We’ve all seen them in the stores, and honestly, I see more people laugh about them than actually use them. Still, those little plastic wiffleballs that come in neon orange, bright yellow or plain old white, have way more to offer than you might think. First, I’m not condoning the fact that you should go grab a couple dozen of them and fire them off at your neighbor’s place with a driver, but I am saying that there are some solid off season drills that you can do with these little guys that will really help you sharpen your skills for next year. Let’s break down the amazing sub $10 balls and how you can use them to make yourself a better player almost immediately.
Playing The Bump And Run (indoors)
Some may have a living room the size of Cleveland, but if you’re on a budget, chances are you may have a bit of carpet to chip off of and that’s about it. Even if you only have a floormat, working on your bump and run technique is something that you, a seven iron and a few plastic balls can do very easily all winter long. Just set up the ball on the carpet square take your stance and work on contacting the ball just before the carpet. This should produce a nice soft shot that never leaves the ground by more than a few inches and taps against the wall at the far end of the room. Working on this contact will help your short game consistency enormously and lower you putts by being closer to the hole when bumping the ball onto the green.
Pitching Practice (indoors or outdoors)
The key to playing a good pitch shot is keeping consistent contact with the ball and not hitting in front of or behind the ball. If your contact point is in front of the ball, you will find yourself thinning shots and skulling the ball over the green. If your contact point falls behind the ball, you’ll chunk the shot and leave it far short of your target. While the plastic practice balls aren’t great for getting a feel of flight and distance, they are remarkably good at learning your contact point. That’s the part of your swing that happens just slightly before you hit the ground on your normal swing. The best part about pitching practice is that you can use any wedge you want in virtually any room with these balls and not risk damaging much. Just remember to watch the wall behind you on your back swing.
Catch The Ball (outdoors or a really big room)
So this is actually one that my kiddo loves to play with me. The setup is very easy and the game is even easier. She stands about 15 feet away from me and tries to catch the pitch shots that I hit to her. Now, there are varying levels of difficulty to this game, so if you start mastering level one, try moving onward to a harder version. Level one, as we call it, starts off with her being able to move as far as she needs to to catch the ball. My pitching is still tested as I have to get the ball high enough for her to catch every time, but accuracy isn’t very important. Level two, we change to “no travelling” or two steps maximum. I have to hit every shot as close to her as possible as she only gets two steps from when I hit the ball to grab it. Finally, level three, or the don’t move level. At this point, I have to be deadly accurate with my pitching as she is not allowed to move to get to the ball at all. This one is the best for dialing in consistency of swings and making solid contact every time. If you want to add some fun to it, count out ten balls and score them in multiple sessions. The more catches the better your score. Now, if you don’t have a catcher around, grab a 5 gallon bucket to use. It goes straight to level 3, but it’s worth it in the long run.
Hop The Fence (indoors or outdoors)
If you have a fence, or a door, or anything that you can set up as a “barrier” (even a shower curtain,) you can play this practice game with practice balls. The point of the game is rather simple, but mastering it can be very difficult. The trick is to get as close as you can to the barrier you have, but still have a shot to get the ball over it. The lesson learned in this game is one of the most useful trouble shots you can possess on the course, the flop shot. With just a wedge and a few practice balls, you can entertain yourself for hours trying to beat your personal best. For even more fun, measure you best shot every session and track to see if you are getting better and better.
Jump The Pencil (indoors)
When you’re trapped inside and want to work on something a bit different, try this one out. You’ll need a putter and a few of the plastic practice balls – Whiffle style or solid – and a pencil or similar sized item to ‘bump’ over. What you will do is place the pencil on the ground (preferably on a carpeted surface) and place a practice ball directly behind it – usually within a half an inch or so. This drill will keep your putts rolling true by encouraging you to strike slightly (and I do mean slightly) upward on your putts instead of punching downward at them. By popping the ball over the pencil, you will see more true rolls during the warmer months of the year. Careful not to “drive” the ball though, it only takes a very short, controlled swing to master this drill. Remember, plastic balls work better than real ones or foam ones as this is a contact/loft drill, not a power control drill.
SKLZ 12 Pack Practice Balls ($9.99) - https://amzn.to/2DiCY4t
Paragon Golf Accessories Practice Ball Combo 36 Pieces ($12.95) - https://amzn.to/2NrpyYh
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