What Is It Called When a Golfer Practices Their Swing?

When a golfer takes a swing without hitting a ball, it’s most commonly called a practice swing or a rehearsal swing. However, that simple term is just the tip of the iceberg. The bigger idea of practicing your swing encompasses a whole vocabulary of terms for specific training methods, from range sessions and drills to shadow swings. This article will break down what these terms mean, explain why they're important, and show you how to structure your practice to actually get better.

Understanding the Different Types of Swing Practice

Not all practice is created equal. A slow, deliberate swing in front of a mirror at home serves a completely different purpose than a quick rehearsal swing before a tee shot. Understanding the context helps you apply the right type of practice at the right time. Let's look at the most common scenarios.

On the Course: The Pre-Shot Routine &, Practice Swing

This is where most golfers use the term "practice swing." It’s the swing you take just before stepping up to address your ball. But it's far more than just a last-minute warm-up, it's a critical part of your pre-shot routine and a key to building on-course consistency.

The goal here isn't to work on complex mechanics. Instead, your practice swing on the course is designed to accomplish a few simple things:

• Find Your Tempo: It helps you feel the rhythm and speed for the shot you're about to hit. A smooth, unhurried practice swing promotes a smooth, unhurried real swing.
• Engage with the Turf: Taking a practice swing next to your ball lets you see how the club interacts with the grass. Is it lush and thick? Firm and tight? This feedback helps you anticipate how the club will behave at impact.
• Commit to the Shot: A good practice swing is a rehearsal for the shot you intend to play. You're building a physical memory of the feel you want, which makes it easier to trust your swing when it counts.

How to Build a Simple, Effective Pre-Shot Routine:

1. Stand behind the ball: Visualize the shot shape and trajectory you want to see. Pick a specific, small target.
2. Take one or two practice swings: Stand next to your ball and make a smooth, balanced swing. Focus on the feeling of good tempo, not on trying to hit an imaginary ball hard. Match the length and speed of the swing to the shot you need.
3. Step in and go: Once you step up to the ball, take one last look at your target, get comfortable, and then make your swing without hesitation.

At the Range: The Power of Purposeful Practice Sessions

Hitting balls at the driving range is often called having a "range session" or "practice session." For many golfers, this involves grabbing a large bucket of balls and hitting them one after another until the bucket is empty. While it might feel productive, this unstructured approach rarely leads to lasting improvement. To get better, your range sessions need a purpose.

We can divide range practice into two main categories:

1. Block Practice (Technical Training)

This is where you zero in on a single aspect of your swing. You hit the same club to the same target repeatedly, focusing on one specific feeling or mechanical change. For example, you might spend 20 minutes with a 9-iron concentrating only on your setup and posture.

Block practice is fantastic for learning a new movement pattern or for embedding a swing change your coach gave you. The repetition helps build muscle memory. The key is to be entirely focused on the process (the movement) rather than the result (where the ball goes). A few scuffed or mis-hit shots are fine as long as you're feeling the correct motion.

2. Random Practice (Performance Training)

Once you start to get comfortable with a swing change in block practice, it's time to test it under more realistic conditions. Random practice simulates playing on the course. In this style of training, you should:

• Change your club for every shot (e.g., driver, then 7-iron, then wedge).
• Change your target for every shot.
• Go through your full pre-shot routine before every ball.

This type of practice is harder and the results might not look as pretty as block practice, but it's tremendously effective at training your mind and body to adapt from shot to shot, just like you have to on the course. It helps bridge the gap between "range swing" and "course swing."

The Vocabulary of Training: Specific Drills and Techniques

Beyond general range sessions, coaches use a variety of "drills" to help players improve. A drill is simply a specific exercise designed to isolate and train a single part of the golf swing. There are thousands of them, but here are a few fundamental types of practice every golfer should know.

Shadow Swings (or Dry Swings)

This is the act of practicing your swing without a ball, typically at home, in the backyard, or even in the office. Shadow swings are unbelievably effective because they remove the pressure of getting a good result. Without a ball to worry about, you can slow down and focus entirely on the quality of your movement.

To get the most out of shadow swings, do them in front of a mirror or film yourself with your phone. This gives you instant feedback on your positions. Are you turning your hips correctly? Is the club on the right path? This is how you can train great habits without spending a dime.

Short Game Practice

More than half of your shots happen within 100 yards of the green, yet most amateurs dedicate almost no practice time to it. Specialized short game practice is where you can make the fastest improvements.

• Chipping: Practicing short shots (usually from just off the green) that spend more time rolling on the ground than flying in the air.
• Pitching: Practicing shots (from about 20-80 yards) that fly higher and stop more quickly. This is where you learn to control distance with the length of your swing.
• Bunker Practice: Focused work on hitting shots from greenside sand traps. It's a completely different technique, and spending just 15 minutes a month in a practice bunker can transform your confidence.
• Putting: The game within the game. Good putting practice isn't about aimlessly rolling balls at holes. It involves drills to improve your start line (like the "gate drill," where you hit putts through two tees) and distance control (like the "ladder drill," where you hit putts to different distances in sequence).

Using Training Aids

Training aids are tools designed to give you physical feedback. An alignment stick is the most basic and arguably the most useful, helping you check your body alignment and ball position. An impact bag helps you feel a powerful, body-led impact position. Some golfers use swing-plane-specific trainers to feel the correct path. The purpose of these aids is to make an abstract feeling coached by a professional become a tangible reality for the student.

Putting It All Together: A Model Practice Session (60 Minutes)

So, how do you combine all of this into a productive session at the range? Here’s a simple template:

• (0-10 minutes) Warm-Up: Start with light stretching. Begin making slow, half-swings with a wedge, gradually building up to full swings and increasing your speed. This isn't about hitting perfect shots, it's about waking your body up.
• (10-30 minutes) Block Practice: This is your technical work. Choose one thing to focus on for the entire 20 minutes. Maybe it’s your takeaway, maybe it’s your finish position. Use one mid-iron (like an 8-iron) and work on that single feeling.
• (30-55 minutes) Random Practice: Now, let’s go to the "course." Start "playing" holes in your head. Hit a driver, then pick an appropriate iron for your "approach," then a wedge. Switch clubs and targets every time. Go through your routine. This is when you are applying what you're working on, learning to hit different shots when you need to - not just over and over again from the perfect lie
• (55-60 minutes) Cool-Down: Finish with a few easy, perfectly struck wedges to feel some confidence. Leave the range focusing on the feeling of that great final shot.

Final Thoughts

So, what is it called when a golfer practices their swing? It can be a "rehearsal," a "drill," a "shadow swing," or a "range session." While the names vary, the most important element is purpose. Moving away from aimless ball-beating and toward structured, intentional practice is the fastest way to build a swing you can trust.

To practice with purpose, it helps to know you’re working on the right things. I designed Caddie AI to act as a 24/7 golf coach in your pocket, taking the guesswork out of improvement. You can ask what the difference between a chip and a pitch is, describe a swing thought to get feedback, or even snap a photo of a tricky lie on the course to get immediate advice on how to play it. Instead of wondering if a drill is right for you, you can get instant, expert-level feedback to make every practice session count.