The Best $20 Practice Tool In Golf Is Already In Your Bag!

If you’re looking for a training aid that improves contact, tempo, connection, and path—all for under $20—stop shopping.

You already own it.

It’s your golf towel.

Yes, the same towel you use to wipe off your clubs can also clean up your swing. The golf towel is one of my favorite practice tools for at-home and driving range practice. Here are four simple drills you can try today.

Ball-first contact drill

Lay your towel about six inches behind the ball. If you strike the towel before the ball, the low point in your golf swing is too far behind the ball. The goal is to hit the golf ball first and make sure your divot is after the ball. Play around with setup position and weight transfer through impact until you can strike the ball cleanly.

Under-the-arms connection drill

Ben Hogan used this towel drill! Golf professionals are known to use this when hitting half and three-quarter swings to help keep their body and arms more connected.

Place a towel under both armpits and keep it in place as you swing. It helps keep your arms and torso moving together. If you struggle with inconsistency at impact or even during your takeaway, this connection drill can help.

Swing path control drill

Golfers who swing “over the top” can use a towel to help ensure their swing stays on path. Place the towel just outside your target line, 12 to 18 inches behind the ball. If you come over the top, you’ll hit the towel on the way down.

It’s a visual and physical cue that forces you to shallow the club and come more from the inside. If you are coming too far from the inside, reverse this drill and place the towel in a position that forces you to swing down the line.

Slow takeaway drill

Some players get a little jumpy when they take the club back. To avoid that, try this slow takeaway drill.

Hold the towel with both hands and grip it as you would a club. Take a backswing and try to get the towel to finish at the top of your swing on your trail shoulder. If you take the club back too fast, there’s no way the towel will make it to your trail shoulder.

Need a new golf towel?

For all of these golf towel drills, it’s best to have a larger golf towel and not just a wipe-off cloth. If you are in the market for a new towel, here are a few to consider.

Final thoughts

The golf towel is a great practice tool. If you have an alignment stick and a golf towel, you are well on your way to building a better golf game. Ensure you have a few drills planned for every practice session to make your practice more effective.