Practising without the ball

[Dabbler]

Hi All, my first post here. I've been playing golf seriously (i.e. once a week average) for around five years now. For the first three years my handicap stayed between 20 & 28. Now it's an 11.3 index. Aside from a two week period when I practised only my chipping and putting, I can honestly say the biggest strides I've made were when I could not visit the range and was forced to improve my swing by swinging the club only, at home indoors. The change has been huge. I truly feel everything without the distraction of hitting a ball. My last two rounds were amazing for me at ball striking. It feels to me as though I know where the club face is pointing throughout the swing. I can draw or fade the ball intentionally now by feeling what I want to do and not by thinking of a mechanical process. Has anybody else found the benefits of whole practice sessions without a ball? The only downside is at the course, the first few swings with a ball can be thin shots since I can't strike the ground inside the house.