varies from club to club
• A new way to pitch
• A bullet-proof chipping action
• Fringe putting drill
• Pressure putting practice

Shoulder position at address Many golfers suffer from a slice, especially with the driver, and generally it’s because the path moving to the left of the target line with the clubface open to both path and target line.

If both shoulders sit more or less at the same height at address - so your left shoulder isn’t higher than your right - they will also be open to the target, encouraging a swing path too much off to the left.

Conversely, if your right shoulder is too low, you’ll close your shoulders too much and encourage a swing path too much from inside to out, which can cause a hook.

You can alter your ball flight surprisingly quickly just by adjusting what your body and shoulders are doing at address.

Ball position is vital in dictating ball flight as it influences angle of attack and dynamic loft. Peter Finch explains how impact varies from club to club

HOW IMPACT VARIES FROM CLUB TO CLUB Ball position in relation to your body is crucial in determining ball flight as it dictates angle of attack and the dynamic loft on the clubface at the point impact.

Ball position and angle of attack The ball on the left in the centre of my stance highlights where it should be for a standard shot with a wedge or short iron.

If it’s further back, your path will be a little bit more downwards and from an inside position – that’s why when tour pros move the ball back to play a punch shot, they’ll aim a little further left to counteract the swing moving more from the inside.

Ball position then moves progressively further forward as you work up through the bag to your driver, represented by the ball on the right here. The further forward the ball is, the more you’ll start to swing off to the left and up on the ball.

Watch all 7 videos in Peter's 'Keys to Consistency' series...

• Understanding impact basics
• Golf's set-up essentials
• A new way to pitch
• A bullet-proof chipping action
• Fringe putting drill
• Pressure putting practice

Ball position and dynamic loft Ball position also affects dynamic loft. If your hands stay ahead of the ball at impact with the shaft leaning towards the target, the dynamic loft on the club will be lower than its static loft.

The further back the ball is, the greater the difference between dynamic loft at impact and static loft. The ball will also then come out a little lower, and with a full swing, you’ll take a bigger divot but also send the ball a little further.

Impact varies from club to club, and ball position in relation to your body and where it is at point of impact affects line, path, dynamic loft and angle of attack, all of which combine to produce your overall ball flight.

If you wish to change or improve your technique, you must first grasp the impact basics that generate golf's various ball flights. Peter Finch explains...

UNDERSTANDING IMPACT BASICS

If you wish to change or improve your technique, you must first grasp exactly what factors generate the various ball flights you see.

Swing path and target line The club laid down here indicates my target line, with my body aiming parallel to that. Ball flight depends on what your swing path does in relation to that target line and what the clubface does in relation to swing path.

Assuming that your swing path isn’t exaggerated one way or the other, to achieve a straightish shot, your clubface must be neither too open nor closed at impact.

Watch all 7 videos in Peter's 'Keys to Consistency' series...

• Golf's set-up essentials
• How impact varies from club to club
• A new way to pitch
• A bullet-proof chipping action
• Fringe putting drill
• Pressure putting practice

Draws and fades If you’re looking to draw the ball into the target, your path will need to move from in to out in relation to the target line, while your clubface will need to be closed to that path, yet still open to your target line.

For a fade, your path must move across your target line to the left, with the clubface remaining open to that path yet still closed to the target line.

The clubface must remain open to the target line when trying to hit a draw - if it’s closed to the target line you’ll hit a hook; similarly, if your club is open to the target line when trying to hit a fade, you’ll end up with the dreaded slice.

Because you're always standing to the side of your target line, your club can only be moving straight to target at one point – the low point. That’s why it’s so hard to hit golf’s perfectly straight shot!

The body is the engine of the golf swing. These tour player connection and sequence drills are designed to improve the way the arms and body work together for greater power and accuracy.

The body is the engine of the golf swing. These tour player connection and sequence drills are designed to improve the way the arms and body work together for greater power and accuracy.

Golf Swing Tips Videos

Peter Uihlein – Right Arm Connection Drill

For a simple, repeatable and more consistent golf swing you want your arms and body to work together. That’s what Uihlein is aiming for with this drill. He places a glove under his right arm. This keeps his right elbow more connected to his torso as he swings back. It is one of the most classic tour player connection and sequence drills, and it work to simplify the swing, keeping the club on plane and the arms working with the body.

Julien Quesne – Left Arm Connection Drill

The same theory applies to the drill being used by Julien Quesne but for the left arm. It also differs in that whereas Uihlein was concerned with his connection on the way back, Quesne is looking to ensure his body and arms work together through the ball. If your left arm moves away from your body during the downswing, you’ll make inconsistent, weak strikes.

9 Tour Player Practice Golf Drills

Julien Quesne – Pause Drill

Quesne also pauses at the top of his backswing. This is all about sequencing. He wants to ensure that his upper and lower body unwind in the correct sequence during the downswing. Pausing at the top ensures the transition from backswing to downswing is as smooth as possible.

Graeme McDowell – Heavy Club Warm-Up

This is a popular warm-up technique but it is also one our tour player connection and sequence drills. By adding weight to the club, you are forced to activate all your core muscles. As you feel your core working, your arms respond to what your body is doing. McDowell also pauses at the top to feel the powerful resistance between his upper and lower body.

Tour Ball-Striking Drills... Revealed

Chris Wood – Pitching Connection Drill

With a shorter club in hand, it is often the case that golfers start ‘flicking’ at the ball, only using the arms for the swing. Chris Woods avoids this by placing a towel under both arms. This ensures that he rotates his body effectively to create the momentum in his swing for a much more consistent action.

