Have you ever heard of the single plane golf swing? 

Lots of golfers feel that it’s a simpler way to swing the golf club. Our goal with this article is to help you decide if the single plane golf swing will work for you.

The Mechanics of a Single Plane Golf Swing

The single plane golf swing is used by golfers to help them learn the correct golf swing positions by using only one plane for the backswing, downswing, and impact positions. 

Most golf instructors teach the two-plane golf swing because it’s the most commonly used and the most widely studied. However, there are a lot of advocates for the single plane golf swing. Let’s break down the mechanics of the single plane swing.

1. While addressing the golf ball during your setup, try to mimic the impact position. The easiest way to do this is to keep your hands in front of the clubhead. This will automatically line up the club shaft with your lead arm.
2. During the backswing, be sure to keep your lead shoulder and lead arm on the same plane as you work the golf club to the top. You should also have a small amount of hip rotation during the backswing so that you can keep the same spine tilt that you had while addressing the golf ball.
3. During the downswing, make sure to turn your core while swinging the golf club across your body and to the left.
4. When using the single plane swing, the impact position will look almost identical to the conventional two plane swing. However, there’s a lot less that can go wrong with the one-plane swing since it requires less movement.
5. During the release, you want your lead knee to be flexed but not too stiff. The trail foot will remain quiet as the trail arm folds. This keeps the overall swing nice and stable.

Pros and Cons of The Single Plane Golf Swing

We often talk about how there is no perfect approach to building a smooth, effective golf swing. It’s the same case with the single plane swing, as it has its advantages and disadvantages. 

Here are some of the pros and cons of this swing.

Pro #1: The Single Plane Golf Swing is Easier to Repeat

When creating a smooth, effortless, but powerful golf swing, repeatability means more than being mechanically perfect. To play exceptional golf and shoot lower scores, a golfer must learn how to minimize their thoughts during the swing. 

A golf swing that is easy to repeat is a huge advantage because it will eventually feel like second nature to the golfer. This will help the golfer quiet his mind and not overanalyze every aspect of his swing.

Pro #2: Simplicity

Golf is a difficult game to learn and impossible to master. A key to being successful is to simplify the swing as much as possible. 

The one plane swing accomplishes this because it doesn’t have nearly as many moving parts as the traditional two plane swing.

Pro #3: Promotes a Natural Draw

Do you struggle with a slice? The single plane golf swing may be just what you need to remedy that huge banana ball that is plaguing you. 

Golfers that have switched to a single plane swing have noticed that it’s much easier for them to draw the golf ball and hit more fairways.

This is because keeping the arms and shoulders on the same plane results in a flatter swing. This creates a swing path that is more in to out, which promotes a natural draw.

Con #1: The Single Plane Swing Can Limit Power

This point hasn’t been proven but lots of golfers feel like the single plane swing limits their yardage, especially with the larger clubs like the driver and fairway woods. 

Many golf instructors think that this is because the left arm has to stay so close to the body during the one-plane swing.

Other folks argue that their power is not limited by the smaller arc of the single plane swing because they use more rotational force. It remains to be seen which camp is right on this issue.

Con #2: Tough to Hit a High Power Fade

Most golfers who are long off the tee prefer to hit big power fades. Some folks believe that fades are easier to control. 

Since the single plane golf swing promotes a natural in to out swing path, it can be very difficult to hit a fade while using it.

Con 3: Can Lead to Hooks

Though rare, using a single plane golf swing can start to cause hooks. Again, this is due to the in-to-out swing path and the sweeping force that is required to execute the one plane swing properly. 

Golfers who have especially fast hips often aren’t a good fit for the single plane swing for that very reason.

When Golfers Typically Use This Swing

There are lots of reasons why golfers use the single plane swing. Here are some of the most common…

1. Golfers Who Are Just Starting Out

The single plane swing is used by tons of beginner golfers because it is much easier to learn than the two plane swing. Many golfers who are just starting to learn the game will be more comfortable with the single plane swing.

2. Golfers Who Are Lacking Consistency With Their Swing

Though the two-plane swing is more commonly taught, it can be a real beast to figure out for some golfers. 

Lots of folks get fed up with all the moving parts of the two-plane swing so they decide to give the single plane swing a shot. Many golfers love how much their consistency improves when they switch to the single plane swing.

3. Folks Who Want Better Ball Striking

The single plane golf swing makes it much easier to make solid contact. Making better contact usually leads to more distance and more precise accuracy. 

If your ball striking isn’t quite what you think it should be, consider trying the single plane golf swing.

Pro Golfers Who Use This Swing

Though the two-plane swing is the top choice for most PGA Tour pros, several pro golfers use the single plane golf swing. Here is a brief list:

Moe Norman

Norman is known as the father of the single plane golf swing by much of the golf world. Many people consider Norman to be the greatest ball-striker of all time. 

Though the Canadian native only played for a short time on the PGA Tour, he achieved 55 victories on the Canadian Tour.

Ben Hogan

Mr. Hogan experimented quite a bit with his swing but he did utilize a single plane swing during some of his best years on the PGA Tour. Like Norman, Hogan was a master at keeping his address position and impact position on the same plane. 

Hogan went on to win 64 times on the PGA Tour, 9 of which were major championships.

Todd Graves

Graves never made it to the PGA Tour but he did play professionally on the Canadian Tour and the Asian Tour. Graves teaches golfers from all over the world the finer points of the single plane swing. 

Jim Hardy

Hardy played pro golf on both the PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour. He is a big proponent of the single plane golf swing and is a world-renowned golf instructor. 

Hardy was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.

Drills to Help You Nail This Swing

Want to practice the single plane golf swing? There’s a fantastic six-step drill video included at the end of this article to help get you started. Here is a quick breakdown of the important points for each drill in the video.

Drill #1

The main focus of the first drill is to work on turning the legs and hips. You want to make sure that the trailing hip turns in and that the head remains still throughout the process.

Drill #2

The second drill emphasizes the first two-thirds of the backswing. Lots of people would refer to this as the takeaway drill. The goal is to work on the proper wrist hinge and on keeping the left arm close to the body.

Drill #3

This drill focuses on making a full backswing. You want to cock the wrists and let the hands release at impact

Drill #4

This is a good drill to help you get used to the proper impact position. With this drill, simply graze the golf club along the ground until it goes past the lead foot.

