Everyone wishes they can hit perfect shots every time they swing a club.
But the truth is, none of us are hitting perfect shots every time. We might get close to where we’re aiming for, but probably not as close as we hoped we would.
And let’s be even more honest – every golfer wishes they were hitting hole in ones as much as possible.
We might not specifically aim for the pin every time, but part of us hopes that somehow, through forces of nature beyond our control, our ball finds its way straight down the hole.
And that’s not just because it means we would win every game we play. We want to impress our fellow golfers; we want to be known for our accuracy in the face of insurmountable odds.
If any of that sounds like you, then fear not, because we have 6 golf accuracy drills that will take your game to the next level.
Let’s get started!
How to Improve Accuracy in Golf
Before we get into our golf accuracy drills, let’s be very clear: the way you improve your accuracy in golf is through practice.
There are no two ways about it, as much as we might wish there was a quick fix that could make you deadly will a ball and club, like all things in golf, this takes time.
Accuracy isn’t about sinking the ball every time you step up to the tee, it’s about picking your target and being able to hit it consistently, no one-offs and no flukes.
You want to be in total control of your club and the ball. Accuracy isn’t just hitting great shots, it’s knowing how to hit them and the best strategy for the course.
While every golfer will hopefully be able to use these golf accuracy drills to improve their game, beginners may find them to be quite difficult and struggle right from the bat.
These golf accuracy drills are to be worked on, not used once and discarded. They’re like -little mini-games that you can replay over and over to eventually improve your game for good!
1. Bullseye!
While this golf accuracy drill may have a different name for some golfers or coaches, I like to call it ‘bullseye’.
And the reason it’s called that is that it can work best with a dart board, if you happen to have one laying around, or you can create a target yourself out of a wooden board or sheet of paper.
You want the size of the target to be around dart board size, and you want it raised off of the ground. You can use a chair to prop this up, or hang it from a tree no higher than head height, but just make sure that it’s sturdy and there are no windows behind it!
- With any iron (although we probably wouldn’t recommend anything under a 6-iron for this drill) set up in front of target around 10 yards away, and try and hit the target.
- The first time you try this out, just try and hit the target, but once you can manage that, every time you hit a bullseye take 4 steps back.
- This will help you with your trajectory control and accuracy over different distances. The more accurate shots you make, the more you are tested!
- If you fail a shot, go back to your first position and start again.
If you want to try this golf accuracy drill with a wood or your driver, simply take it to a driving range and actually aim for the nets (if your club has any), and aim for ones further away once you start getting it right.
2. Up and down
Not every golfer will be lucky enough to have unrestricted access to a putting green, but if you do, or you’re able to scope out some time at your local club, this drill can work wonders for your short game.
Take a pitching wedge, a putter, and 10 balls to the apron of the green.
Set your own distance, but around 20-30 yards away from the pin is perfect.
Make 10 shots with your pitching wedge. You’re not trying to sink these shots, you just want to get as close as possible.
Once you’ve made these shots, head onto the green with your putter and make 10 putts.
How did you do? Did you get over half, or did you struggle once you got onto the green?
It can be really useful to keep track of your scores for this drill, every successful up and down being 1 point out of 10.
If you practice this drill enough you’ll start to see your score reaching closer and closer to the 10/10 mark.
Once you’re good enough, you’ll know your skill with chip and runs, or bump and runs, in and out, and your handicap will thank you!
3. the Hula Hoop
At first glance this drill may seem quite similar to our previous golf accuracy drills, but trust me, this is arguably the most difficult drill to start with.
This drill is all about solidifying the mind-ball connection. In order to become a truly accurate golfer, you need to fully understand how the ball runs, and how different shots affect that run.
If you don’t have a hula hoop, simply mark out a circle around 40 inches in diameter.
- Set up a hula hoop on the ground around 30-40 yards away from you, if you’re a more experienced golfer, try even further, or just pick a distance that you find challenging.
- Using whatever club that you choose, or that you need the most work with, and set up in front of the ball.
- Simply make a shot with the intention of the ball coming to a stop inside the hula hoop.
- You can try and hit a flop into the circle, but the idea is that if you try and get the ball to run into the circle enough time, you’ll have a stronger grasp of how your swing power affects the ball speed and distance covered on the ground.
4. the Butch Harmon Pump
This is one of the golf accuracy drills favoured by the legendary golf coach Butch Harmon, so you know it’s going to be good.
- Set up in front of the ball with an iron (this drill doesn’t really work with a driver or a wood as these clubs tend to be too long).
- Reach the peak of your backswing.
- Complete half of your downswing, then swing back up again to the peak of your backswing.
- Repeat the step before, and once you reach the top of your swing, complete your full swing, connecting with the ball.
This drill can be really useful if you struggle with staying on plane in your downswing, or with setting your wrists properly.
It’s called the ‘pump’ as it should look like you’re pumping the club as you bring it up and down.
It can also help to flick your eyes to your club head once you reach the halfway point of the pump to check the angle of your club face.
5. the 9-shot drill
This is another golf accuracy drill favoured by one of the greats.
In fact, Tiger Woods uses this drill and wrote about it in his 2001 book ‘How I Play Golf’.
For this drill, take out your 6 or 7-iron at the driving range.
You will hit 9 total shots for this drill:
- 3 straight shots – high, low, and normal height.
- 3 fades – high, low, and normal height.
- 3 draws – high, low, and normal height.
This drill is great because it not only helps you improve on these kind of shots, but can also make it clear which shots you struggle with the most.
It’s also important to note down how you think you did with every set of three. Are you struggling with the high shots? Is the fade where it all falls apart?
The best golf accuracy drills are the ones where you can chart your improvement and see it in real time, so don’t forget to make notes!
6. Worst Ball
While this can also be a fun game for you and your buddies on a relaxed weekend, using this as a golf accuracy drill can be incredibly beneficial for a number of reasons.
- Head to a course with two balls.
- Hit both balls from the tee making sure you remember where they landed.
- Decide which shot was worse, retrieve your best ball, and make two more shots from the location of your worst ball.
This drill will particularly help you with your recovery shots and your strategy. Ideally, you will be able to play a great shot from any angle, but the more accurate you are, the easier your shot shaping will become!
So, that’s our guide to the 6 best golf accuracy drills that you can use to improve your game.
These drills should hopefully improve not only your ball striking, but your mental game. With enough practice, you’ll be able to pick the perfect spot to aim for, and hit it consistently.
Make sure your swing is good enough for great accuracy with these swing plane drills!