If you are looking to hit longer, straighter golf shots it makes sense to work on your swing path. Why not try these popular Tour Swing Path Drills

Tour Swing Path Drills

Benjamin Herbert – Swinglyde Training Aid

Do you know where your clubface is aiming at the top of your backswing? Benjamin Herbert uses this training aid to ensure his wrists are set correctly at the top. This is all about finding a technique that is as simple and easy to repeat as possible. With your wrists correctly set at the top you can swing the club down on the correct path, release your wrist angle and find a powerful, accurate strike.

Golf Swing Tips Videos

Oliver Fisher – Strike Pattern Dill

By creating a channel using two alignment sticks just wider than his clubhead, Oliver Fisher is able to check both the quality of his strike and the path of his swing through impact. If the club was moving too much either inside or outside the orthodox line, he would strike one of the alignment sticks. These two sticks also act as a visual guide to help him make centred strikes more consistently. It’s one of the most simple tour swing path drills but a good one!

Branden Grace – Two-Ball Takeaway Drill

Starting your swing on the correct path and at a smooth tempo is surely the best way to ensure the rest of it is working effectively. Branden Grace checks these elements by placing a second ball behind his clubhead at address. He is simply aiming to sweep this ball directly on a line away from his target. The ball should also roll smoothly away. If you can get these two keys grooved into your technique, the swing that follows is likely to be a better one. It is one of the classic tour player swing path drills and one that has served many players well over the years.

Tour Ball-Striking Drills... Revealed!

Rikard Karlberg – Glove Drill

Establishing a solid connection between your upper body and your arms in the golf swing will help you hit more consistent shots. Rikard Karlberg does this by placing gloves under each arm. The aim is to swing through without them dropping to the ground. This is a great drill if you are really struggling for accuracy.

Rikard Karlberg – Swing Path Drill

Karlberg also uses a shaft in the ground to check his swing path. This is one of the classic tour swing path drills and the angle of the shaft is designed to replicate the path the club needs to work on both back and through. If the club comes into contact with the shaft, it means he is underneath the ideal plane.

How Tour Players Practise Putting

Kristoffer Broberg – Two line drill

Broberg uses the same drill as Karlberg but crucially, he has two alignment sticks in the ground. This is to ensure the neither his hands or the clubhead work inside the correct plane. If you have a tendency to whip the club away on the inside, give this one a go, it will really help!

If you are struggling with inconsistent contacts, try these Tour Ball-Striking Drills to get yourself back on track!

Tour Ball-Striking Drills

Rafa Cabrera-Bello – Upper Body Check

Keeping your sternum directly over the ball is one of those fundamentals we hear repeated time and again. Cabrera-Bello uses his putting mirror to check it. Setting your upper body correctly over the ball at address and then returning to this position through impact is the key to consistently sweet strikes.

5 Strange Tour Practice Drills

Martin Kaymer – Alignment and strike drill

As well as checking his clubface alignment before he hits, Martin Martin is also using this drill to focus on a spot just in front of the ball. By doing that he ensures that he strikes the ball first with the ideal, downward angle of attack. Placing a tee in the ground in front of your ball is another way to hone cleaner, sweeter contacts.

Ian Poulter – T-Bar Drill

Ian Poulter uses a simple T-Bar to check both his ball position and alignment. These are the foundations of good ball striking and worth checking regularly yourself.

More 9 Tour Player Practice Drills

Padraig Harrington – Weight Movement Drill

This is a drill that Harrington has actually taken with him onto the course during competition. The theory behind it makes perfect sense. Essentially, he steps into the finish position to create a better, more natural weight shift through the ball. Moving your weight towards the target in the downswing is one of the most basic fundamentals in the swing – get it right and you’ll hit the ball further and straighter.

How Tour Players Practise Putting

Stewart Cink – Start-line Drill

For Tour Ball-Striking Drills, this one is very simple. Stewart Cink places an alignment stick in the ground about 6ft ahead of where he is hitting from, directly on his ball to target line. This illustrates how straight he is starting his shots. It can also help you with your shot-shaping. If hitting a fade, you must start the ball left of the stick. If hitting a draw, the ball should fly off to the right. It’s a simple drill, but a really effective one.

In this links golf masterclass, Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Clive Tucker explains how to get up and down from inside 100 yards when the wind is blowing!

In this links golf masterclass, Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Clive Tucker explains how to get up and down from inside 100 yards when the wind is blowing!

Watch a lively Gary Player golf clinic as the three-time Open winner entertains Mercedes-Benz guests on the Royal Birkdale range ahead of the 2017 Open Championship

When Golf Monthly was invited to attend the Mercedes-Benz Patron’s Day at Royal Birkdale just six weeks ahead of this year’s Open Championship, we were given time to not only speak with Gary Player about all things golf, but also to witness an extremely entertaining and informative Gary Player golf clinic, which you can watch above.

Speaking to a group of Mercedes-Benz guests, the opinionated 81-year-old was at his best, showing off his physique and sharing his pearls of wisdom, from Ben Hogan's takeaway advice to Tiger Woods' putting secret.

Of course, Player has been into his fitness and health for many years, long before it became part and parcel of the professional game, and for the first part of his clinic he emphasised just how important the core is for a good rotation and creating power in the golf swing. If the core is strong, then the hands and arms have no option but to follow it, as he demonstrated with a range of sound effects for added value!

