Want to improve your practice? Try this fun Simon Says golf drill.
GOLF.com
Over the past few years, I’ve had all kinds of fun lessons with the best teachers AND pro playersbut the video below is probably my favorite (all due respect to others).
Unlike other lessons, which tend to focus on swing adjustments or fundamentals, GOLF Top 100 Teachers Jamie Mulligan tested my resolve by throwing me straight into the lions’ den, working with former LPGA player Veronica Felibert to take a “Simon Says” golf drill.
So how does it work? As in children’s play, Felibert would hit a few shots and I would have to copy them – which, as someone with a disability, was no easy task. But to improve in golf and improve my ball hitting skillsi had to learn how to be comfortable when i was uncomfortable.
That’s not to say that this particular golf workout was easy.
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At one point during the shoot, I turned to my cameraman, Tiff, and whispered, “There’s no way in hell I’m going to be able to do this.” However, with the help (and encouragement) of Mulligan and Felibert, I was able to surprise myself.
Whether it’s improving my club control or learning how to master the distancethis complex workout gave me the confidence to see positive results – which is the first step towards trusting the process and continuing to learn.
Watch my lesson below and see why this golf drill is a great way to elevate your game.
Rethink your practice with this fun golf drill
As golfers, we can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to improve. So we stick to the range, fixate on seeing improvement, and use more than a few curse words when things don’t go our way.
But Mulligan says part of this golf workout is to relieve some of the stress of golf and just enjoy the process.
“Everyone tries so hard in this sport, it blows my mind,” says Mulligan. “So we’re going to have some fun today, play ‘Simon Says’ and give you some practice (exercise).
This simple hack will confirm if your club face is square at address
So Mulligan has Felibert and I approach the ball with just one hand on the club, instructing us to take a little swing to feel the club drop.
“Use an ‘I don’t care’ (type of swing),” says Mulligan. “Just very small, and don’t worry so much about hitting the ball. Let the club just go down.”
Mulligan walks over to me and helps guide the club with his hand, telling me to get over my “fear” of swinging with such a lazy hand. But that’s the whole point of this drill – just to help you feel the low point of the club hitting the ground.
He asks me to explain the difference in feeling when I let go of the club to let him put it away.
“I let the club do the work,” I reply. “You can tell when I’m trying to catch up and lead (the club), that’s where I’m doing the wrong things.”
Learn to master the distances on field shots
Mulligan then moves on to Simon Says’ next drill and asks Felibert to work on controlling the range of shots on the court – literally standing in the line of fire and gently hitting her balls towards him.
“If I were a little kid and you were going to shoot me, could you do it sitting down (just a few feet between us), making sure it rolls around me very easily,” he asks.
After watching Veronica do this, Mulligan has me work on the same drill, which forces me to really reverse my swing length and use an extremely soft touch—more for fear of hitting the person standing 10 feet away. in front of me
“(Use a) really small swing and good touch,” Mulligan instructs.
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Mulligan then props up about 8 to 10 feet, making sure we execute the drill at a longer distance—but still maintaining the soft touch and distance control.
“The length of your swing is getting longer, but still go back and forth,” he tells me. “You’re getting good contact, so just let the club do the work.”
Thanks to the added pressure of having someone else standing there in front of me, it freed me up and forced me to let the club do the work to make sure I came up short and returned the ball to the person.
So this is a fun way to loosen up before a range session or a full round, just helping you clear your mind and trust yourself in key scoring situations.
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