One of the best ways to improve your golf game during the offseason (or if you’re stuck inside during a global pandemic) is to use training aids. Whether you are working on your handicap (hello, short game!) or are releasing some stress by hitting a few drivers, we have everything you need to make the most of your self-quarantine.
Why work on your short game? Many amateur golfers struggle to get the ball up and down from around the green or make a 10-footer to save bogey; it’s important to feel as confident as possible when standing over those shots and putts. That’s where putting training aids come.
Just think - if you can make a couple more putts per round, you’ll start to see real improvement in your handicap and pay for fewer drinks come the 19th hole. How’s that for motivation?
Below are a few of GlobalGolf’s favorite training aids to help you enjoy the self-quarantine and improve your game for when Covid-19 passes and you are allowed into the world again.
Golf Gift & Gallery Putting Mirror
The Golf Gift & Gallery Putting Mirror is designed with short game improvement in mind. Only 12 inches long, this putting aid is easy to store in your golf bag after quarantine. Believe it or not, this putting aid takes most of the guesswork out of your putting stroke.
This mirror helps you with your entire setup. The crazy part? You don’t need a golf ball to improve your putting, though you can certainly add one to the mix; mainly, it’s just you and your putter.
After positioning the mirror with the wider end of the slot facing the hole (or your homemade target), you step up to the mirror as if you were aiming at your target. If you are outside, go ahead and place some tees in the four corners of the mirror in order to keep it in place.
With or without the ball (which you place at the narrow end of the slot), you set down your putter to the white line in the center of the mirror. This line ensures your putter face is square to your target at setup.
Now, the green line that you see running towards the target is your eye line. When you have your putter set up squarely to the target, you can see if your eyes are directly over the green line.
If your eyes are before the line (closer to your feet), you may be standing too tall or on your heels. If your eyes are past the line, you now know you are bent over too far or are on your toes. Eyes over the green line confirm you have a balanced stance.
Look how much you have learned about your setup without even stroking a golf ball! Once you add a ball, the slot helps you see if you are starting the ball on the right line. For added difficulty and precision, add two tees (or water bottles) just over a ball’s width apart from each other a foot in front of the mirror. If your stroke path is square, your ball should follow your target line and make it through your tee/water bottle gates unscathed.
Professional golfers spend the first 15 minutes (at least) of their putting practice working on these exact mechanics with these exact putting aids. Posture and setup are the two easiest factors in putting to not only control, but also keep consistent.
By creating a solid foundation in self-quarantine (and during putting practice after your release), you will have newfound confidence and skill on the greens; with the lines on the mirror to double check your posture and the slot to help you consistently start your ball on the correct line, the only variable to pay attention to as you go from course to course is distance control.
SHOP PUTTING MIRROR
IZZO Free Fall Hitting Net
Even though you can probably improve your handicap by practicing your short game inside, you can’t deny that practicing your long game will not only improve your ball striking, but it will also allow you to take some of your quarantine stress out on the ball.
If you’re looking for a way to hit full shots in your garage or backyard without the stress of breaking a window, you’re going to need a full-size hitting net.
This IZZO Free Fall Hitting Net is easy to set up, break down and move around.
The black netting is made to withstand ball speeds of up to 175mph, so there’s really no need to worry about a ball breaking through and damaging whatever is behind the net.
Want to take your game (and backyard) to the next level? Check out our personal launch monitors and play your dream courses from the comfort of your home. Launch monitors are also the best solution for this quarantine if you like to visualize your shot shape and landing dispersion in a range setting.
SHOP FREE FALL
Golf Gifts & Gallery Hanging Mat
If you’re practicing by hitting golf balls into a net, you need something to hit off, right? Well, the Golf Gifts & Gallery hanging mat takes up very little space and stays in place for any type of shot. Featuring thick padding and heavy duty turf, this hanging mat simulates the perfect fairway lie so you can effectively practice those tight chip shots and 5 irons alike.
SHOP HANGING MAT
Golf Gifts & Gallery Chipping Nets
While improving your short game takes intention and focus, it can also be fun! This collapsible Golf Gifts & Gallery chipping net is perfect for working on your short game by yourself or for challenging your spouse, kids or buddies (fewer than 10 people of course - thanks, social distancing!) to a game of ‘21’ and see who can make the most chips into the smallest center net.
With a 23-inch diameter opening, the net is generous enough for a few errant shots but small enough to make you focus and become more precise with your chipping game. The net collapses much like a camping chair for easy assembly, transportation and storage.
SHOP CHIPPING NETS
Self-Quarantine
Don’t waste this prime opportunity at home to improve your golf game. Impress your golf buddies by sinking those 10-footers or chipping it close straight out of the gate, post-quarantine. Isn’t it time that they started paying for your drinks?
And don’t forget the best part: once Covid-19 has passed, you can still use these golf training aids in the winter to continue tuning up your game during off-season.