The nine-time major champion then went on to one of Hogan's great swing tips, demonstrating the importance of a compact takeaway in performing under pressure. Using some of Great Britain's best amateurs who were in attendance to make his point, Player displayed the difference a good takeaway can make.

He continued to work through a clinic packed full of anecdotes, opinion and sound swing instruction that the gathered guests just lapped up. At the end, the South African happily signed an Open Championship flag for us that you can win via our Instagram competition here.

Gary Player was hosting a clinic at the Mercedes-Benz Patron’s Day at Royal Birkdale. Mercedes-Benz is an Official Patron and the Official Car of The Open.

GM Top 25 Coach Ged Walters explains how common sense and a few simple adjustments can help you avoid big numbers when playing from thick rough

Playing from thick rough with GM Top 25 Coach, Ged Walters

1) Weigh it all up Club selection, the amount of wrist hinge, ball position and ultimately speed of body rotation are all critical factors when it comes to getting it safely out when playing from thick rough.

Watch: GM Top 25 Coach Andrew Jones tells you how to judge your lie in the rough

Too many people try to just get it out with their hands and arms from the wrong ball position, and with the normal club for the distance in hand. But often you must take your medicine - if you can’t get enough club at it to get home, just get it back in a position from where your next shot is straightforward.

Assess your lie and use a bit of common sense, and you’ll save yourself the anguish of those really big numbers when you stray out of position

2) Club selection: be realistic Let's say you're facing a shot of 165 yards but from a lie from which it would be all but impossible to get it there! You need to use a club that you know is going to move it forward, and if you can get it forward 100-120 yards you’ll have a straightforward pitch into the green – so a 9-iron instead of a 6- or 7-iron.

That’s probably the lowest loft you could get to the lie in the photo above - the key is to find the tipping point at which you can still advance it properly and leave yourself in the best position you can.

Watch: European Tour winner Brett Rumford explain how to chip from the rough too

3) Ball position and wrist hinge You’ll need to play the ball a fraction further back in your stance too. One of the major issues with thick rough is the potential for too much grass getting between ball and clubface, so hinge your wrists very early to generate a steep angle of attack into the golf ball.

This will naturally deloft the clubface at impact too, so the ball will come out quite a bit lower than normal and chase forward much more on landing.

Watch: European Tour player David Howell explains how and when to hit a hybrid from the rough

4) Keep rotating A steep angle of attack is all well and good, but to make it all work, you must keep the body rotating as you swing and really drive through the ball, getting your lead wrist into extension as early as possible. Any hint of slowing things down, and contact will be poor!

Use these strategies when the thickness of the lie means you just can’t get to the green in regulation and you will have a better chance of saving par, or perhaps making a good bogey instead of a disastrous treble as a result of either over-ambition or poor execution when playing from thick rough

Checklist * Apply a dose of common sense over club selection * Move the ball back a fraction and hinge your wrists early * Make sure you keep rotating at impact and beyond

Finding time for a pre-round warm-up isn’t always easy, but it will certainly improve your chances of playing well as GM Top 25 Coach Peter Dawson explains

Pre-round warm-up checklist * If you fail to prepare, be prepared to fail! * Stretch before hitting the range – at home or in the clubhouse * Work from short irons up to driver

Watch: check out our warm-up exercises for the over-50s golfer here...

1) Before you get to the club Whatever your age, it’s no good going on to the 1^st tee as stiff as anything, then announcing on the 4^th tee to your playing companions that you’re ready to play now having finally loosened up! By then, you’ve probably lost two or three balls, your score has gone and your day is potentially ruined.

But you have to accept responsibility for failing to prepare, and your pre-round warm-up can actually start before you even get to the practice ground with a few stretching exercises when you get up in the morning, or in the locker room before heading out.

2) More stretching We all live busy lives, but try, if possible, to leave yourself 30 minutes to warm up at the course. Ultimately, if we fail to prepare, we are preparing to fail! Start with some more exercises to loosen up stiff muscles.

Lean against a wall or tree with your hands and stretch your legs out behind you. Then pop a club behind your back, stand as if addressing the ball, and make the movements of the golf swing slowly to stretch the leg, side and back muscles that you use in the golf swing.

Watch the great Miguel Angel Jimenez run through his pre-round warm-up routine!

3) Hitting balls Make sure you allow yourself enough time to hit 10-15 balls with the short irons, 10-15 with the mid-irons and perhaps five or six drivers, in that order.

This will not only loosen up your body, but also tell you how it is working, as it can change from day to day depending on how you’ve slept or what you were doing the previous day.

If the side of your back is stiff, for example, you might find yourself fading the ball more than usual, so you may have to play the first few holes allowing for that until your body has fully loosened up.

4) Putting From the practice ground, head to the putting green just before teeing off. It’s important to not only get a feel for the speed of the greens, but also to calm yourself down a little after hitting those warm-up balls.

Watch: check out GM Top 25 Coach Kevin Craggs's complete practice putting drills video

Having done your exercises and hit a few balls, you’ve now given yourself every opportunity to play well, and if it doesn’t happen, well, it wasn’t because you didn’t prepare – it just wasn’t your day!

Golf Monthly reader Lawrence Stocker enjoys a one-on-one swing lesson as part of our ‘2017 Smarter Ways to Lower Scores’ project with Cobra Golf…

Cobra Golf Smarter Ways to Lower Scores 2017

Name: Lawrence Stocker Handicap: 17.4 Home Club: The Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire

Monday 13th March 2017 Key points from one-on-one lesson with PGA Professional, Tom Wild...

