Golf is a game that requires practice and patience to improve your skills. However, as a two-time ALDA long drive champion & Golf Tips Magazine Top 25 Instructor, I can tell you there are a few low-hanging fruits that can help you get better at golf more quickly.
Below are some thoughts that can expedite the process.
1. Perfect Your Setup
Let’s start with something that provides high leverage and is easy to fix. Instead of following a complex drill, simplify your setup, as even making small changes to your balance, rotation, and impact position can help you make quick gains in swing speed.
But, how exactly can you simplify it?
- Keep your base stable, repeatable, and appropriate for the shot. For most full swings, a stance shoulder-width apart is a good choice. Drivers stand out as the exception; in that case, a slightly wider stance is a better choice.
- Minimal knee flex, along with upper body bent forward from the hips, help with rotation as well.
- Flare both feet slightly outward. That helps with hip turn and provides some knee comfort.
2. Get the Grip Right
Clubface angle, impact, and consistency all depend on your grip. According to a study from Golf Science Journal, even small grip changes can shift clubface orientation by 2-3 degrees, enough to convert a straight shot into a slice or hook.
But, how to get the grip right?
Follow the tips below:
- Relax your hands as excess tension in the wrists and forearm reduces swing speed and control.
- Ensure that the hands are positioned properly o that they are working together.
3. Ace Your Short Game
A quick way to improve your score is to improve the short game first. Sixty percent of the strokes in a typical round are within 100 yards of the hole. That means chipping, pitching, and putting can significantly lower your numbers on the scorecard.
That’s why it’s a good idea to spend nearly 70% of your practice time on short-game precision drills rather than bombing the driver. Most people like to practice what they already good at. Great playerstry to make their weaknesses a strength.
Prioritize wedge and putting distance control.
A simple practice drill can help you achieve that. Drop five balls around the green and aim to get each one within a 3-foot circle of the hole.
4. Rely on Alignment Aids
Even skilled golfers misalign more often than they realize. As for amateurs, research from Golf Digest shows that nearly 40% of amateurs are aiming more than 10 yards right or left of the target on approach shots.
Improve accuracy by laying one stick parallel to the target line. Place another one across your toes to ensure shoulders and feet match. Repeat this every time you practice until it feels natural. After some practice, you can practice with the stick for five shots and try the next five shots without the stick.
5. Track One Metric Each Week
When trying to improve your skills, keep in mind that you can’t improve every aspect of your game immediately.
The best way to improve quickly is to pick a single metric and focus on it for one week.
Some examples include
- Fairways hit
- Greens in regulation
- Putts per round
Tracking these helps create a baseline. Collect data for 5-10 rounds to understand the usual metrics before considering optimization.
Once you have the baseline data, try to improve a little bit in every area.
At the end of the week, compare the data at the start of the week and the end of the week to understand how much you’ve improved.
6. Record Your Swing Once a Week
Visual feedback can help you improve your skills the fastest. That’s why recording your swing at least once a week and sharing it with a professional instructor can help you gain quick feedback to improve.
The three main checkpoints you need to take care of include:
- Setup
- Top of backswing
- Impact
If it seems overwhelming, simply drop me a line, and I’ll be happy to help you get back on track.
7. Visualize Before Every Shot
Did you know iconic swimmer Michael Phelps used visualization to rehearse mentally?
Countless other athletes utilize the power of visualization to perform better.
Picture the entire shot from the launch angle to the apex to the rollout. As you do so, feel the motion in your body. This helps you create a predictive model that sharpens your coordination and tempo when you actually execute your shot.
Instead of using the power of visualization only during practice, try it before every swing for two seconds when you are playing as well. Close your eyes and visualize the ball’s flight clearly. It works like a mental rehearsal. This also increases the likelihood of executing similarly, just seconds later.
8. Follow-through Matters Too
Follow-through is more than a finish pose. It’s more like a diagnostic tool to understand things before and after the impact.
Players who maintain proper post-impact extension generate higher clubhead speeds and tighter shot dispersion. That also translates into better accuracy in most cases.
Biomechanically, a balanced follow-through ensures better energy transfer from the body to the club.
Improve Your Game of Golf Today
So, if you genuinely want to get better at golf quickly, simply follow these nine tips I have highlighted above, and you should see a noticeable improvement in short order.