Drill #5

The fifth drill makes the golfer work on finishing through impact and turning the clubhead over after making contact with the golf ball. This is also a good opportunity for the golfer to work on keeping the head as still as possible.

Drill #6

The last drill focuses on practicing a complete follow-through after hitting the golf ball. The golfer wants to make a full turn with the chest pointing toward the target while finishing the swing.

Mike Noblin

Mike has been involved with sports for over 30 years. He’s been an avid golfer for more than 10 years and is obsessed with watching the Golf Channel and taking notes on a daily basis. He also holds a degree in Sports Psychology.

Source link

Our regular readers will know that my shoddy long game forced me to master the art of scrambling and my short game. Had I failed to succeed in those departments, I would never have played at the level I did as a youngster. So, in this guide, I introduce you to the 9 best short game drills to help lower your handicap.

Since we already have a guide on the 8 best putting drills, this review will focus more on pitching and chipping. In addition to providing drills, I will teach beginners and high handicappers how to play different types of chip shots.

1. Posture And Ball Positioning Drill

The first drill to undertake when you reach the practice green is arranging your posture and ball position. Your short game drills will not improve your chipping skills if you get this part wrong.

This drill requires 2 alignment sticks. Place one on the ground and then connect the second one at a 45-degree angle.

The ball should be just ahead of the vertex, and your nose should align with it. Next, the toes of your back foot should be 2 inches from the alignment stick pointing towards you. Conversely, the heel of your front foot should remain a couple inches from the same stick on the other side.

When you are in this position, your body positions the weight forward to allow your clubhead to get under the body and generate spin. If your nose is not above the vertex, your weight distribution is off, and it will impact the low point of your chip.

You can read our detailed guide on how to improve your stance for added consistency in all areas of your game.

2. Swing Path

The second drill to execute before hitting a few balls is your swing path. An in to out or out to in swing will cause your ball to curve away from the target. It is vital to square the face at impact for optimal accuracy.

James Sieckman from Titleist recommends employing 2 alignment sticks to undertake this task. Position one stick on the floor, aiming parallel to your target. Then set up the other three-quarters back of the first stick, and angle it parallel to your shaft:

Take 10 practice swings without striking the ball, and focus on not hitting the second alignment stick. Once you have had 10 practice swings, start chipping or pitching without touching the angled alignment stick. You will notice a big difference in the accuracy.

3. One hand shots

Your short game often revolves around feel. There are no distance markers around or on the green, meaning you need to rely on your feel and experience for optimal distance control.

Over the years, I have found one-handed shots to be a great way to warm up and get a feel for your clubhead, the turf, and the conditions. In addition, one-handed shots help you understand the bounce of your wedges and how it enables you to get under the ball and generate optimal spin.

Besides learning to trust the bounce of your wedge, this chipping drill helps you improve your ball striking ability. The cleaner that you strike a chip shot, the higher the spin, control, and accuracy will be.

4. Coin chipping drill

Staying with ball striking, we turn attention to the coin chipping drill. The purpose of this exercise is to understand where your clubface should be at the low point of your swing. If your low point is too early, it could cause your club to take a chunk of turf, resulting in a fluffed chip.

Conversely, if your low point is too late in your swing, you may struggle to launch your ball and optimize your spin. Leading to a loss of control and accuracy.

The solution involves a coin, and it is one of the great chipping drills. Place a coin slightly in front of your ball, and take a swing. You want to catch the ball cleanly but get under it enough to generate spin. If you execute the swing successfully, the coin should launch into the air with the ball.

If you miss the coin and there is a divot behind your ball, your low point is too early. Conversely, if you touched the coin, but did not get it airborne, you reached your low point late.

5. Hula Hoop Chipping Drill

This is one of the fun chipping games for amateurs to undertake and reminds me of the mobile game Golf Clash. The idea is to get as many shots as possible into a hula hoop, which helps you master where to land chip and pitch shots.

Identify various locations on the green where you would like to land the ball and place hula hoops on the ground. This drill also helps enhance your muscle memory to know how hard to hit each shot. Increasing your chance of landing the ball in the desired zone, when you are on the golf course.

You can even make it into a challenge with a golf buddy. Each player hits 10 shots, and you get a point for every ball that remains in the hula hoop. Naturally, the player with the most points after 5 attempts wins whatever you are willing to wager.

My golf coaches were less forgiving and made me practice a similar drill. However, they placed a 1.02-inch South African five Rand coin on a spot and made me attempt to hit it as many times as I could. If I did it 20 times in 50 shots, I got a sleeve of Maxfli Noodles.

6. Lines In The Sand

A Bunker shot is the worst enemy of many amateur golfers. For example, my playing partner. He was a scratch golfer in his youth, now he struggles out of the sand. As a junior, I spent hours working on my bunker play, and I love the challenge of these shots.

A drill that worked for me was a combination of lines in the sand and the hula-hoop practice routine. European Tour Pro Matt Nixon demonstrates how to set up for this drill, but I will take you through the steps:

Firstly, draw 2 parallel lines in the practice bunker, spaced one to 2 inches apart. The front line is where you place your ball, and the backline is where the low point of your downswing occurs. You need to catch the sand first and allow the bounce to push it through the dirt and connect cleanly with your ball.

Once the lines in the sand are drawn, corkscrew your feet into the sand. That increases your traction and enables you to lower your center of gravity to get your sand wedge under the ball.

Next, ensure that you open your clubface to increase your chance of getting the ball airborne and aim a yard left of your target. An open clubface is likely to start the ball right of where you were aiming. That is why you need to shift your feet left slightly to compensate.

7. Square face drill

I mentioned the importance of keeping your face square on-chip and pitch shot. Now, let me show you how to improve this aspect of your swing. Follow the steps provided in the one-hand shots drill, but focus on striking the ball with a square face.

Grip the club with your strongest hand, take an easy backswing, and follow-through. Don’t worry about the distance. Pay attention instead to the position of your clubface at impact. As well as where the leading edge is facing on your upswing.

If you execute this drill successfully your ball will launch straight at the target. Plus, the leading edge should face the pin after your upswing. Basically, the aim is to avoid turning your clubhead over at impact for a straighter launch.

8. Prevent Fall Back

No guide to short game drills would be complete without including the wise teachings of Butch Harmon. The legendary coach has mentored some of the world’s best golfers and knows his way around a short game drill.