Technique Lawrence was standing very shut to target, with his lower half in particular pointing right. That was causing him to get the club behind him and he was then having to work it back over the top. So he was getting very trapped on the way down. There was not a lot of room at impact, and he was getting in his own way at impact causing a big pull and occasionally a bit of a push.

I squared him up and got him a bit more comfortable at address with a little more knee flex and that allowed him to work the club using his upper body a bit more rather than having to work the club with his hands. We tried to neutralise his swing - get it much more up and down - and get his body working a bit more for more power and freedom.

He may find a little bit more distance, because as he becomes more consistent, he’ll hit the ball better and deliver the club on a better angle of attack – he won’t be as steep.

Strategy One thing Lawrence was unsure about was what club to use off the tee on shorter par 4s. It wasn’t so much strategy as fear of getting too close because he doesn’t like his wedge game too much – using his hands a lot with a steep angle of attack he was getting some very inconsistent strikes and ball flights.

We discussed laying up more to a favoured yardage – he like 130 yards, so picking a club that will get him there. But from what we’ve worked on he felt like he was hitting his wedges a bit better, which takes that pressure off so he’ll maybe be able to attack the course a bit more on shorter par 4s now by hitting driver to get himself down in that scoring zone.

I think initially he could get down to the low teens as he hits the ball a long way. He plays at a tough golf course, but if he can keep the ball in play he’s got a serious chance of single figures really, especially if he can tighten up that short game.

Monday 24th July 2017: progress report Video story: Check out Lawrence's most recent progress from our catch-up at a Europro Tour Pro-Am in late July at Luton Hoo...

Watch Lawrence's full Cobra Golf custom-fitting video here

In the driver-to-wedge fitting preceding this lesson, Lawrence was fitted for...

Driver - Cobra King Ltd MO 10.5˚, Aldila Rogue 60g stiff shaft

3/4-wood – Cobra King F7 15.5˚, HZRDUS Yellow stiff shaft, back weight, black

3/4-hybrid - Cobra King F7 19˚, HZRDUS Black 85 6.0 stiff shaft

Irons 5-GW - Cobra King F7 One True Temper King F7 stiff shaft, standard length, standard lie

Wedges – Cobra King Versatile 54-10, 58-08

Golf Monthly reader Mark Smith enjoys a one-on-one swing lesson as part of our ‘2017 Smarter Ways to Lower Scores’ project with Cobra Golf…

Cobra Golf Smarter Ways to Lower Scores 2017

Name: Mark Smith Handicap: 5.3 Home Club: Gog Magog GC, Cambridgeshire

Monday 13th March 2017 Key points from one-on-one lesson with PGA Professional, Richard Strange...

Technique Mark's swing comes from inside the ball quite a bit, so most of his shots start slightly right of target and he either hangs them out there to the right, or his hands get quite active and he turns it right-to-left, sometimes missing the target left. We spoke about trying to get a bit more width to his swing to give him a bit more time to hit the ball.

When he took the club back the face was quite closed, so we tried to neutralise that and the position halfway back on the backswing to see if he could hinge his wrists up a little bit more.

He hit a few balls with his new movement, taking the club away first as part of a pre-shot routine so he could get the feeling of what he was trying to do in his actual golf swing. It was working really nicely – he was getting the ball on line more. So he can use that as a practice drill going forwards.

Strategy Mark keeps a lot of statistics and has noticed that he misses greens quite often. I suggested he should aim for a specific safe part of the green initially - not necessarily going after flags on the edges - until he gains better control of his approach shots by using his body to turn on to the ball rather than flicking it with his hands.

With his new clubs and the changes we’ve made to his technique, I think Mark could save four or five shots a round, and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t see a handicap reduction this year.

Monday 24th July 2017: progress report Video story: Check out Mark's most recent progress from our catch-up at a Europro Tour Pro-Am in late July at Luton Hoo...

Watch Mark's full Cobra Golf custom-fitting video here

In the driver-to-wedge fitting preceding this lesson, Mark was fitted for...

Driver - Cobra King F7 10.5˚, HZRDUS Red 65 6.0 stiff shaft, draw weight, black

3/4-wood - Cobra King F7 15.5˚, Fujikura Pro 65 stiff shaft, front weight, black

3/4-hybrid - Cobra King F7 19.5˚, HZRDUS Black 85 6.0 stiff shaft

Irons 5-GW - Cobra King Forged Tec KBS C Taper Lite stiff shaft, standard length, 1˚ flat

Wedges - Cobra King Versatile 52-08, 56-10, 60-08

In this exclusive Rory McIlroy practice tips video, we find out what it takes to become a champion. He offers a candid view into what happens in the unseen hours spent working hard on his game

Rory McIlroy Practice Tips

In this special Rory McIlroy Practice Tips feature, the Northern Irishman explains how he laid the foundations to his game. From the hours of work he put in as a junior to his current schedule away from tournament play, what follows is a Rory McIlroy Practice Tips special feature and a rare glimpse into what goes in to creating a champion:

Working hard

It’s hard to put it across to people sometimes because all they see is us on the golf course. They watch us on TV and I think the whole narrative around me from the beginning was talent and how I was so talented. Even before then, as a teenager and turning pro the amount of time I spent practising and putting in my game. You realise when you turn pro you almost need to take it to another level again and add certain areas to your game whether it be the fitness part or try just to add different elements to your game. I don’t think people appreciate how hard we work but having said that, I wouldn’t say I work hard because going and spending the whole day on the driving range or the gym isn’t hard work to some people. I do spend a lot of time at it - Rory McIlroy's Gym Routine. You’re born with a certain talent but you need to work as hard as you possibly can to turn that talent into something more than just potential.

