5 Strange Tour Practice Drills... Explained!

We have seen some bizarre golf drills in our time but these are some of the best! Here are 5 Strange Tour Practice Drills... Explained!

5 Strange Tour Practice Drills... Explained!

As we strive to get better, golfers are prone to using practice drills to unlock that illusive, all-important movement. It doesn't matter what it looks like as long as it works. Here are 5 Strange Tour Practice Drills... Explained!

Alex Noren – Impact Drill

The Swede is famous for his work ethic and anyone who follows Tour golf is likely to have seen him performing a strange rehearsal for the strike. Many attribute this move to the legendry coach Mac O’Grady – essentially, this is about getting your body to rotate more effectively through impact and ensuring that your arms work in synch with that rotation. It might look bizarre but Noren is exaggerating the correct movement, to ‘feel’ the position he needs to get into. With his recent performances it’s hard to argue with the first of our 5 Strange Tour Practice Drills... Explained!

Chan Shih-Chang – Posture Drill

One of the most important elements to a consistent technique that delivers sweet strikes is the way in which your spine angle works. Ideally, you want to set a good posture at address and then retain that through impact. By rotating your body but maintaining your spine angle, you are much more likely to deliver sweet strikes. This is exactly what Chan Shih-Chang is working on here (see video above), keeping his height through the ball.

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Padraig Harrington – Weight Movement Action

The Irishman has seen a resurgence in recent times and this has coincided with the use of a drill that he has actually incorporated into his on-course swing. It starts with his left foot lifting and stepping back down before he makes his swing. As he moves towards his finish position, he lets his right foot step towards the target. It might look strange (especially as he uses it in competition) but it makes a lot of sense. Harrington is applying weight transfer principles from other sports and using them in his swing. Essentially, he wants to ensure his weight is moving towards the target in the downswing and follow through. Instead of restricting that flow by staying put, Harrington steps to the target. This drill is ideal for anyone with a slice or pull who gets stuck on the back foot through impact. A better weight shift will deliver more accuracy and power!

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Ashun Wu – Tournament prep!

Tour players are meticulous in their preparation and nowhere is this more visible than in Ashun Wu’s short game practice. He is rehearsing a left handed shot with his ball next to a bunker. Unable to take a normal stance, he is testing a different technique. Good luck to him!

9 Tour Player Practice Drills

Alex Noren – Loft Drill

The key to hitting lofted shots around the green is to prevent your normal release of the club from taking place. Retaining the loft of the club through impact requires a slightly different action. By keeping his left elbow close to his body after impact he is able to hold the face open and find the height he is looking for.

In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he went on to become a feature writer interviewing many of the biggest names in the game including Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy and Arnold Palmer.

A 5-handicap golfer, Neil is a club member who takes a keen interest in the health of the game at grassroots level. You’ll often now find him writing about club-related issues such as WHS, membership retention and how best to bridge the gap between the range and the course.