Best Tips for Golf Practice In the Backyard or At Home

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Golf Gadgets, Training Aids and Backyard Golf Practice When You Can’t Get To The Golf Course

Make use of your time at home and improve your golf game.  There are many activities, drills, and even games that you can practice or play in your living room or backyard. 

And while there are amazing new golf training aids and gadgets available on the market today, there are also many ways to be creative with what you already have at home.  

To get you started, here is a list of my favorite Golf Training Aids For the Home

Practice These Key Golf Areas At Home 

Putting

Putting is one of the best ways to improve your golf game.  

They say “putt for dough” for a reason.  

And the great thing about putting practice indoors is this. 

• It doesn’t take up that much room.
• You can do it anytime.
• All you need is a putter, something to putt on and a target.

Find a Place to Putt

Any flooring surface inside your home.  Carpet, kitchen floor, hardwood floor or a putting mat.  This is a great way to figure out speed and roll on any surface.

2nd – Find  a Target

A cup laid sideways is the simplest.  

You can also use a metal ball mark or quarter which makes it really challenging because it is so small. 

I also like flat rubber jar openers, about 4 inches in diameter (same size as a golf hole).   Jar Openers.

When you are sitting around your living room watching TV or on your electronics, or need a small break, every now and then get up and roll some putts in – guess what?  That counts as practice and can have a huge effect on your score!   

Putting Drills and Games at Home

1. Tee Bowling – Set up 10 tees in a small triangle shape – like bowling pins.  That is your target and the object is to knock all tees over for a strike.  You can score like you do in bowling or keep it simple.
2. 5 in a Row – I learned this recently from my local golf pro during a putting lesson.  Start at 3 feet away, make 5 putts before moving back a couple of feet.  Repeat this until you miss.  Once you miss, start back at 3 feet away.  This puts pressure and makes for lots of putting practice.  

 

Best Putting Practice Training Accessories

Here is a list of the best putting training aids and gadgets for the home or office that are available.

Putt Out Putt Trainer

Last year, my husband surprised us with this putt trainer.  My putting improved exponentially after using this. 

What I especially like is that it is designed to tell you the speed of your putt.  After you roll it in, and it rolls back to you, that is the distance it would have rolled past the hole.  

It also is foldable so you can take it with you anywhere – easier to practice those putts!

Putt Out Pro Golf Putting Mat 

The same company designed a putting mat with lines that can help keep your putts straight and accurate.  

Perfect Practice Putting Mat

Or if, you don’t want to purchase a putting mat plus a putt trainer, you can buy the Perfect Practice Putting Mat all in one. Use discount code LYNNLINKS15 for 15% off your entire order.  I just got this and use it year round.  It looks nice too for the home or office.  Also endorsed by Pro Golfer, Dustin Johnson.  For more detailed info, read my perfect practice putting mat full review.

Sometimes our eyes can deceive us and having these lines can dramatically help with the alignment of your putts.  Both these putting mats have distance markings and target points.

   

Putt Out Mirror System

The benefit of this training tool is getting instant feedback and knowledge of how you are actually hitting or striking the ball with your putter face.  This tool can have a big impact on your putting stroke.

PuttOut Pro Putting Gates

These are fun and useful putting drills you can do at home and setup wherever you want.  Use these PuttOut Gates to improve your alignment, line, and speed.  What I like about these is that they come in a pack of 3 different sizes which can add to the challenge.

Chipping Practice At Home 

Chipping around the greens and pitching from within 50 yards is all about feel. 

As golfers, this is also an integral part of the game where strokes can really add up. 

It’s the worst feeling when you are just off the green and then shank or skull the next shot past the green. 

Practice these shots at home in your backyard or even inside the house and increase your confidence with these shorter shots. (may want to use whiffle or foam balls inside though!)

As long as you have a target, you can practice these shots in your yard, in an old field or off of a basic turf mat. 

Find a place to Practice Chipping

Inside Your Family Room, Basement.  Backyard, Ball Field or Park

2nd – Find a Target

This is important because you can practice these shots for muscle memory, but it is so much better if you have a target to aim at.  It also is so much more fun, otherwise it can get boring.  You can use just about anything:

• painter’s bucket
• regular bucket
• chipping nets
• cornhole game board
• golf hole with flag

3rd – Find a type of Practice Ball

Depending on how much damage you can do inside or outside, decide whether you should be using a golf ball, whiffle ball, or foam ball.  

Whiffle Balls

Foam Golf Balls

These are a good idea if there are windows, cars, people nearby or you are inside the house. I actually use these foam balls in my living room, chipping up and over the couch.  

Chipping Games and Drills at Home:

Make a chipping game with your family.  My brother-in-law has a whole bunch of old golf wedges and breaks them out at backyard parties.  He has a little 5 hole course around the perimeter of his house using random landmarks and targets.   Feel free to keep score too like we do – everyone will have a blast!