Golf Swing Tips Videos

Making changes

I think if you’re trying to make some sort of swing change or tweak, before it feels 100% comfortable and 100% subconscious, it takes thousands of repetitions. At the minute I’m trying to tweak a couple of things. My left-hand grip has gotten a little strong and I haven’t thought about my grip since I was 12 years old. So all of a sudden now I’m trying to think about weakening the left hand grip a little bit - I practiced for a few days last week and it felt so strange. If you can persevere and stick with the uncomfortable feeling, then at the end of the day it’s going to make you a better player. I think sometimes what people don’t do is they don’t stick with something long enough to get through that period. They might try it for a couple of sessions with a pro or at the range and it mightn’t work and they’ll just revert back to what they’re comfortable with. There is a certain point where you have to say ‘Okay I’m going to be uncomfortable with this for a while but I know in the long run it’s going to make me a better player’.

Rory McIlroy Pitching Tips

Rory McIlroy Practice Tips

There are some things or practice drills that I do where it’s more of a competition or a challenge and you record your results and that makes practice more fun as well. Whether it be chipping around the green or putting. I think one of the great things now is being able to play games on trackman and try to do different things there. That would be another thing for me if I was on my own. I’d bring the trackman out and try and challenge myself and say ‘Okay I’ve got a yardage band from 150-175’ which is one of the most important yardage bands in my game because I hit a lot of shots from there on the golf course. You pick your target out there and you’ve got to hit 10 shots and you can’t miss one left. One of the great things about technology and using stuff like that is that it puts you under pressure during practice and you’re really going through your routine and hitting a shot like you would on the golf course.

Exclusive Interview: Rory McIlroy's Coach

All of these things do make a difference. If we’re talking about power between carrying the bunker or not on the final hole of a major and being able to hit the ball from the fairway instead of the rough or the bunker. There are so many tiny little variables that if you can just get a little bit better it’ll make a huge difference in the long run.

In this video and article XXIO ambassador and former Tour professional Andrew Murray offers some simple and effective advice on how to rediscover your 'a' game if your handicap is moving in the wrong direction

How To Rediscover Your 'A' Game

In this video and article XXIO ambassador and former Tour professional Andrew Murray offers some simple and effective advice on how to rediscover your 'a' game if your handicap is moving in the wrong direction

Adding More Speed

This is a great drill to help you find extra speed without losing the flow or control in your swing. Turn your driver upside down so you are gripping just below the clubhead. As you move through the downswing, listen for the swish. It should be as smooth and loud as possible through impact. This drill gives you clear feedback for whether you are reaching top speed too early. The more you do it, the more you'll develop that feeling of ‘letting go’ that you need to commit to your drives and add speed when you need it most.

Fairways woods

First and foremost, find fairway woods that you are confident using, you like the look of and that have enough loft. Then to hit them well, you need stability in your swing. A great way to do this is to close your eyes and swing to the top. Hold it there for a few seconds and you’ll get a sense for where your weight is and whether you’re in balance. Swing through to the finish and, again, ask yourself if you are in balance. This drill will highlight any problems and give you a feel for the adjustments needed to improve.    

RELATED: XXIO Prime Range

Flexibility

Devoting time to improving your flexibility is one of the best ways to add distance to your game. A good way to do this is to get a resistance band, put it under your left foot and into your left hand (right foot and right hand for left handers). From here swing to the top and hold it - you should feel the stretch in your core muscles. From there, move through to the finish position and do the same thing. This will help improve your flexibility and the stability in your swing. 

Ball Striking

When it comes to ball striking, the word compression is important but it can be easily misunderstood. In searching for a powerful ball-first contact, some golfers lean on the shot too much, they lose the centre point in the swing and the club digs too much through impact. If this is a problem for you, think about striking the ball at the base of your swing arc. A great drill is to tee the ball up on a very low tee peg, almost as if it is sitting on a good lie. The idea here is to brush the turf to nick the tee out of the ground.

Warming Up

Warming up properly is massively important. We all spend a lot of time behind the wheel of a car or sitting at a desk so using some simple stretches to get some flexibility is key. There are lots of different exercises you can do - take a look at the video with this article for a simple and effective selection. If you have the chance to warm up before you play, try to vary the clubs. I always started with my gap wedge and then worked up through the bag; 7-iron, 4-iron, hybrid, 3-wood, driver and then I would go back to my 58˚ wedge to improve my feel before I finished. That’s the way I’ve done it but above all, it is really important to get the feeling of the club on the ball before you start analysing anything in your swing.

Distance Control

If you are looking at buying new equipment or you are having lessons, your yardages may change so it is worth checking how far you hit each iron. Importantly, don’t be taken in by finding out your total distances - it is the carry yardages that you really need to know. A good way to do this is to hit a few shots into the green with for instance, your 8-iron. Look to see where the pitch mark of your average, not your best shot, is located. Work out the distance to that spot and you have your 8-iron carry yardage. Try to repeat this for your other irons and you’ll build a much more accurate picture for how far you hit your irons.

