How a top golfer practices – and why it works

I first met Savannah Barber in 2016 at our summer golf camp in Fort Worth, Texas. After showing rapid improvement, she joined the Crown Junior Golf Academy, where she trained alongside some of the best young players in the world. This commitment quickly paid off.

Savannah, along with her Crown Golf roommate Alexa Saldana, captured the 2021 USGA Women’s Four-Ball The championship. This past summer, Savannah advanced to the quarterfinals of the Women’s Western Amateur and continued her strong play at the collegiate level, posting four top-five finishes in six starts for the University of Oklahoma women’s golf team during the 2023–24 season.

Below are some cornerstones of Savannah’s daily practical routine. Each workout has a specific goal, a clear set-up, and a measurable outcome—principles you can apply directly to your practice sessions.

Full motion

Body wrap exercise (Improves rotation and weight shifting)

How to do it:
Place one extension bar (or stick) over your shoulders and another on the ground outside your trailing foot, angled parallel to your target line. Make slow, controlled backbends, focusing on bringing your chest back until the bar over your shoulders matches the angle of the bar to the ground.

Main feeling:
Your pressure should move to your side of the track without swaying. You should feel your upper body rotating AROUND spine instead of sliding sideways.

What regulates:
This drill promotes proper tilt and spin behind the ball and helps eliminate the “reverse C” position common among amateur players.

How to do it:
At address, turn your track foot outward approximately 40–45 degrees while maintaining normal ball position and stance. Hit the shots at half speed at first, gradually building up to full motion.

Main feeling:
Let your tracking hip roll behind you in a downward direction instead of moving toward the target.

What regulates:
By creating more space between the knees, this exercise limits excessive lateral movement and encourages rotation. The result is more consistent contact, a leaner shaft and a stronger hitting position.

Body Compression Training (Maintaining Spinal Tilt)

How to do it:
Place a setting mirror between the ball and your toe line. During the swing, keep your eyes visible in the mirror from start to finish.

Main feeling:
Your head stays centered while your shoulders rotate in a tilted plane.

What regulates:
This drill prevents the shoulders from flattening in the downswing and keeps the head away from the ball – two common causes of thin and heavy shots.

Short game

Bandage Training (Improving Consistency and Control)

How to do it:
Place a resistance band or towel under both arms and hit short strides and chips. Focus on controlling the length of the swing with the rotation of your body, not your hands.

Main feeling:
Your chest and arms move together as one.

What regulates:
This drill keeps the swing connected and discourages flipped or “handy” swings with finesse, leading to more predictable contact and distance control.

Shaggy Bag Obstacle Course (Low Checkpoint)

How to do it:
Place a duffle bag or similar obstacle about ten feet in front of you and slash across it toward a target.

Main feeling:
The club comes off the bottom in front of the ball with a downward stroke.

What regulates:
This drill sharpens low point control, improves angle of attack, and increases awareness of how trajectory and impact affect the spread.

How to do it:
Place two spikes near the top of the fracture and two liner rods a few feet beyond the hole. Your goal is to roll the ball through the spikes with enough speed that it enters the hole on the high side.

Main feeling:
Commit fully to your chosen line and speed.

What regulates:
This drill improves green reading by giving you physical landmarks, helping you better visualize the target path and trust your read on chips and longer shots.

Divot Board

The Divot Board is a revolutionary golf training aid that gives players instant feedback on every swing. By showing exactly where your club contacts the ground, the Divot Board makes it easy to spot mistakes and correct them on the spot. Whether you’re practicing indoors or outdoors, this tool helps you improve your ball strike, swing path and low point control. With continued use, the Divot Board builds muscle memory so you can hit the ball better, hit fairer shots and lower your scores. Instant Feedback for Faster Learning Research shows that instant feedback can speed up learning by 50-70%. The Divot board provides real-time feedback on your movement so you can make quick adjustments and perfect your technique instantly. Improve Consistency Did you know that 70-80% of golfers struggle with inconsistent contact? The Divot board reveals exactly where your club hit the surface, helping you identify flaws and build a repeatable and reliable swing. Train Anywhere Compact and portable, the Divot Board can be used at home, on the highway, or even in the office. Its high-quality construction ensures durability through countless practice sessions. Proudly designed and assembled in the USA. Consistent use of a Divot Board will transform your practice routine. It’s the easiest way to gain awareness, develop better ball shots and see results faster.

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