He advises that you work on positioning weight on your front foot to prompt the clubface to strike the ball at the low point of your downswing. If your weight is on your back leg, it becomes difficult to attack the ball and generate sufficient clubhead speed to prompt supreme spin.

Harmon recommends that you place a ball under your back foot, forcing you to position more weight on your front foot. Therefore, it sets you up for an aggressive impact, which will deliver the spin, apex, and control you desire.

This exercise helps you optimize shots off tight grass, such as from the fairway. Placing your weight forward enables you to drive the clubface under the ball to get it up in the air. When you play a shot off of fluffy ground, this position causes the clubface to connect too far beneath the ball, leading to a whiff.

9. Master the grain

Drill 8 focused on preventing fall back to get under the ball. In this final drill, the aim is to adjust your weight depending on the grain of grass you hit from.

When you play from a tight lie in the fairway, you must keep your weight on the front foot to get under the ball and launch it.

Conversely, when you are on a fluffy lie, you need to reposition the weight to your back foot.

Placing your weight on your trail leg prompts the club’s bounce to take over at the bottom of your swing arc. That propels the face towards the ball to induce a clean strike for consistent spin and distance.

To practice this drill, employ Harmon’s golf ball under the necessary foot to get used to the feeling of forward and back mass.

If you execute this drill successfully your ball will launch straight at the target. Plus, the leading edge should face the pin at the completion of your upswing. Basically, the aim is to avoid turning your clubhead over at impact for a straighter launch.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

Source link

I often hear amateurs talk about tempo and rhythm as if they are one and the same. The failure to distinguish the difference means one struggles to fix any challenges that arise. That’s why I have compiled a list of the 9 best golf tempo drills to help you master your swing.

Like in music, tempo represents the pace of your golf swing, while rhythm refers to the transition from hip and torso rotation to arms and club release. They are not the same, but your tempo impacts your rhythm. When the mechanics of your swing transition fluidly from one stage to the next, you enjoy a consistent golf swing.

In this post, I will prescribe various golf drills that are easy to practice. While some require training aids, you can do most of them with the equipment you have on hand.

(If your tempo is on the level of Bobby Jones or Ernie Els, you may prefer to spend the time researching the 5 different types of golf swings instead.)

1. 1, 2, 3, 1 Drill

The challenge many golfers have is that they swing slowly on their backswing but force the release of their arms, torso, and hips. That causes the hips to clear first and leaves the club lagging behind and swinging for out to in.

Bobby Jones had one of the finest swings in the world of golf, which was made possible by his great tempo. Every element of his swing flowed together without forcing it. Martin Hal from the Golf Channel explains that Jones’ arms accelerated at an average of 34-feet per second, allowing him to generate 113 mph of clubhead speed.

The point is a smooth transition from backswing to downswing through impact should improve your ball striking consistency, accuracy, and distance.

A simple drill to get you started is counting 1, 2, 3, 1 during your swing. According to Hall, this helps you achieve the ideal 3:1 swing ratio. Meaning it should take three times longer to reach the top of your backswing than it does from there to impact:

Set up for your shot, with the ball positioned correctly in your stance and on your backswing count 1, 2, 3. You should be at the top of your swing when you reach three. Then, count one as you lead the golf club to the ball.

The purpose of this tempo drill is to get you into the habit of following the count. If you count to three and your clubhead is not at the top of the backswing, your tempo is either too fast or slow.

2. Slow Swings

On days where your tempo is off and bad shots flow in abundance, it is difficult to identify where your golf game is going wrong. A handy drill to help you achieve a proper tempo is to swing slowly and increase the speed.

You ideally need a launch monitor for this drill to help you determine if your swing speed matches the required rate. Start by taking your standard full swing and see what clubhead speed the device registers. Take three to five additional full swings and check the averages.

Once you know your average full swing speed, the next step is to get out the calculator. Workout what speed is a quarter, half, and three-quarter swing.

Once you have those speeds jotted down, set up and hit five to ten shots at 25%. That will take your mind off the complexities of swing mechanics and allow you to focus on rotation, timing, and ball striking.

Next, ramp up the swing speed to 50%, then 75% until you reach your peak speed. This drill helps you understand how to combine your arms, hips, torso, and club without overthinking your shot. It also helps you achieve a better feel of your tempo.

In addition, it teaches you the importance of leveraging the momentum generated from optimal hip and shoulder rotation.

3. Swoosh Drill

This is a basic instruction taught by Justin Bruton. It only requires your driver. The aerodynamic crown produces a swish sound moments after the low point of your swing. Bruton suggests you tee up your golf ball, step back and take a few practice swings:

The goal is simple, the swoosh noise should occur when your clubhead is in line with the ball. If the swoosh comes before the ball on your downswing, you release your clubhead too early. Conversely, when you hear it after the club has passed the golf ball, you let it go too late.

Take as many practice swings as you need until you are satisfied that the swoosh noise happens when needed.

4. Create Resistance

A problem I struggled with at one point was taking the clubhead too far back. It caused my tempo to unravel on the downswing.

Instead of maintaining the 3:1 backswing to downswing ratio, I was pushing a 3:2. That meant I took double the time to get the clubface from the top of my swing to the ball, causing a loss of distance and accuracy.

I started focusing on posture to control my backswing for an improved path and plane. Whenever I had the chance, I would set up for a shot as I would on the golf course, but without a club in my hand.

The next step is to flex your core muscles making your body feel like it is one, and every component needs to play its part for you to pull off your shot. It also creates tension and promotes optimal hip and shoulder rotation.

Fold your arms, and start your imaginary backswing through impact. You should feel how your lower body, hips, and shoulders worked in sync during the process. Once you understand how great tempos feel, think about this drill during every round of golf, and you will start to shave strokes off your game.

5. Grip Training

So far, I have provided golf swing tempo drills that do not require a training aid. However, a training aid is central to this exercise. The SKLZ Tempo Grip trainer works on three areas of your game. Firstly, it encourages the ideal grip pressure to help you release your clubhead on the downswing.

Secondly, it is a heavy design and requires you to activate your muscles for maximum power at impact. If you do not use your muscles, it leads to less clubhead speed which impacts your distance.

Finally, this device is angled with the end of the stick higher than the grip. That forces you to release the endpoint of the swing stick to get it on plane for impact. Repeating this process will improve your muscle memory to repeat this motion from the first tee to the eighteenth green.