Your Gear Choice

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In this exclusive instruction video, Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Andrew Jones offers some golf ball striking drills to help rid you of fat contacts with your irons

As with most issues in the golf swing, poor strikes usually stem from mistakes at address. The number one fault to beware of is setting the ball too far forward at address. This causes your hands to be too far back encouraging a ‘ground-first’ strike. So before we move onto the golf ball striking drills, check your ball position. The other issue to look out for is your posture fiundamentals. I see so many amateurs with unathletic, lazy postures which makes a good strike almost impossible. Make sure your back is straight at address – you should set your body over the ball by hinging at the hips. So start by checking your ball position is not too far forward and that you have an athletic posture. Nine times out of 10, this is where the problem lies!

Casting & falling back

Another very common fault to look out for is casting. This stems from trying to hit the ball too hard from the top of the backswing. You lose the angle in your wrists, widening the arc of the swing on the way down and the club reaches the bottom of its path too soon. A fat strike is almost impossible to avoid. Alternatively, the club will ‘bottom out’ early if you have a tendency to hang back through impact. The following drills will help you eradicate these issues but take note of the positions shown here and get a friend to video your swing from the same angle. The evidence will help you zero in on how to move forward.

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Golf Ball Striking Drills

As we have already mentioned, great ball striking requires a good posture to be set at address and then maintained during the swing. If you lift or dip your head, the club will either hit the ground too early or too late. In practice, hit a series of mid iron shots with the ball teed up by at least an inch. Concentrate on simply maintaining your height as you swing back and through. You should be able to clip the ball off the top of the tee without hitting it out of the ground. Hit several shots using this drill and then keep the same swing thoughts when you return to hitting shots off the ground. Your ball striking is guaranteed to improve!

‘Bottoming out’ drill

If casting or falling back is your fault, this golf ball striking drills a must. Place a tee in the ground about two inches ahead of the ball. All you are looking to do here is strike the ball and then clip the tee. Without having to think too technically about the swing, this simple drill should get your body into a much better position to deliver the club in the downswing. You should be able to strike the ball cleanly and then flick the tee with the club on the way through.

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Paul Foston asks what is dynamic balance in golf and why does it matter. His simple video explains perfectly how to use your weight in the golf swing.

What is dynamic balance in golf? This term, often used by commentators and coaches refers to the way in which you use your weight through the golf swing. As you are looking to make an athletic motion with good body rotation, it makes sense that your balance point will change during the swing. Generally speaking, with a 7-iron in hand you want your weight split evenly at address and then for 80% of your weight to shift into your right side by the time your reach the top of the backswing. From there you then shift back towards the target so that in the finish 80% is on your left side. Weight distribution in the golf swing is a fundamental of good golf.

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The same principles apply in all sports – even in throwing a ball where your weight moves towards the target as you release. Where people often go wrong in golf is when they get fixated on keeping their head down - it's usually a piece of advice that passed from one amateur to another. This can prevent the flow, or dynamic balance, that is so important. Your head can move right and then left a fraction to help you rotate and then unwind. What you must avoid is for your head to lift or dip – this will have a detrimental affect on your ball striking. Once your posture is set at address you should be looking to maintain it but crucially, this should NEVER stop you from moving your weight right and left as you swing the club. Of course, good dynamic balance means that you should be able to hold your finish until the ball lands. Try exaggerating the correct weight shift and if your weight goes in the wrong direction, it will feel very strange indeed!

We set a video camera up on the range at the Abu Dhabi Championships to see what practice golf drills were used by the best players in the world...

Whether you are an amateur or professional, if you play the game, you’ll have your favourite practice golf drills. These are the actions you rely on to get your game ready for the round ahead. We spent a day on the range at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championships to find out what works for the best players in the world. Here are 9 tour player practice golf drills to whet the appetite!

Rory McIlroy Practice Tips

Ian Poulter

The Englishman sets up a simple t-bar system to check his alignment and ball position. Coaches often say that faults in the golf swing can usually be traced back to problems at the address - this is how Poulter keeps his in check.

Branden Grace

The South African uses a two ball takeaway drill. He pushes a second ball directly away from his target ball. If the second ball rolls away on a straight line he knows his swing has started on the right path. This drill also helps establish a good rhythm.

Lee Westwood: How to practice golf

Jordan Spieth

Like Ian Poulter, Jordan Spieth knows the value in checking the basics at address. He places an alignment stick down throughout his practice routine. He also checks his takeaway before each ball he hits – this is part of his pre-shot routine that crucially is honed on the range.

Peter Uihlein

Working alongside coach Peter Cowen, the American uses a foot back drill. By moving his left foot back at address (and keeping the heel off the ground), he is helping his body to rotate through the ball. In Peter’s case, the drill also prevents him from ‘standing up’ through impact.

Marcus Kinhult

The young Swede checks his ball position before every drive he hits. By lining his driver up with the head of the club on the ground and the ball, he can see how precisely the ball position is set. The devil is in the detail!

Oliver Wilson

Before hitting a single shot on the range, the Englishman runs through a series of swing checks. Monitoring his swing plane as well as how centred he is through impact, Wilson is looking to instil good moves right at the start.

Danny Willett

Danny uses a very deliberate pre-shot backswing check. He does this to ensure the arm plane and clubhead are both in a good position at the top of the backswing.

Ernie Els

The veteran South African, you will notice, always continues to move as prepares to hit. This prevents tension creeping into his set up and results in his trademark rhythm! He also uses an alignment stick to check his aim but this also helps him check his divot pattern.

Rory McIlory

The Northern Irishman didn’t use any practice golf drills while we followed him. Just a few balls to warm up was enough… He was the highest placed finisher of the players in this video…!!

