Improve your ball striking by structuring your practice like this

Do you struggle to take what you practiced on the range onto the course? If so, you’re not alone.

Recreational golfers seem to have a knack for striping the ball on the practice tee only to crumble when they get out on the course. Unlike the pros we watch on TV, weekend warriors can’t seem to get what they practice on the range to translate to the course.

If you’re in that camp, you might need to change up the way you’re going through your practice routine. In the text below, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Ed Odlham outlines a way to structure your practice to strike the ball like never before. Check it out.

3 drills for better ball striking

To improve your ball-striking skills, dedicate part of every practice session to developing control over clubface, contact and swing path. I suggest using the following drills to build those skills through variability.

1. Variable clubface drill

The goal of this drill is to learn how to manipulate the clubface to shape shots and build greater control over your ball flight. Spend about two minutes hitting balls with the intent to change the clubface position at impact with each swing. Start by hitting a shot with the clubface intentionally closed to produce a draw or hook. On the next ball, open the clubface to create a fade or slice. For the third shot, aim to strike the ball with a square clubface to send it straight. As your skill improves, work on making smaller adjustments, such as slightly closed or slightly open faces, to fine-tune your control and feel.

2. Contact drill

This drill is designed to help you improve your consistency and develop better feel for where the club contacts the ground. Hit three consecutive balls, varying the ground contact each time. Begin with a slightly fat shot, where the club hits the ground just before the ball. Then, intentionally hit a slightly thin shot, where the club brushes the ground just after the ball. Finally, go for a flush strike with clean, centered contact. This type of variability builds awareness and teaches you how to adjust your swing to control low-point and improve overall contact.

3. Shot shape drill

The shot shape drill trains you to control curvature by adjusting clubface and path. If your typical ball flight is a fade or slice, spend a few minutes trying to hit exaggerated hooks. Once you can hook the ball consistently, work on reducing the curve to a more controlled draw. On the other hand, if you usually hook the ball, challenge yourself to hit fades and slices instead. This process trains you to understand how face and path influence shot shape. Focus first on controlling the clubface and improving contact — those are the foundation. Once those elements are more consistent, then shift your focus to refining your path.

How to structure your practice

If you’re working on technical swing changes, begin your session by focusing on that technique. Once you’ve addressed the mechanical adjustments, shift to skill-based drills like the ones above. No matter what, make sure to include skill practice in every session. Ideally, you should spend at least half of your practice time working on variability — clubface, contact, and path. This balanced approach allows you to turn technical changes into usable skills on the course.