If you are more comfortable using a specific training aid over what you have, look at the SKLZ Tempo Grip here.

6. Breathe In, Breathe Out

The breathe-in, breathe-out drill is built on the same premise as the 1, 2, 3, 1 exercise I discussed before. It is a simple process. Take a deep breath on your backswing, and exhale on your downswing. That helps a golfer maintain your tempo from your takeaway until impact.

7. The Orange Whip Swing

The Orange Whip training aid is used by two hundred professional golfers. Including PGA Tour star Phil Mickelson. Although it doubles as a warm-up tool, this device trains you to maximize the use of your muscles and rotation for optimal distance.

The weight of the training aid prompts you to rely on the momentum from your rotation to deliver consistent clubhead and ball speed. When you swing your standard club on the course or at the driving range, you should have no problem achieving consistency.

8. The Metronome

If counting doesn’t work for you, there is the option of employing a metronome. Get the metronome operating and grab a mid-iron. Listen to the metronome’s speed and use it to guide your swing.

On the first click, commence your takeaway, and on the second one begin your downswing. Repeat this process until it is ingrained in you. In all reality, despite the macho image of a golfer, dancers and musicians should have an easier time conquering the tempo of their swing.

9. Right, Left

The final tip I have for you is a simple approach to ensuring that your weight is in the correct position at the required moment. Now, the steps in this drill are designed for right-handed golfers. That means that the opposite applies to lefties.

Set up with your clubface behind the ball. On your backswing, say right. Follow that up with a left on your downswing. When you say right, your weight should be shifting to your trail or right leg.

Conversely, on your downswing, shift your mass to the front foot. Finally, clear your hips at impact.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

Source link

Golf Digest suggests that professional golfers rotate their shoulders an average of 60 degrees during their swing. Amateurs turn their shoulders between 10 and 30 degrees less than the pros.

When your shoulders rotate in sync with your hip turn, you are rewarded with optimal power at impact for explosive ball speed and consistent distance.

So I’ve put together the 9 best shoulder turn drills to improve your swing and increase rotation. The drills in this guide help you activate your full shoulder turn to help you achieve results you never thought were possible.

1. Arm Band Drill

This Swing Correcting band keeps your arms and shoulders in sync during the swing. The band creates resistance to restrict you from releasing your arms too early in the swing. As a result, it forces you to rely on shoulder turn to guide the clubface back and down.

Place the band over your arms until you feel enough tension for your arms to create a V-shape. Once your left and right arm are straight, you can begin your takeaway.

2. Top Down Drill

This is a simple setup to help awaken the shoulders when you are on the range or warming up for a round. Move into your address position and commence your backswing. When you reach the top, hold your position. Then, initiate your downswing and feel the full shoulder rotation.

Your back shoulder should feel as if it is slightly lower than the front. At this time, you should pull out of the shot before your clubhead reaches the ball. Then repeat this process three times.

The final step requires you to take your stance and have a full swing implementing the technique you have just practiced. This drill aims to help you get used to the motion of the accurate shoulder turn.

3. Skipping Stones

ball at the wickets. This instruction proved handy on the golf course by ensuring I optimized shoulder rotation. My coach would give each lad a stone and request us to pretend that we were skipping them across a lake.

If you eradicated upper body rotation, you lost speed, and the release angle was all over. The same lesson applies to golf; with no sufficient torso rotation it is difficult to maximize your power, ball speed, and accuracy.

Grab a stone or a ball, and set up as you would for your standard golf swing. Start your backswing with your chosen object in your right hand, and when you hit the top of your swing, pause. Lower your left hand and pay attention to how much tension is on your right shoulder.

It is imperative to rotate your shoulders and hips and shift the weight to your left shoulder and leg. From the top of your backswing, pretend like you are skipping a stone across a lake and then shift your weight front shoulder and lower body.

You will notice that the object travels further and straighter when you achieve optimal shoulder rotation. But when you get it wrong, there will be a loss of speed, distance, and accuracy.

4. Club Across The Chest

This is another basic drill that you can carry out anywhere with a wall nearby. Take out an iron and place it across your chest, with the grip pointing towards your trail leg. Cross your left and right arm to secure the club and ready you for the drill.

Rotate your torso until your front shoulder is brushing the wall, then shift the weight to your front shoulder. When executed correctly, the grip should gently touch the wall. If it does not touch the wall, you have produced insufficient shoulder tilt, sending the club off your desired swing path.

This training exercise gives you an idea of the impact that rotation has on your plane. When you produce an adequate shoulder turn, you enjoy improved accuracy.

5. Swivel Chair Drill

The swivel chair drill can be carried out from your office as long as you have a swivel chair. Martin Hall teaches you to keep your knees and legs stable while turning your shoulders as far as possible:

Maintaining stability on a swivel chair is difficult at the best of times. However, if you can rotate your shoulders without moving the chair, you improve the control of your core muscles. As a result, you enjoy a better tempo and rhythm, leading to superior accuracy and consistency.

6. Takeaway Drill

Another drill that you can do at home or the driving range is the takeaway routine. All you need is a golf club. Get into position as if you were about to hit a shot. Make sure that your feet are stable and that there’s no movement from your left or right knee.

Use the momentum of the shoulder rotation to take the club head back while resisting with your front shoulder and leg. This is a simple exercise and specifically aims to give you the feeling of a big turn.

Initially, it can be awkward to execute, but over time, a supreme shoulder rotation should be the norm in your swing.

7. Medicine Ball Side Twist

The medicine ball side twist is not a direct golf drill, but it refines the muscles needed for superior shoulder turn. When you go to the gym, get three to five sets of fifteen repetitions with the medicine ball.

Sit down with your legs stretched out and place the medicine ball on your right side. Lift the ball up and use the turn of your shoulders and upper body to maneuver the ball to your left side and repeat the process for fifteen reps.

Not only will this drill increase your core and upper body strength. It will also improve the flexibility of your torso.

8. Hands And Upper Body Synergy

Top Speed Golf explains that your hands, and arms, should reach the top of your swing simultaneously with your upper body. That means that you have achieved a consistent tempo up to that point. When you are in that position at the top, it encourages a full turn from your right hip and shoulder to your left side.

This drill intends to get you focused on bringing your hands and arms to the top of your swing, in line with your upper body.

If your hands are too early to the party, it could cause you to overextend the clubhead and send it off plane. Conversely, if your upper body arrives first, your clubhead may end wide of the body and leave you at risk of hooking your shot.

