For many people in the US and around the world, we’ve found a new work-life balance that means more time to work at home.
While the golf course could be a good place to get some fresh air and exercise, many golfers still feel tied to their desks at home. However, that doesn’t mean your golf game has to suffer as a result. You can take a break from your desk, the zoom call, or any other responsibility and play indoor golf!
If you work from home, work on your game elsewhere, or spend quality time with your family playing golf, here are five ways you can play indoor golf, practice your golf game, and improve yourself.
(DISCLOSURE: I use almost all of these products personally. I link to them through affiliate programs that we work with at GNN.)
5 ways to play golf indoors
Buy a golf simulator: If you’ve been undecided about creating a simulator room in your home, there’s no better excuse than now. If you are going to be home for the foreseeable future, why not play a quick round of golf on a simulator? As long as you have enough room to swing a golf club and are approximately four square feet, you can get a golf simulator at home. Our friends at Rain or Shine Golf offer a variety of golf simulator packages, with packages to suit many budgets. There are various networks and ways to display the simulator on either a projection screen, laptop, or television.
Practice your putting: Whether you have a spacious, spacious home or live in a studio apartment with roommates, there is always room to work on your putting. If you don’t already have one, buy a putting mat like this one from PuttOut. It’s eight feet long and works with the PuttOut pressure putting trainer – or any cup you could have. The mat has distance markers 1 foot apart, along with alignment aids and targets. Spend some time working on your stroke and being comfortable over these knee knockers so that when you can play, you putt with confidence. If you want to go really deep, the Blast Motion Swing and Stroke Analyzer lets you record data on every putt to help you improve your stroke with granular analysis.
Chip with wiffle or foam golf balls: Maybe you don’t have the space (or the money) for a simulator. Maybe you don’t have the ceiling height to take a full swing. Okay, get over that by working on your chipping and pitching. Grab a small bag of foam golf balls, like this one from Callaway Golf. (There are many varieties from different manufacturers.) You can chip and pitch around rooms in your home. You can even add targets like a trash can or bowl, chipping nets, or just a point on the floor. If you don’t want to scratch your hardwood floor or if you don’t want to flake carpets, grab this little chipping mat that has three different types of artificial grass to work your game out of different lies.
Improve your swing speed with a training system: If you have enough space in your house to take a full swing with a golf club, why not use the time you have at home to get faster? The SuperSpeed swing training system comes with three weighted golf clubs that train your muscles to swing the golf club faster. The company says you will see an average swing speed increase of 5 percent if you use these clubs for as little as 10 minutes a day, three times a week, for six weeks.
Work on your rhythm and flexibility: If nothing else, you should stretch every day. You can do it in the shower, or you can do it on a morning stroll or at your desk. If you have the space and want to plan on some golf-specific routes, consider getting an Orange Whip full swing trainer. This is a great tool that has a weighted end with a sweeping shaft so you can feel the rhythm in your full swing. Only 10-12 swings a day will help. Then when you’re out and playing more, you can slip it in your golf bag for a quick warm-up for your first tee shot.