In this exclusive video, Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Gary Alliss explains the difference between swing path and plane and offers some simple advice on how to master both

As coaches, we often use the term swing path but before we can talk about the difference between swing path and plane, I think it’s worth underlining exactly what we are referring to. For the majority of golf coaches, swing path is the area of the swing just before, through and just after impact. Ideally the club will move from just inside the ball-to-target line to square to just inside that line. Of course, this ‘ideal’ path would be perfectly orthodox and there are numerous examples of top players who do not swing it on the textbook path. However, I think it helps players of all abilities to know where the orthodox path is. If your club starts to move from either too far inside or outside the ball-to-target line, knowing where the neutral path is will usually help you get back on track.

What is swing plane?

Swing plane refers to the angle the club circles around the body through the swing as a whole. If you drew a line along the ground and then another line at right angles to this, going directly vertical through the ball, the plane of the swing would split these two. Again there are plenty of examples of great players with upright and flat swings but it helps to know where the orthodox plane is.

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How to check plane

Take your normal address position and push an alignment stick into the ground, at the same angle as the club shaft at address. Half way back the clubhead should be in line with that stick. Then, as you continue your backswing the shaft of the club should be parallel to the stick in the ground – the butt end of the club should be pointing at the ball. Using the alignment stick in this scenario is a great way to keep an eye on your swing plane to ensure it isn’t drastically, and disastrously, out.

Gateway drill

One of the most common faults I see is the slice and this usually stems from an out-to-in swing path through impact. This drill is a great one to help you train a better path through impact and help fix your slice. Place two headcovers on the ground, either side of your ball as shown. This creates a gateway for the ideal swing path. If you attack the ball from outside the ball to target line, you’ll hit one if not both of the headcovers as you strike the ball. Having a clear visual clue for how to swing the club through impact is great way to turn your slice into a more neutral ball flight.

Video replay

It is amazing how often your feeling for what is happening in your golf swing bears no resemblance to the reality – this goes for amateurs and pros. I would urge every golfer to video their swing on a regular basis. With regards to path and plane, pause the video half way through the backswing and then half way through the downswing. You’ll be able to see how close you are to the orthodox line – if you are struggling with wayward shots, the fault may well lie within these images!

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Paul Foston offers his Ian Poulter swing analysis, taking a closer look at the swing of the Englishman to see what you can learn

Ian Poulter Swing Analysis

Ian Poulter is renowned for his incredible touch around the greens but a close look the mechanics of his golf swing shows there is a lot to admire here too. This is a great swing to watch, and copy, if you are someone who struggles with an over-the-top move at the start of the downswing. If your regular shape is a weak fade that verges on a slice – take note!

Before we reach impact, let’s start by looking at the foundations. Ian has a beautifully balanced address position. He stands relatively tall to the ball in comparison to some other top players with minimal knee flex but his posture is perfect. His hands hang naturally down beneath his chest and he looks both relaxed and athletic. This is exactly what you should be aiming for.

As he starts the swing the club is kept outside the line of his hands. It’s a technically sound, ‘passive’ takeaway in which the club moves on the right path naturally and there is no unnecessary lower body moves. It is both simple and effective. One of Ian’s trademark positions is at the top of his backswing. Notice how high his hands are – this offers him the room to drop his hands into a great delivery position. As he starts down his lower body moves first. By shifting his hips towards the target at the very start of the downswing he again creates room for his arms to drop down into position. For anyone who is prone to coming over the top – sending the club outside the right line on the way down – this is position you should be trying to copy. Again, half way through the downswing you should notice from the ‘down the line’ angle, how the shaft of the club dissects his right forearm. This is a great checkpoint to see if the club is working on a good path.

There are two other key points to notice about how Ian moves through impact. Firstly, at the moment of impact notice how Ian’s hips have already cleared and are almost pointing at the target. This illustrates perfectly how the lower body leads the upper body through the downswing. Secondly, Ian stays down over the shot nicely. Even as the club releases into the follow through he maintains the same spine angle he set at address. This is an essential ingredient to good ball striking.

Golf is littered with terminology used by commentators and coaches. Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Paul Foston explains what 'trapped on the inside' means...

This is a fault that good players often suffer with and the evidence can be found in your initial ball flight. Is it starting consistently right of where you want it to? As you attack the ball, the club is ‘trapped inside’ when the butt end of the shaft is pointing right of the target halfway through the downswing. Get a friend to video your swing to see if you are in the same position as the image shown here. From here, if your hands release fast enough you’ll square the clubface and hit a draw or hook but if they don’t, you’ll hit a push. Either way, you will struggle for consistency throughout your long game. One shot you will never hit is a fade that starts left and drifts back to the target.

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The most common cause of getting trapped on the inside is when your hips move too far towards the target on the way down and do not rotate. Work on starting the downswing by bumping your hips towards the target and then turning them. By rotating your hips, the club will stay out in front of you on the way down and your angle of attack will improve (for some handy drills on how to do this, take a look at Gary Alliss’ advice on how to stop blocking drives). The butt end of the shaft will be pointing towards the target half way through the downswing, giving you much more room to square the club and hit more accurate shots. With the club approaching the ball on a far more neutral path you should notice your shots start much closer to your target line. So work on your hip movement through impact and you should avoid getting trapped on the inside.

