Opportunities to get out on the golf course and practice your swing have been limited of late, a situation that may continue for some time.

Many clubs are closed at present, meaning long periods of frustration for those who enjoy nothing more than lashing balls down the fairway and improving their handicap. All is not lost however, as there are plenty of approaches you can take to ensure you’re ready to go when the clubs finally come out again.

High Intensity Interval Training

Fitness is one aspect you might want to focus on whilst you’re away from the green. A good golfer will have to show good stamina to cover all 18 holes, as Rory McIlroy demonstrated in a recent Sports Illustrated article. Fitness is a key element of a golfer’s arsenal and a short stint of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can help improve your stamina and your game.

To carry out stamina training, you should start with 30-second exercises, followed by 15-second rests and repeat five times in quick succession, then four times overall. This will help build stamina, but make sure you plan the workouts wisely. Gala Bingo recommends starting your workout routine with a warm-up and finishing up with a cool-down session after the HIIT. If you get this right, it will help you out on the course.

Swing Simplification

A golfer will succeed or fail on the quality of their swing and luckily, there are drills you can try at home which will help. A good swing is all about hitting the ball on the turn, with the rotation of your body the important part. Unfortunately, some golfers lose the clubface in the turn and that leads to a slice.

At home, find a room with a little space and set up a camera or a mirror. Take some practice swings (without a ball) and then look back over your technique. You should be able to spot where you’re going wrong, if indeed you are.

You can practice shoulder rotation too, another important drill. Drop onto your knees and, taking a golf ball, hold it between your hands in front of you. If you now begin to swing your arms back and forth, you’ll be able to monitor the position of your hands and arms, but also your shoulders. Understanding your positioning is an important part of improving your swing.

Hank Haney believes that taking 100 practice swings a day can help too, so if the weather is fine, take a club out into your garden and just swing away, without a ball of course.

Putting

Even if you don’t have a garden to practice putting, you can still go through a drill indoors. For instance, you can place two large books on the floor, just far enough apart to get your putter through. Now take practice swinging your putter, aiming to remain straight and not catching the books. If you do hit the books, you need more practice.

If you want to try with a target and a ball, find a suitable surface and turn a tee upside down. Now, from three feet away, try to knock the tee over. When you manage it, stand it back up and move four feet away. Repeat until you run out of room.