These 7 ‘secret’ household items make fantastic DIY training aids

Sometimes it can be difficult to get to the golf course to practice, but that doesn’t mean your game has to suffer. There are many effective ways to work on your game at home. And that practice doesn’t even require expensive training aids — there are a number of household items that work just as well.

That was the theme of the Birdies Not BS podcast this week as True Spec’s Doug Smith and LPGA Tour pro Cheyenne Woods shared a number of household items that double as training aids. Here are seven of their favorites.

1. Tile grout lines

The good thing about these lines is that they are guaranteed to be straight and can provide immediate feedback. And if they’re not straight, hire a better contractor next time. The lines can be used to see if your clubface us open at address, if your takeaway is on plane and countless other things that require straight lines to see. Take advantage of the geometric contours of your house.

2. Quarters

Quarters can be a useful training aid to practice your putting stroke. Take two quarters and stack them on top of one another. Then, try to stroke the top quarter off the top one. This will force you to focus on your stroke as it’s coming into the ball and promote square contact on the greens.

3. Coat hanger

Coat hangers can serve several purposes as an at-home training aid. If you want to practice your putting stroke, loop your arms inside the coat hanger and make your normal stroke. This will help promote proper forearm width as you rock back and forth. It can also show you if there is any tilt in your forearm angles. You can also grip a club with the coat hanger hook parallel to the clubface. As you make a swing, you’ll have even greater awareness of what the clubface is doing with this feedback.

4. Flashlight

Grip the flashlight like a club with the light end facing toward your body. Turn the light on and then make some swings. The light will tell you where the butt of your club is pointing and can help let you know if you’re out of sync.

5. Sleeve of golf balls

Take two sleeves of golf balls and set them up a clubhead or putter head-width apart. Use the sleeve as a gate to check your path as you approach impact.

6. Chair

A chair can be good for promoting proper posture through the ball. Set up in your stance with your rear end against the back of the chair, and then make your normal swing. You want to feel yourself staying connected to the chair throughout in order to prevent early extension.

7. Towel

Towels can be used for many training-aid purposes. When chipping, put the towel underneath your armpits and hit some shots. You should keep the towel pinned under your armpit in order to get the feel of connected arms and body, making the swing one piece. You can also lay the towel flat on the chipping green to represent your intended landing area. Try to have your ball land in the towel to dial in your feel around the greens.