Three Drills To Groove Your Swing
By Jack Moorehouse
What's the key to a great golf swing? Some golf teacher say great tempo. Others say excellent rhythm. Still others say solid ballstriking. Not one knows for sure. A complex sequence of events, the golf swing defies a simple explanation, even from recognized experts. In other words, if you talk with five teaching pros, you'll get five different answers to the key to a great golf swing.
But there's one thing every teacher agrees on. A golf swing works best when a player strikes the ball with the clubhead square to the line of flight, pointing at the target and with the right angle of attack. It’s the one constant that all great golf swings share. This constant serves as the foundation for many golf lessons and golf tips. To develop a great golf swing—and slash your golf handicap—you have to grove the correct swing mechanics. Below are three drills that will help y do that.
Full Swing Review
Before discussing the drills, let's review the basics of the full swing. The five stages of a golf swing are set-up, takeaway, backswing, impact, and follow-through. If each stage is executed properly, the player will strike the ball at the bottom of his or her swing at exactly the right time and in exactly the right position. The five stages are as common to your swing as they are to Greg Norman’s, Arnold Palmer’s, or Sergio Garcia’s.
The setup is critical to a good swing, a point I stress in my golf lessons. The swing's foundation, it's the one component you completely control. The takeaway is also critical. Mistakes here force you to make destructive adjustments later on. In my golf instruction sessions, I say that the first 24 inches or so of the takeaway often determines the type of shot that results. The backswing begins at the top of the swing. Try for a smooth transition to your downswing. Impact is the most important stage of the swing. The clubface must be square for a solid hit. Now, follow-through to a balanced finish.
High-Tee-Height Drill
This drill promotes a shallow swing arc, a longer flat spot through the swing, and a more penetrating drive that draws. First, tee the ball up high (at least one inch above the turf). The top half of the ball should be above the clubhead. Take your normal setup position with the driver. Now replace your driver with a 3-wood or a 5-wood. Next, line up the clubface level with the ball. Now take a swing.
When you swing, swing back at 75% percent of your normal speed. Swing down and through, concentrating on sweeping the ball cleanly off the tee. If you pop the ball up or dribble a grounder, you haven't swept the ball off the tee. Take several swings, then switch to the driver. Repeat the sequence as often as you want.
The Correct Wrist Drill
This drill teaches you to create width in your backswing. It also promotes a low angle of attack, a long flat spot through impact, and the maintenance of the correct height during the backswing. Take your normal set-up position with the driver. Place the clubhead 12 inches behind the ball. Now swing the club at about 90 percent your normal speed.
The drill gives you a running start to a correct swing path, with the wrist remaining unhinged. It also pre-sets your club on the perfect swing path, with the clubface square. Jim McLean used this drill while giving golf lessons to Brad Faxon, as he explains in his book Golf Digest's Ultimate Drill Book. Brad tended to overextend during the backswing. The drill helped.
Square Clubface Drill
This drill encourages you to assume a square position at the top of your swing, so that returning it true to the impact position requires no manipulation of the club with your hands. It's a simple drill that works well.
Take your normal set-up position, with the clubface square to the target. Swing the club halfway back, consciously thinking about working it into a toe-up position. Now turn your body to face the club, and drop the club straight down on the ground. It should point in the same direction as at address. If not, you need to work on squaring up your clubface. I've detailed this drill in my golf tips before.
These three drills are just a sample of the many drills designed to grove swing fundamentals. Practice them as often as you can and they will pay-off. You'll see your scores and golf handicap take a dramatic turn in the right direction.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros." He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.
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