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Paul Foston offers his Rafa Cabrera-Belo swing analysis by taking a close look at his swing in this slow motion video

Rafa Cabrera-Bello Swing Analysis

Take a quick look at the video that accompanies this piece and you’ll notice one thing immediately. This is a young man’s swing! It is athletic, supple and powerful, and when you start to analyse the detail, it is easy to see why he averaged 290 yards off the tee at 61% of fairways hit in 2015.

Interestingly these attributes of athleticism and power are evident in the only static position in the golf swing – address. He’s relaxed but also beautifully poised, ready for action. He sets a perfect posture with his hands hanging directly down beneath him – textbook! As he moves into the takeaway his hands, arms, club and body all work together. This is the beginning of the synchronisation that allows him to combine power with accuracy.

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The most impressive position in this golf swing is at the top of the backswing. He has a huge upper body turn – over 90˚ and yet his hips have rotated only a very small amount. The flexibility required to do this is impressive and the rotation in his upper body working against the stability of his lower half is the real engine of his swing.

As he starts into the downswing his hips have bumped towards the target. This creates the room to then drop the club down into a fantastic delivery position. After the bump of the hips comes their rotation towards the target. This is seriously fast, moving his weight to the left and leading his upper body through its’ rotation towards the target. With his body cleared, he can release the angle in his wrists with power and accuracy.

Despite the speed of his swing, Cabrera-Bello is able to finish in perfect balance. This is an example of effortless power – a golf swing that combines athleticism with great mechanics to deliver both speed and accuracy.

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Keith Wood explains how a good grip creates good angles and helps everything else fall more naturally into place

Angles within the golf swing are, in principle, what makes it all work. Good grip creates good angles, which brings motion and freedom. So I would advocate a nice neutral grip because it offers full mobility in terms of wrist hinge and rotation, lining your wrists up properly and putting your hands in a very free position. Here's a great piece on how you grip a golf club.

I believe that a good grip creates good angles - the angles you will later need to generate, store and then release power at the right time in the golf swing

With a strong grip, where the left hand sits too much on top of the club and the right hand too much underneath, the capacity to hinge the club in any direction unfortunately becomes very limited.

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But golfers are ingenious creatures who will always find a way to hinge somehow, and with a strong grip they will invariably hinge the clubhead too much behind them on the way back, keeping the clubhead low to the ground.

If you reverse those hand positions with the left hand sitting too much underneath the club and the right hand too much on top, the weak grip also offers very limited hinge capacity. Weak grips typically send the club out in front of you as you take it away forcing you to then lift the club to attain any real height in your swing.

A good neutral grip helps to link everything together in the golf swing, not only generating the levers and angles that will allow you to take the club away properly, but also sequencing the arm swing to the body movement.

The creation, storage and release of angles play a key role in power generation, and all of that will flow much more readily from a good grip. Experiment with a neutral grip and see how much more easily everything else is then able to fall into place in your swing.

The Belgian Bomber Thomas Pieters exclusively shares his best tips for hitting the ball longer and straighter off the tee with the driver

Thomas Pieters Driving Tips

Belgium’s Thomas Pieters is one of the longest drivers of the golf ball on the European Tour. He averages over 304 yards and admits to hitting his three wood just as much as his driver off the tee because of the added control this club offers.

His length off the tee was instrumental in recording two wins in the space of three weeks at the D+D Real Czech Masters and KLM Open, en route to finishing 29^th in the 2015 Race to Dubai.

While not overly muscular, his long, flexible frame and solid technique enables him to create plenty of width and speed in the club. But it is this smoothness and rhythm that is something Pieters goes back to every day on the range.

One of the things Pieters works on the most is tempo. Specifically, making sure you don’t start the downswing too aggressively from the top of the backswing. Having some width on the downswing, swinging the club down on a similar path to the one it took on the way back is also important in creating consistency.

A pause at the top of the swing helps to start the downswing with the lower body correctly, without dragging the handle of the club with the hands, which can create problems with timing and ball striking.

In Thomas Pieters’ bag at the moment is the Callaway Great Big Bertha driver. He’s had it in the bag for nearly six months and enjoys both the distance and accuracy it provides. The sliding weight is positioned slightly in the fade setting, he uses nine degrees of loft and has a Diamana 60g x-flex shaft.

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Gary Alliss offers a great tip for how to check your swing plane at home by using some tape and a tall mirror...

Check your swing plane at home

Wet outside? Maybe it's snowing or maybe you just can't find the time to get to the golf course? Fear not, here's a top drill for how to check your swing plane at home that will help you get your swing on a neutral plane for far more consistent golf shots.

Swing plane check

If you have a full or ¾ length mirror at home, this drill is great for checking your swing path. Place some masking tape on the mirror at the same angle and position as I have done here. Swing to the top and then start down. A perfectly orthodox delivery will see the clubhead moving along this line on the way down. Obviously, some of the world’s best players are slightly above or below this plane but as with everything in golf, it pays to know what neutral looks like and having a checkpoint will prevent you from getting destructively out of position on the way down.

How to practice golf indoors

Grip check

Often when players think about checking their grip, they look at the right hand. They see the v between the thumb and forefinger is pointing to the right shoulder and think their hands are in the correct position. But what about your left hand?

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This, in my experience, is where most mistakes are made. To get your left hand into the right position, start by letting it hang down naturally by your side – notice how the palm is facing in. Now place your left hand on the club, your thumb should run down the right side of the club. To check that you’re in the correct position place something in the v between your thumb and forefinger - I’m holding an alignment stick to better illustrate but you can use a pencil. It should point towards your right shoulder.