Until I developed a repertoire of golf drills that I truly loved, the driving range wasn’t always all that effective for me. I love a good drill because I believe it helps your brain form new connections and learn, rather than just rehearsing the same mistakes. Ball striking is one of the most important skills you can build. If you can strike the ball cleanly, you’ll see more distance, better accuracy and more consistency in your game. Here are three of my favorite ball-striking drills you can do at the range today.
Low Point Laneway drill
This drill is all about improving center contact, controlling the club’s swing arc, and keeping the face square through impact. It’s ideal for golfers who want immediate visual feedback on where the club is bottoming out. Some golfers will do this with clubs on the ground but I like it better with alignment sticks just in case you take a bad swing.
How to Do It:
- Set two alignment rods (or club shafts) parallel to your target line, just wide enough for the clubhead to pass through without touching.
- Mark five to six “scratch” spots in a row inside the laneway, about 6–7 inches apart.
- Make slow, deliberate practice swings, landing the club exactly on each mark while keeping the swing path parallel to the rods.
- Alternate between slightly open and slightly closed clubface positions to learn face control.
- Gradually build to full swings, checking your divots to ensure they’re starting on or just ahead of your target mark.
- Once consistent, hit balls from the setup and see if your strike pattern holds.
Four-Ball Collection drill
This four ball collection drill is more of a visual drill that helps you see (and feel) the correct impact position. It works great for low-point training and for any golfer who tends to hit behind the ball. The exaggerated “collecting” motion engrains the right body and hand position through impact.
How to Do It:
- Place four golf balls in a straight line, about one ball-width apart, aimed at your target.
- Without hitting an actual shot, make rehearsal swings, brushing the turf just in front of each ball in sequence.
- Focus on keeping your weight forward and your hands past your lead thigh at impact.
- To increase the feel, replace the balls with a small wooden block or 2×4 and push it forward while maintaining arm extension.
- Think “belt before buttons”; your hips should be closer to the target than your chest at finish.
- Repeat until you can sweep all four balls (or push the block) without losing balance or striking behind them.
You’ll find the drill around the 7:30 mark in this video below.
Nicklaus drill
Named after Jack Nicklaus and his famously consistent footwork, this drill helps you control pressure in your feet so you stay centered and stable throughout the swing. This drill not only helped me gain a little speed and use the ground better but it also helped square up my clubface.
Instead of sliding side to side, you’re shifting weight naturally through rotation, which improves low-point control. It’s great for players who lose stability in the downswing or struggle with contact and control.
How to Do It:
- At setup, feel your weight balanced but slightly favoring the inside of both feet.
- In the backswing, keep pressure on the inside of your trail foot — avoid rolling to the outside.
- As you start down, rotate into your lead side, feeling pressure move to the inside of your lead foot.
- Hit three-quarter “knockdown” shots while maintaining this inside-to-inside pressure shift.
- Focus on rotating around your lead leg without letting your hips slide toward the target.
- Watch for a lower, more controlled ball flight with solid compression.
You’ll find the drill around the 5:00-minute mark in the video below. When Porzak demonstrates, he puts a lot of weight on the outside of the front foot. I prefer the feel to be on the inside of the lead as you swing through impact.
Final thoughts
If your range sessions have been feeling a bit unstructured, I think you’ll like any of these drills. Ball-striking drills are valuable because they shift your focus away from obsessing over the backswing and instead get you reacting to a task. It’s a good thing for your game. Give these a try during your next practice session and let me know how it goes.
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