Tip from the pro: That basket is good for more than just carrying balls to the range

A great drill you can practice at the driving range involves using a training aid that comes with your bucket of balls — the basket itself!

Next time you are practicing at the driving range, take the empty basket and place it against the top of your chest — open side against chest (see picture). Take your normal grip and then make half-swings, keeping the basket connected to your chest. The basket will help you do two things: 1. It will widen the arc of your swing on both sides of the ball, and 2. It will prevent you from throwing your hands at the ball.

The connection of the basket against your chest and the inability of your hands to overwork will force you to rotate your body and pivot nicely into your left side. I like to warm up with about 20 swings of every large bucket with this drill. The key is to not overswing. This is not a full swing drill — just past halfway on the backswing to just past halfway on the follow-through is all you need.

Some courses (think Golf in the Round) have really large baskets. These won’t work. You’ll need a standard range basket.

Paul Phillips is the tournament director at Stonebridge Golf Club in Salt Lake City.