3 Essential Ball Striking Drills for New or Returning Golfers

Struggling with ball striking? LPGA Instructor Nathalie Sheehan offers three key drills for beginners: grip practice, wrist hinge improvement, and body rotation training.

Lesson Notes: Three Ball Striking Drills for Beginners

The Goal: To build a solid foundation for your golf swing by mastering hand placement, wrist mechanics, and proper body rotation to dramatically improve consistency and ball striking.

Drill 1: The Grip Helper Routine

The Tool: Purchase a molded grip helper or training aid online (such as from Amazon).
The Practice: Attach it to a golf club and keep it at home. Practice placing your hands on the training grip correctly over and over again to build muscle memory.

Drill 2: The Perfect Wrist Hinge

Square the Face: Working on achieving a proper wrist hinge is essential for keeping the clubface square throughout the swing track.
Better Turf Interaction: A correct hinge naturally allows you to hit the ground properly and consistently, making it significantly easier to launch great shots.

Drill 3: The Upside-Down Tennis Swing

The Setup: Flip a golf club upside down and hold it near the head using only your trail hand (right hand for right-handed players).
The Motion: Practice making fluid body motion swings while pretending you are hitting a tennis ball back to someone across a court.
The Objective: Pay close attention to how your torso and hips naturally shift and rotate during this motion, and use that exact athletic feel to ensure your body turns all the way through the golf ball on real swings.

FAQ

Q: Why is practicing my grip at home so important when I’m new to golf?

A: Your grip is your only physical connection to the golf club. If your hands are placed incorrectly, your body will automatically make bad compensations during the swing to try and square the face. Perfecting your grip at home means you don’t have to waste mental energy thinking about your hands when you are out on the course.

Q: How does the tennis visualization help my actual golf swing sequence?

A: Many new golfers try to hit the ball using only their arms, which cuts off their power and leads to casting or scooping. When you imagine hitting a tennis forehand, your brain naturally knows to rotate your chest, shift your weight, and clear your hips to guide the stroke, which is the exact rotational movement required for a proper golf release.

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Nathalie Filler

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