Using a chipping mat, play cornhole with a cornhole game board using whiffle balls.  Or find one online like this BattleChip Game or Chippo Golf Game further below which is specifically for golf and comes with a mat and game board.  

There are many creative ways to “practice” golf without having to head to the actual golf driving range or course.    

Chipping Drills and Practice Accessories

GoSports Tri-Turf Golf  Mat

 

My husband loves his lawn and spends a good deal of time making it look really nice.  The last thing he wants is for me to make divots in our yard.  So, having a mat that you can use for chipping or hitting golf balls is really important.  This one has 3 different lengths of turf.

Callaway Golf Chipping Net

 GoSports Chipster – Chipping Practice Nets 

Chippo Golf Game

 

Practicing the Full Golf Swing In Your Backyard or In Your Home

 

We all love to practice our drives and fairway shots, at least I do!

As long as you have a backyard, basement, or available area that you can take a full swing, there are numerous ways to practice your golf swing around the house. 

Muscle memory is important for any sport. This includes golf as well. 

A couple of ways to practice the golf swing at home include:

Increasing swing speed

The Superspeed Training System is a proven way to increase distance off the tee and your fairway shots. Without even picking up an actual golf club, improvements such as increasing swing speed and swing tempo or rhythm can be worked on. 

I also read recently on Golf.com, who had a great suggestion using a broom to help increase your swing speed.  Looks like you need a broom, a pillow or a weighted blanket. Click here for the article.

Help with Golf Muscle Memory

 

Using the foam golf balls, you can practice inside or in your backyard without a golf net.  Even practicing with these lighter balls provides a great way to practice shots and muscle memory.

Golf Posture and Form

 

Videotape your swing and make sure your posture and form are where they should be.  You can also try practicing your swing in front of a mirror.  It’s funny how you can spot things when you see yourself in action.  

Work on the Golf Grip

 

They say that there are 3 basic areas of importance in the golf swing.  Grip, Stance, Posture.  You can easily work on the grip anywhere.  Ben Hogan’s Book “Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf” delves into this and so much more.  Even though this book was published years ago, golfers are still reading and referencing it today.

 

Golf Swing Training & Accessories for Home Practice

 

Galileo Golf  Net

 

This is a great net to have in your backyard or in your house if you have space.  I like the side netting and the depth of the net just in case any balls aren’t quite as straight as you’d like them to be.  I also like the large bullseye, for some reason, it is a great visual to have when hitting your golf shots.

Rukket Golf Net with Golf Mat

 

The Rukket Golf Net is a wonderful hitting net that I personally use at home.  And it is easy to assemble and desemble, and made from a quality brand and company known for their sports equipment training aids.  I have a more comprehensive review here.  It is a great way to practice at home, easy and convenient.  

Orange Whip Trainer

Many golf course driving ranges have these training aids to help you warm up before your round of golf.  They also can provide help with your swing and improve rhythm and tempo, both very important components in golf.  

Golf Fitness at Home

A strong body is needed for golf.   Golf practice is important, but so is golf fitness and keeping your body strong so you can play your best. 

Having the ability to stay focused with enough stamina for the round will help bring more enjoyment to your game and provide a competitive advantage when needed.  

Read my post here about being golf fit focusing on core and strength, the base of good fitness.  The great thing about these exercises is that they don’t need a lot of extra gym equipment.  Much of these exercises and movements can be done anywhere.

 

Creative Ways to Practice Golf

 

These ideas are just a small list of golf activities, practice, and training that can be done at home and how you can incorporate some fun in these activities.    

These can be helpful when short on time, stuck at home, or can’t get to the practice range on a particular day.  

I’d love to hear any other ideas for golf practice you can do in your house that you currently do or is helpful. 

I’m sure there are some really interesting ones out there ;).

 

Quick Recap of Home Golf Training Aids and Gadgets

Putting Practice At Home

• Putt Out Putt Trainer
• Putting Mat
• Perfect Practice Putting Mat
• Putt Mirror System
• Putting Gates

Chipping Practice At Home

• GoSports Tri-Turf Golf  Mat
• Callaway Golf Chipping Net
• GoSports CHIPSTER – 3 Chipping Practice Nets 
• Chippo Golf Game – Fun for the Backyard or Inside

Full Swing Practice At Home

• Superspeed Training System
• Galileo Golf  Net
• Rukket Golf Net with Golf Mat
• Orange Whip Trainer

 

Related:

My Personal Review of the Rukket Golf Net Pro

How to Improve Your Handicap and Golf Game

Golf Fitness – 3 Key Areas to Prepare for Your Best Golf Season

Free Golf Guide and Subscribe Here

 

Best Tips and Suggestions For Golf Practice At Home