9. One Handed Swing

Grip a short iron or pitching wedge with your strongest hand, and place your weakest hand across your chest. Set a ball up, and get swinging. This training drill is designed to force you to rely less on the leverage of your arms and more on your shoulder turn.

Naturally, you will not strike every shot cleanly, which is not the point. When you swing back with one hand on your club, you will feel weak, causing you to activate other muscles in your upper body to enhance your power. Plus, over time, this drill will increase your ball-striking abilities.

Golf Shoulder Turn Drills: FAQs

Why Is A Full Shoulder Turn Important In Golf?

A full shoulder helps golfers maximize club head speed. Plus, it increases your chances of getting the club on plane for superior accuracy.

Without a full shoulder turn, you reduce the energy transfer from your trailing side to the front, leading you to a loss of power and distance.

Overall, a full shoulder turn delivers two necessary elements that golfers need for success, distance, and accuracy.

How can I improve my shoulder turn in golf?

If you undertake any of the above drills on this list, you can improve your shoulder turn in golf. However, I recommend starting with three basic drills, the top down, skipping stones, and the club across the chest.

The skipping stones set up gives you a simple drill to practice the transfer of weight from during your backswing through to impact. Plus, the top down drill trains you to shift your mass from your right shoulder to your left on your downswing.

Finally, the club across the chest exercise is a simple way to replicate the motion of shoulder turn throughout the swing.

However, some golfers do not have the physical ability to maximize shoulder rotation. For those players, I recommend learning about the closed coil golf swing.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

Source link

Alignment sticks are useful training aids that enable you to work on all facets of your game. 

From ball position to swing plane to hip rotation drills, you can use it for most parts of your game. My mission is to provide the 10 best golf alignment stick drills to help extract maximum value from your training aid.

But first…

If you don’t yet have a set of alignment sticks, I have found this one from Callaway offers excellent value for money. Plus, they are durable, versatile, and will run you less than $20.

1. Basic Alignment

Let me start with a basic drill for a beginner, to ensure that you are aiming along your target line. 

When you are in your hitting bay at the driving range, pick out a target and point at it with one alignment stick. Next, place the stick on the ground, and ensure that it is aimed at your target. Finally, place the ball no more than 2 inches behind the rod.

Therefore, your ball is now set up to launch towards your target. Once that is complete, get into your stance position, and make sure that your feet aim parallel to your target. 

At this point, you should be ready to execute your golf swing. Your ball should land near the target if you execute the shot correctly. However, an incorrect swing path or off-center strike can send your ball off line, even if your alignment was on point.

2. Ball Position

Keep the training aid in the same position you had it for the first drill, and place a second alignment stick to face you. 

You need to relocate the second stick according to the club you have in hand. For example, if you use a driver off the tee, the second alignment stick should remain aligned with your front heel.

Conversely, if you are playing a long iron shot, you will position the stick in the front center of your stance. In addition, the ball should be in the middle of your feet for short iron or wedges.

You can perfect this element of your game by reading our guide on the 5 simple steps to a perfect stance.

3. Swing Plane Drill

The swing plane drill is a common and simple exercise that helps amateur golfers and professionals improve their swing plane. Keep one of your golf alignment sticks pointed at your target. Stick the other rod into the ground and angle it parallel to your club shaft.

The second stick should stand 12 inches back of the alignment rod and 2-inches inside. Michigan-based instructor Stephanie Wagemann provides a reliable visual aid to guide you through this drill:

Start your takeaway after you are setup and aiming at your target area. Your clubhead and hosel should collide with the top of the angled rod halfway through your backswing. It then follows the line up to the top of your swing. 

As the club comes down towards the ball, it follows the angle of the leaning stick to guide your club on the plane.

When your club is on plane, you stand a higher chance of squaring your face up at impact. That reduces side spin and promotes straighter shots. This drill will help you enjoy consistency in your swing and accuracy.

4. Putting Alignment

Here is a drill to optimize your accuracy with a putter. Before you set up, you need to read the break and speed the green’s speed. I suggest that you stroke 10 putts to figure out the line and pace of your putt. 

If the putt breaks, point the alignment rod at that spot. Follow that up by placing your ball a maximum of 2 inches in front of the stick. Ensure that your feet aim parallel to the breakpoint, and start putting. 

The putting alignment exercise helps you master your setup on the practice green to start your golf ball on its intended line.

5. Putting Pace

Another drill that you can use golf alignment sticks for is to improve your putting pace on long putts. Amateurs often implode when tackling a putt beyond 20 feet. We either leave it too short or ram it well past the hole, leaving little chance to drain the return putt.

This drill pushes you to be more aggressive on your putts so that they pass the hole. However, it helps you control your miss and leaves the ball no further than two feet past the cup.

Place a golf alignment stick two feet behind the hole, and start putting from 20 feet away. Hit 10 putts, and make sure that they pass the flag by no more than 2 feet. If you leave any putts short of the cup, they don’t count, and neither do shots that are further than 2 feet after the hole.

When you get 6 balls into the zone or cup, you have passed the drill and can proceed to the next level.

Position yourself 30 feet from the cup, and repeat the process. Once you putt 6 out of 10 balls into the target zone, proceed to putt from 40 feet, then 50 feet.

By employing this drill into your practice routine, you will stop leaving putts short and have more control on the green. If your putting generally lets you down, these 8 putting drills should improve your luck.

6. Bunker Striking

The alignment sticks are only used to set up for this lesson. Grab one rod and draw 2 lines that are 2 inches apart. These lines should run towards you. The front line is where your golf balls will be placed. Conversely, the black line highlights where your clubface should strike the ground.

With bunker shots, you need to catch the sand about 1.5 inches behind the ball. That helps the clubface get under the ball to send it into the air and out the trap.

Focus on striking the back line with your clubface and let the bounce of your wedge do the rest of the work. This drill is a game-changer for ball-striking confidence out the trap and works to improve your up and down record.

Be sure to aim to the left of your target when setting up to account for your open clubface. That way, you will see better distance and accuracy results.

7. Ball Striking

I have taught you how to improve your ball striking in the bunker. This drill aims to optimize your long and mid-game distance and accuracy. 

Place an alignment stick down facing away from you and position your ball 2 inches in front of the rod. The stick should be further forward in your stance for tee shots than for strikes off the fairway or rough.

