Fairway finder corridor

Setup

1. Frame a fairway in the landing area with two lines of cones about 30 to 35 m apart (or use two range flags as the edges), with a flag in the middle as the target.
2. Hitting bays on one line, at least 4 m apart, all hitting the same way; everyone stays behind the line until the coach calls the range clear.
3. Warm up and hit a few easy shots with a mid iron before taking the driver out.

How it runs

1. Each player plays nine 'holes': one tee shot per hole, with a full routine. Finishing between the markers is a fairway hit.
2. Before every shot, say the club and the target out loud, as you would on the course.
3. For each miss, write L or R. After nine holes, look at the pattern: one side or both?
4. Play a second nine. The coach calls the shape of each hole (trouble left, trouble right, tight) and the player picks the club and the side of the tee to use.
5. Compare fairways hit between the two nines.

Coaching points

• Tee up on the side of the tee where the trouble is, and aim away from it.
• If the driver is missing both ways, a fairway wood or hybrid in play beats a long drive in the trees.
• Pick a small target in the distance, not the whole fairway.
• Smooth tempo: a balanced finish held for three seconds.

Common mistakes

• Swinging harder after a miss.
• Aiming at the trouble and hoping to curve the ball back.
• Hitting balls one after another without a routine.