The average golf handicap for a male player in the USA is 14.2.

Getting as much practice as possible is important to keep your game in its best form. These days, it is not always possible to get to the links or drive as much as we would like. So it is crucial to keep practising your game even when you are at home.

With some innovative gadgets or just some careful swings in the garden, it is possible to keep on your game of golf at home. Keep reading to find out what you can do to stay on form.

Putting Practice

Putting is the most obvious choice for practising at the home or office. We have all seen the 80s movies showing the big boss practising his putts between meetings. These days, it is perfectly possible to do even more so with some nifty practice golf tools.

If you can’t putt well, you are unlikely to score in golf, so keeping your putting skills keen is essential. Don’t sell yourself short on the green; keep your putting skills keen.

Putting practice is about repetition and developing muscle memory as much as it is about being able to read the curvature of the ground. Carpets and wood floors at home will not give you the right kind of surface to practice your putts, so it would be best to invest in a putting mat.

Putting mats replicate different types of short grass and will reproduce the roll of a golf ball towards the hole better than any home floor covering. They come in various sizes to best fit the space you have available at home.

The basic variety comes in the form of a long strip to practice a straight putt that goes in every time. However, you can buy XL versions of a putting mat that will allow you to improve your golf skills by practising curve shots and even shots that roll off the green and back onto the fairway.

Whichever putting mat you decide to opt for, there are three skills you need to be practising on the green. They are green reading, speed control, and holding the line/stroke quality.

Green reading is about being able to see the lay of the land. No floor in your home will be completely flat, especially if you lay your putting matt down on a carpeted surface. This is not really a skill that you can practice well at home, but the more you get used to reading any surface, the better your putting skill will become for the course.

Speed control and quality of your stroke are too skills that you can improve at home. A good rule of practice is to take six golf balls to putt in order. If you miss a putt, you have to start over.

When you master this from one distance, increase it and start again. With regular training such as this, you will see your putting game improve in no time.

Chipping Practice

You need a little space to be able to practice chipping shots, and ideally, you should do it outside. That said, if you have a large enough inside space, not too valuable nearby and a chipping net or trainer, it is perfectly possible to practice indoors.

Outside on the lawn is a great place to practice chipping, although you may want to consider purchasing a small chipping mat to save your lawn from too many divets as you level up your game.

A chipping net is an essential purchase as it will save you a long walk down the garden each time and give you something to aim your shots into. Practice makes perfect so try to make your lofted shots clean in contact with a firm downward strike. Use a golf club with an open face such as a 58/60 wedge.

Make sure you focus on your distance control and trajectory for maximum effect, and you will notice a marked improvement in your game. Give yourself ten shots and one point for each shot made for optimum practice. Move further away or change the angle whenever you hit ten out of ten.

Mastering Your Swing

Drilling your golf swing is an activity you can do at home in an open space with relative ease. Practising your swing is the activity that most golfers note has increased their skill progression. Many golfers neglect to work on their swing outside of the range but continuing your practice at home will improve your game.

To get the best results from your training, you need feedback on your stance. This needs to be done in front of a reflective surface like a mirror or window if you are on your own. If you have a tripod, you could set up your phone to record your swing to review as you go.

First, move through your swing slowly, holding at each stage of the motion. Look at your position in the reflection and correct it if necessary. Once you feel comfortable, start moving through the entire swing in slow motion, again correcting your position when needed.

You can then start moving towards three quarter to full-length swings. You will notice the impact of the forces moving against your body as you do, so you must keep correcting after each swing.

Amateurs and pros use this three-pronged approach to master their swing. Start in parts, then slow motion and finally full speed swings. When your posture is correct in all three, you are moving towards having a top-quality swing.

Sharpen Your Skills With Golf At Home

Practising golf at home is a perfect way to keep yourself in form when you can’t get yourself to a game. Skills have to be continuously topped up to remain at their best, so make sure you schedule some extra practice into your daily routine. Practice daily, and your golf buddies won’t be able to hold back their jealousy at your improved skills the next time you play a game together.

If you are looking for some excellent tools to help you improve your golf game at home, check out our selection and help keep yourself in peak condition.