The aim is for your low point of the swing to occur once the clubhead passes the stick. If your clubhead hits the rod, either your clubhead is off plane, or the ball is too far forward in your stance. Take a few practice swings and make sure that you get your club on plane to strike the ball cleanly.

8. Shot Shaping

This is a favorite of mine. You can use your alignment sticks to work on your shot shape. It helps beginners hit straighter shots, and superior golfers induce healthier draws and fades. 

High handicappers looking to hit straighter shots can set up the two rods 13 feet in front of you and 3 feet apart. Hit ten shots and try launching the ball between the poles consistently to develop consistently straight ball flight.

Those players who are after a draw or fade can set up one alignment stick 13 feet in front of you. If you wish to practice a draw, your goal is to start the ball to the right of the rod and shape it back towards your target line. Conversely, start the ball left of the rod if you intend to fade it back towards your target. 

Once you achieve 6 out of 10 shots in your target direction, switch to practicing other shapes. The ability to shape the ball helps you escape trouble on the golf course and boosts your scrambling percentage.

9. Train Tracks Drill

The Train Tracks drill is another popular exercise that helps you keep your clubhead on the path. Simply place 2 alignment sticks down facing your target, 18 inches apart, creating a lane. 

Next, set your ball down 2 inches in front of the back rod and position your clubface behind the ball. 

Your mission is to keep your clubhead in the lane on your takeaway and follow through. Employing this formula encourages you to maintain a neutral path and a squared-up clubface. This combination helps you deliver straighter shots for superior accuracy.

Besides your long game, the train tracks drill can be implemented in your putting training. If your putter head is moving all over the place during your stroke, the lanes can help you improve your control and consistency.

10. Weight Transition

The final golf alignment stick drill to focus on has to do with weight transition. Even if your alignment, ball striking, and swing plane are on point, you could ruin your shot due to lack of rotation.

Place an alignment rod into the ground less than an inch alongside your lead hip. Once you strike the ball and clear your hips, your weight should rest on your lead leg. The aim for you is to generate optimal hip turn during your shots so that your lead hip brushes the rod on your follow-through.

If your hip does not touch the alignment stick, you did not sufficiently rotate them. That could lead to a loss of distance and accuracy. 

Similarly, when your hips touch the rod before you’ve struck the ball, you cleared them too early. As a result, you could hook your shot. 

We have an entire guide dedicated to optimizing hip turn in your golf swing. I suggest familiarizing yourself with the concept before taking on this drill.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

Source link

3-putts are the bane of an amateur’s existence. Even with accurate approach shots, the putting green is where it falls apart for casual golfers.

This is due to poor alignment and speed control. This issue prompted me to compile a list of practical lag putting drills to improve your putts per round record.

The drills listed below are ideal for successfully navigating enormous greens. This allows you to confidently get your ball to within a few feet for a 2-putt tap-in. If you hit the green in regulation, that gives you an easy par.

In addition, these exercises improve your alignment to help you judge breaks on longer putts.

1. Measuring Tape (The longer the putt, the longer the backstroke)

When I started playing golf, I was told that the strength of my putt depended on my follow-through and not the backswing. As a result, I took the putter back the same distance for every putt, causing me to leave longer putts short of the cup.

It did not take me long to recognize this flaw, and I adjusted the backstroke accordingly. My coach employed a measuring tape and helped me mark the required backswing length for each distance. Over time, it became like second nature to send the putter head back the desired span for a 5, 10, 20, or even 40-foot putt.

How To Do The Measuring Tape Drill

Pick a target, and set up three balls each 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 feet from the cup. Next, extend the measuring tape to 30-inches, and lock it. This measurement covers the length of your stroke for the different distances.

Roll putts from 5 feet, and get a friend to mark the top of your back putting-stroke on the measuring tape. Record the distance for future reference. Proceed to strike 10-footers and follow the same procedure. Follow this up with 20, 40, and 60-feet putts.

Once your backstroke lengths are determined, return to the 20-foot marker, and take out the measuring tape again. Lock it on the measurement of your backstroke to guide you. This helps you produce the required launch on your takeaway for optimal distance control.

2. Feel The Speed

I saw Phil Mickelson run through this putting drill, which helps you gain a better feel for long putts. This trains you to induce a desirable backstroke length and optimal power on the downstroke for improved speed control:

Phil suggests that you produce the same quantity of energy on your follow-through for each shot. This adds an element of consistency to your strokes. The only variable is the length of your backstroke.

How To Do The Feel The Speed Drill

Lefty does this drill from 40, 50, and 60 feet. Now, as a professional, the greens he putts on are substantially longer than the ones you and I are accustomed to. Therefore, I suggest starting at 20 feet before progressing to 40 and 50 feet.

Place 5 balls at each distance mark, and hit putts to your target. I recommend identifying a spot on the green rather than a specific hole for this exercise. Repeat the task from that range if you do not card a 100% success rate. After succeeding from 20 feet, move on to 40 and finally, 50 feet.

3. Manilla Folder

Long straight putts are difficult to judge as is. However, it enhances the challenge of speed control when you add a downhill slope to the equation. Insufficient pace leaves you with a downhill second putt, risking a bogey.

Conversely, the excess pace could send your ball hurtling to the fringe of the green. You want the ball to trickle down to the cup, leaving you with a simple tap-in for par. The manilla folder drill helps you judge speed precisely.

The idea is to stop the ball on the folder as if it were the top of a slope. Gravity takes over from this point and guides the ball towards the flagstick.

How To Do The Manilla Folder Drill

Identify a point on the green to place the folder, and then measure at 20, 40, and 50-feet intervals. Set 5 balls up on each mark and commence from 20 feet away. Produce 5 successful lag putts that stop on the folder before moving onto the 40-foot setup.

4. Gate Putting Drill (Accuracy)

The first 3 drills revolved around vital speed control. But, if your putter face is not square through impact, it sends your ball off line from the beginning. Therefore, you stand no chance of sinking your putt. The gate putting drill encourages you to square the putter face up at contact to send your ball on your intended line.

Tiger Woods applied this drill to his warm-up routine on the practice green. He placed two tees parallel to each other, approximately 2-inches in front, forming a gate marginally wider than his putter head. He aimed to send the ball through the gate to induce a straight roll.

As a right-hand golfer, he would pull the ball left of the cup if his putter face was closed at impact. On the contrary, his ball would miss right if he left the face open at contact.

