Collegiate Golfer Practice Routine: What Works

I first met Savannah Barber in 2016 at our summer golf camp in Fort Worth, Texas. After showing rapid improvement, she joined the Crown Golf Junior Academy, where she trained alongside some of the best junior golfers in the world. That commitment quickly paid off.

Savannah, along with her Crown Golf roommate Alexa Saldana, captured the 2021 USGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship. This past summer, Savannah advanced to the quarterfinals of the Women’s Western Amateur and continued her strong play at the collegiate level, notching four top-five finishes in six starts for the University of Oklahoma women’s golf team during the 2023–24 season.

Below are several cornerstones of Savannah’s daily practice routine. Each drill has a specific purpose, clear setup and measurable outcome — principles you can apply directly to your own practice sessions.

Full swing

Body Coil Drill (Improve Pivot and Weight Shift)

How to do it:
Place an alignment rod (or club) across your shoulders and another on the ground just outside your trail foot, angled parallel to your target line. Make slow, controlled backswings, focusing on turning your chest until the rod on your shoulders matches the angle of the rod on the ground.

Key feel:
Your pressure should move into your trail side without swaying. You should feel your upper body rotating around your spine rather than sliding laterally.

What it fixes:
This drill promotes proper tilt and rotation behind the ball and helps eliminate the “reverse C” position common among amateur golfers.

How to do it:
At address, flare your trail foot outward roughly 40–45 degrees while keeping your normal ball position and posture. Hit shots at half speed first, gradually building to full swings.

Key feel:
Allow your trail hip to rotate behind you on the downswing rather than moving toward the target.

What it fixes:
By creating more space between the knees, this drill limits excessive lateral movement and encourages rotation. The result is more consistent contact, better shaft lean, and a stronger impact position.

Body Compression Drill (Maintain Spine Tilt)

How to do it:
Place a putting mirror between the ball and your toe line. During the swing, keep your eyes visible in the mirror from start to finish.

Key feel:
Your head stays centered while your shoulders rotate on a tilted plane.

What it fixes:
This drill prevents the shoulders from flattening in the downswing and keeps the head from drifting off the ball—two common causes of thin and heavy strikes.

Short Game

Connection Band Drill (Improve Consistency and Control)

How to do it:
Place a resistance band or towel under both arms and hit short pitches and chips. Focus on controlling swing length with your body rotation rather than your hands.

Key feel:
Your chest and arms move together as one unit.

What it fixes:
This drill keeps the motion connected and discourages flipping or “handy” finesse swings, leading to more predictable contact and distance control.

Shag Bag Obstacle Drill (Control Low Point)

How to do it:
Place a shag bag or similar obstacle about three feet in front of you and chip over it toward a target.

Key feel:
The club bottoms out in front of the ball with a downward strike.

What it fixes:
This drill sharpens low-point control, improves angle of attack, and enhances awareness of how trajectory and strike affect rollout.

How to do it:
Place two tees near the apex of the break and two alignment rods several feet beyond the hole. Your goal is to roll the ball through the tees with enough speed for it to enter the hole from the high side.

Key feel:
Commit fully to the line and speed you’ve chosen.

What it fixes:
This drill improves green reading by giving you physical reference points, helping you better visualize the intended path and trust your read on longer chips and putts.

Divot Board

The Divot Board is a revolutionary golf training aid that gives golfers instant feedback on every swing. By showing exactly where your club contacts the ground, the Divot Board makes it easy to spot errors and correct them on the spot. Whether you’re practicing indoors or outdoors, this tool helps you improve ball striking, swing path, and low-point control. With consistent use, the Divot Board builds muscle memory so you can strike the ball cleaner, hit straighter shots, and lower your scores.
Instant Feedback for Faster LearningResearch shows that immediate feedback can accelerate learning by 50–70%. The Divot Board provides real-time feedback on your swing so you can make quick adjustments and refine your technique instantly.
Improve ConsistencyDid you know 70–80% of golfers struggle with inconsistent contact? The Divot Board reveals exactly where your club struck the surface, helping you identify flaws and build a repeatable, reliable swing.
Train AnywhereCompact and portable, the Divot Board can be used at home, on the driving range, or even in the office. Its high-quality construction ensures durability through countless practice sessions. Proudly designed and assembled in the USA.
Using a Divot Board consistently will transform your practice routine. It’s the easiest way to gain awareness, develop better ball striking, and see results faster.

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