Golf Loopy Drill check points Flashcards
How to create width in golf swing.
Golf Swing Drill 307. Backswing: Create Width for More Distance
This great drill will quickly help you to hit the ball further and more consistently than ever before.
To perform this drill you will need to create a training device using a tennis ball, a lanyard (or piece of soft string), and some elastic – see Figure 1.
Attach the elastic to the tennis ball. We do this by making a small hole in the ball and pushing a screw anchor (wall plug) into the hole, then screwing a small picture hook into the anchor. You could achieve similar results using a paper clip. A piece of elastic (or a long rubber band) of about 6” (15cm) can then be tied to the hook.
Attach the other end of the elastic to a lanyard, or a similar loop of soft string or cloth, so that the device can be hung around your neck.
Figure 1. Tennis Ball Training Device
Adjust the length of the elastic so that the tennis ball hangs in front of your navel (belly button) when you stand upright with the lanyard hung around your neck.
The Drill
You should perform this drill in front of a full length mirror.
Figure 2. Golf Swing Drill 307 – Backswing: Create Width for More Distance
- Hang your tennis ball training device (see Figure 1) around your neck.
- Start by standing in perfect posture and adopting the perfect address position,
- Remember to roll your ankles inwards slightly,
- Take your left thumb gently in your right palm, in a close approximation to the proper grip.
- Make sure that your right arm is externally rotated and your arms are hanging in the proper position,
- Place the tennis ball gently between your forearms, about 4” (10cm) above your wrists. Adjust the length of the elastic, if necessary, so that there is a small amount of tension in the elastic and the lanyard is pulled taught.
- Do not be tempted to push your shoulders forwards in order to hold the ball, keep them back and down, in good posture.
Wedge play.
Wedge Play
This is also a great drill to improve your wedge play. When the golf swing is shorter, many golfers struggle with a flat “armsy” swing, often resulting in weak shots sent out to the right.
For wedge play, let your right elbow fold in the takeaway move.
Notice how his drill forces you to take the club back more outside your hands, helps to keep you centred over the ball, and creates a steeper downswing plane with your hands more in front of your chest. From here, all you have to do is turn through and deliver the club – a much simpler, efficient and repeatable golf swing!
More Transition Knees
The Left Knee is the Key
Performing this movement correctly has a lot to do with your left knee.
In the backswing, your knee will have been pulled forwards, towards the ball, as your hips turned. Remember that your kneecap should still be pointing ahead of the ball, it shouldn’t “kick in” away from the target or internally rotate too much during the backswing.
Figure 3. Tiger Woods Tush Line.
During the transition, the left hip must pull backwards, away from the golf ball, in order to stay on the tush line. The right hip is pulled forwards as the hips rotate around the left hip socket, but by pulling deep into the left hip the golfer is able to stay on the tush line throughout. If anything, the golfer is pressing further back into this line.
Notice that if he pushed with his right leg, as most amateur golfers do, this would thrust his hips forwards, destroying his posture. Only the left hip pull will keep you on the tush line.
Similarly, in the full swing, your focus should be on getting left and stable, letting your hands just drop straight down, until you are in a position to powerfully rotate around your left hip and pull your arms around back in front of your body.
What is Lag?
Golf club lag is simply lagging the club behind your arms during the downswing, leaving the club behind as the arms swing down. This creates a compound pendulum effect, acting as an energy storage and transmission device that enables you to use the power of the big muscles in your core to create energy, and then to throw that energy outwards into the golf ball, in the form of club head speed, through impact.
Most golfers throw lag away by firing their upper body from the top of the downswing. This may feel intuitively powerful, but it is highly inefficient.
As soon as your upper body starts turning, it generates centripetal force. This force will throw the golf club outwards, losing lag, and this in turn will pull you to the right, stopping you from shifting over to your left in order to strike the ball most effectively.
Too much golf club lag will prevent you from fully releasing the club through impact, and releasing lag so as to generate club head speed through impact is the whole point.
What is the ideal golf club lag? When the club shaft reaches horizontal in the downswing, your hands should be in front of your right thigh, with the butt-end of the club slightly ahead of the center of your stance, and your hands in front of your chest. From here, you can release the lag for maximal club head speed, control and consistency through impact.