How To Do The Gate Putting Drill

Insert two tees into the ground 2 inches ahead of your golf ball. The tees should sit parallel to one another, forming a gate structure. Employ this practice routine 20, 40, and 50 feet away from the hole, working on your accuracy from that distance.

Your mission is to get the ball to within a radius of 3 feet of the hole, ensuring a tap-in 2-putt.

5. Judge The Speed Of The Greens

The challenge amateurs have with lag putting is determining the quantity of force to strike the golf ball with. I recommend employing this putting practice drill in your pre-round preparation. It gives you a feel for the layout of the greens and what you can expect for that day.

Instead of picking a specific hole on the green, putt from one end to the other, watching the break and speed of your roll. If your ball flies off the other side of the green, you need to dial the pace down. Contrarily, short putts require extra oomph to get the ball across the dancefloor.

How To Do The Judge The Speed Drill

Place 5 golf balls on one end of the green, and putt the ball to a designated target on the other side. Stroke the 5 balls and pay attention to the consistency of the roll and the break. The aim is to stop the ball within a 3-feet radius of your target for optimal distance control.

6. In The Zone

In the Zone is one of my best putting drills that adds purpose to your training routine. It gets you into the mindset of stopping your first putts within a 3-feet radius around the cup. However, it also encourages a confident stroke to reduce your risk of leaving a putt short.

I like this drill because it helps you determine your progress by scoring each putt. Your overall mission is to score as many strokes under par as possible, putting from different distances.

Ultimately, this exercise is built to promote confident putts that roll past the hole rather than being left short.

How To Do In The Zone

Grab an alignment stick and position it 3 feet past the hole, then measure intervals of 20, 40, and 50 feet from the flag. Next, place 5 balls at each interval, and prepare to putt.

Start with the closest 5-balls. Every time you sink a putt, it counts as a birdie. But, if you leave it short or blast it further than 3-feet past the cup, it results in a bogey. Tally up your score from the first distance and proceed to the 40-foot mark, and finally, try your luck from 50 feet out.

Once you have putt all your balls, count your overall score. Then repeat the drill to try to improve your personal best score.

7. Leave It Below The Hole

As an amateur, you never want to leave yourself a downhill tester for par. There are too many factors to consider that can cause you to miss the putt and card a bogey. That is why you want your second putt uphill whenever possible.

It is easier to hit a firm, uphill putt than judge the distance of a rapid downhill roll. The leave it below the hole drill helps you judge your strikes to perfection to trickle the ball down to the hole for an easy tap-in.

How To Do Leave It Below The Hole

Hire the services of your trusted alignment stick and place it 3-feet past the cup. Sit 5 balls down on the green at the 20, 40, and 50-foot mark, and stroke the ball. The idea is to stop your golf ball between the cup and the alignment stick, encouraging an easy 2-putt from far out.

You must not progress to the 40-foot mark until all 5-balls are 3-feet below the cup. You must possess a perfect record before continuing.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

Source link

One of my favorite ways to get better at golf is to practice with drills.

Drills narrow down one or two skills and give you a way to focus your practice. If you are a golfer that struggles with hitting down on a golf ball, there are some great drills to help make this considerably easier on you.

I’ve not only tried each of these drills but have also tweaked them a bit to work much better.

Why Hitting Down on The Ball is Important

Hitting down on the golf ball will allow for the full loft, power, and spin of the golf shots you are trying to hit. The golf ball must be struck first, with the divot coming after the ball. In order to do this, you must hit down on the golf ball.

Of course, there are swings with fairway woods and your driver where the ball will be hit more on the upswing. However, for excellent iron play, amateur golfers need to hit down and through their golf shots to get the best possible results.

4 Best Drills to Hit Down on a Golf Ball

1. Hit The Line

The hit the line drill is simple but helps players visualize exactly what impact looks like and how to make your golf swing more efficient. When working on hitting the line, the best way to do this drill is to purchase a can of white spray paint and make sure you have the permission of the driving range to complete the drill.

Step 1: Draw A Line On The Ground 

Set up to hit a golf shot and make a small mark with a tee where the golf ball would be. Once you have this mark, take the paint and draw a straight line of paint on the ground extending out a foot or two to the target. Make sure the line is straight.

Step 2: Set Ball Up

Next, you will set a ball up at the start of the line. When you hit the ball, you are going to attempt to hit the ball first and then clip part of the line.

Step 3: Keep Working down the line 

As you work through your entire practice session, set the ball up this way each time, and have your visualization be that you need to clip a piece of the line each time. When you get really good at this, you won’t need the line there anymore.

Many golfers will hit golf balls on the range like this because it’s good for the turf to grow back as well.

2. Left Hand Dominance Drill

One of the major reasons that golfers have trouble hitting down on the ball are those that try and get their right hand a bit too involved in the swing. The right hand is not the hand that develops the most consistency through the golf ball.

If you want to hit solid shots with tremendous power, the left hand dominant swing is the way to go. Here are the ways to do it.

Step 1: Grip The Club with Your Left Hand Only 

First, you will want to grip the club with just the left hand. Some players will try to take an entire backswing and downswing using the left hand only, but this will take some strength. Most golfers do the best working on this golf swing drill and then make a transition into a full regular swing.

Step 2: Take a Partial Backswing

This drill is all about getting the feeling down. Take about a half to ¾ backswing with your iron in your left hand. Leave the right hand off the club.

Step 3: Create Resistance with Right Hand 

On the downswing, you will want to create an angle of attack that feels like the left hand is pulling the club down through impact. Hold the center of the shaft with your right hand to create a bit of resistance, and the left hand should feel as though it’s pulling down through impact.

Step 4: Try a Full Swing 

Try this a few times, then switch to taking a regular golf shot. Make sure that you are still focusing on rotation in your swing. Your weight should transfer as you never want the upper body to take full control of the swing.

Here’s a video breakdown of this drill:

3. Two Ball Takeaway Drill

The takeaway drill is my favorite drill to fix quite a bit of problems that you can come across in your golf swing. One of those issues is lifting the club too far off the ground on the takeaway. If you lift the club up and alter your spine angle, returning the golf ball to the proper impact position is very hard.

This two ball takeaway drill works well for beginners as well as experienced golfers that need a little pick-me-up and refresher in their golf game.

