Oliver Wilson Practice Drills

Perfect Posture
So often, amateurs have great posture at address, but then lose it during the swing. They might “stand up” and straighten the spine or hunch forward; either way, the clubhead is unlikely to come back to square. On the practice ground you will often see me with a tee in my mouth. I point this at the ball throughout my swing, in order to keep my spine angle the same and to prevent swaying.

Go Left Hand Low
I often see amateurs when they are putting, setting up at address with very open shoulders. Because their right hand is too much on top of the putter grip, their right shoulder is forced in front of their left, and this can often lead to pulling your putts. An easy way round this is to start putting (even if it’s only in practice) cack-handed, with your left-hand below your right (right-handers). This will immediately square up the shoulders.

Left Hand Only
Bad chipping is caused by deceleration and a lack of trust. I often practise chipping using my left hand only; and then when I eventually bring the right hand back on to the grip, I try to maintain that same feeling of the left hand dominating. If you try this and trust the loft of your club to get the ball in the air rather than trying to “lift” the ball by breaking the wrists, you will turn through the ball with acceleration.

Tee It High
Tape a tee peg onto an old shaft or pole, and hit a ball from this height. This will force a flatter swing plane and encourage you to release the club and hit a draw. You should try and sweep the ball away without striking the tee; with a flat swing, your shoulders will turn around your body in one motion. This really is a wonderful way to stop the horrible over-the-top swing path which causes so many people to slice the ball.