We get it, you’re busy. But GOLF Top 100 Teacher Matt Killen has some good news: You can improve without ever visiting the range. With the help of his fiancée, influencer Alexandra O’Laughlin, Killen explains how to whip your game into mid-season form with a trio of easy home drills and training aids.
Check them out below.
1. Nail your putting stance
A solid address puts your stroke on auto.
I recommend working on your putting setup indoors, because it can make the transition to putting on a real green much easier. A few training aids can really speed up the process. Here, Alexandra’s using the Perfect Putting Mat and a Putting Alignment Mirror. Inside 10 minutes these items can help you check your ball position, weight distribution and how you’re aligning (or misaligning) your feet, hips, shoulders and putterhead.
Use the mirror to make sure everything is running parallel to each other and perpendicular to your line. Take these checks a step further by investing in a pair of Laser Putting Glasses, which help you correctly get your eyes over the ball every time you address a putt.
2. Simplify your turn
Got a mirror in your house? Use it to build a can’t-miss backswing and more power.
Here’s an easy way to immediately improve your full swing. Stand across from any mirror with a club set across your shoulders. In your golf posture, check that your shoulders, hips and feet are running parallel. Now, turn. Do it slowly, using the mirror to make sure you rotate back and through while keeping your shoulder tilt in place without losing the posture you establish at address. Mimic these feels on the course and the ball won’t know what hit it.
3. Roll it with authority
20 minutes of technical practice can help you start putts on your intended line every time.
Earlier, I showed how you can nail your putting posture. Now, the fun part: making sure that posture allows you to start putts on line and get that Tour-level, end-over-end roll.
Using the practice mat and mirror, set up for a 10-foot putt. Position a Perfect Putting Gate a few inches in front of the ball as shown. As you start hitting putts, you’ll notice a pattern, specifically, if your putts hit either the left or right side of the gate. This is critical information you can use to adjust your stroke path or face position. (Obviously, the goal here is to roll the ball directly through the gate.) Do this 20 minutes a day. You’ll never start a putt off-line again.
