Fairway

Most players would love to hit more greens in regulation during their round. Well, it’s a lot easier to hit the green if your approach shot is from the middle of the fairway rather than from behind a tree or in a fairway bunker or hazard. Here’s a drill that the late Payne Stewart often used during his warm-up sessions.

As Payne was winding down his warm-up session, he would hit 5 or 10 balls with his driver. However, instead of trying to hit each ball like a normal drive. He would try to hit each ball no farther than 150-yards. He would make a complete swing but it was a slow and very smooth swing. The drill helped him feel a smooth and even tempo where all of the components of his golf swing (upper and lower body) were working together as one.

When you get to the first tee, you will really want to have that same feeling of a smooth and even tempo swing. This drill can help you feel that and really help you make solid contact with the ball. But most of all, it will probably have you hitting the fairway more often, making it a lot easier to hit those approaching greens.