Step 1: Take Your Typical Stance

The first part of this drill is to take your traditional golf setup. Since this is a drill in which you hit a real golf ball with a full swing, make sure that both your left foot, right foot, hips, and spine angle are correct before you start.

Step 2: Keep The Club Low and Take It Back Slow

I like to do this drill with something like an 8 iron or 9 irons; they are typically forgiving and make the learning curve just a little easier. I put one golf ball in front of the clubface and one golf ball about six inches behind the back of the club head.

The goal is to take the golf club back very low and slow so that it knocks this other golf ball out of the way. When you keep the club low and slow, it makes it much easier to return it to the ground at impact.

So many amateur golfers pick the club fight up at the start of their swing, which creates some performance issues.

Step 3: Ensure a Proper Weight Shift

To make a proper weight shift, you must feel as though weight is moving back to your right foot at the start of your swing, and on the downswing, the weight needs to transfer back to the left foot. This efficient weight transfer creates a ton of power and impressive trajectory.

Step 4: Transfer to a Full Finish

One of the things that I always found most impressive about this drill is that I’m able to compress the golf ball considerably better. I actually get more distance with this drill, even though I’m tapping another golf ball on the back swing.

In addition, when I struggle with poor tempo or feel like my timing is off, I like to use this two ball drill.

4. Golf Alignment Stick Drill

Golf alignment sticks are some of the most effective practice aids that we have to work with. Alignment sticks can be used to work on backswing angles, alignment, angle of attack, coming over the top, and more.

Essentially if you know how to use them, they are one of the most effective training aids golfers have to work with. To have more luck hitting down on a golf ball, I like to use this chipping drill with a golf alignment stick.

P.S. If you don’t yet own a set of alignment sticks, here’s our favorite:

Step 1: Grip Club and Alignment Stick

The first part of this drill feels a little awkward, but you can get used to it rather quickly. Simply grip your golf club and an alignment stick at the same time. The golf club head will be on the ground as it always is, The alignment stick will run in the opposite direction, and it will come up high enough that you have to tuck it under your left armpit.

Step 2: Use a Pitching Wedge or Sand Wedge

I highly recommend using a pitching wedge or a sand wedge here. We are only going to take little swings with this drill to try and learn how hitting down on a golf ball around the green can help you create more spin.

Step 3: Small Swings, Don’t Let Shaft Hit You

The backswing of this shot will feel pretty standard to you. However, for golfers that don’t hit down the ball, the alignment stick’s shaft will likely hit you on the left rib. Do this at a slow pace so you can feel it. The idea is to rotate and turn through the ball so the alignment stick never hits your side.

You may have to make some adjustments to your mindset here as well. I like to start focusing on hitting the back of the ball on the downswing. The alignment stick gets in the way for players that try to lift or flip the golf ball by scooping it.

Step 4: Let Go of the Alignment Stick, Try Full Swing

Once you have done this a few times and you get the concept down, go ahead and put the alignment stick down. At this point, you can start taking full swings and getting that same feeling of hitting down and through the ball as opposed to trying to lift it up out of the grass.

You will notice that your chip shots fly higher, and they stop on the green considerably closer.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children.

Source link

The old-fashioned bump and run is possibly one of my favorite golf shots as it has given me numerous hole outs in 28 years on the golf course.

In this guide, I introduce you to this glorious chip shot and provide a step-by-step guide on how to execute it effectively.

Despite its effectiveness, I barely see amateurs busting it out when they could be saving strokes and improving the up and down record. After I explain how this shot works and why you should be playing it, I will provide some drills that I employ in training to boost my performance.

What is a Bump and Run in Golf?

A bump and run is a shot that sends the golf ball rolling further than it flies. Unlike a standard chip shot, you produce a lower launch and limited bounce for nice topspin and a greater chance of getting it close to the cup.

Your ball is less likely to veer significantly off path when keeping it on the ground, increasing your chances of getting up and down.

To execute this shot, you must place the ball in the back of the stance, align the ball with the toe of your club, and stand the shaft upright. Plus, you need to strike the ball with the toe of your club to take speed off the ball. You need optimal control of the golf club here because if the clubface opens at contact, you will produce too much toe spin and send the ball wide of the target.

As you can see, this is different from your typical greenside shot, where you deal with a shorter shaft and aim to deliver a shot-stopping spin.

I use different clubs for this shot, depending on my lie and the layout ahead of me. However, I never use anything weaker than a sand wedge or gap wedge, but a pitching wedge is my most popular choice for its reduced loft. I feel that a lob wedge generates excessive launch resembling a chip rather than a proper bump.

If I have significant green to cover and the putting surface is quick, I may opt for a 7-wood or a 2-utility iron. These stronger lofted clubs help me induce ample speed and topspin to make it to the cup.

Conversely, you’ll find a gentle pitching wedge nudge with a pendulum stroke is sufficient when you have limited green to play with. On mid-range bump and run shots, I trust my 7 or 8-iron for the job.

When This Shot is Most Useful

Long Chip Shots

I find that a good bump and run works a treat when you have ample green to work with, but the putting surface is lightning, and I am not feeling my putter. The other option is to use a sand or lob wedge and carry the distance in the hope that it generates solid spin and stops rapidly.

However, the higher launch prompted by weaker lofted wedges brings bounce into the equation, which can cause your ball to deflect away from the cup. If the green is pacey, your ball may pick up speed and roll off the dancefloor.

The rolling nature of a bump and run eliminates this stress and allows you to use the contours of the green to your advantage.

Limited Green To Work With

Contrary to the previous point, I also use the bump and run when I have minimal green to work with. I find that a pitching wedge offers a balance of loft, ball speed, and spin for greater control on these shots.

All you need is a light touch, and the weight of the pitching wedge head gently propels your ball towards the cup.

Up Against The First Cut Of Rough

I’m not sure if any readers suffer this fate, but the Golfing Gods love to punish me by placing my ball up against the fringe, or first cut of rough, around the green.

This lie makes it difficult for me to get under the ball for a high launch and soft landing. And if I try to putt it, I may catch the top of the ball and lose speed.

This is the perfect chance to use a fairway wood because it contains weight in the head, minimizes spin, and produces clean turf interaction. Therefore, the clubhead glides through the turf and helps me impart sufficient pace on the ball to make it to the hole.

3 Drills to Practice Getting Better at a Bump and Run Shot

1. One Hand Swing

I mentioned earlier that the setup for a bump and run differs from a standard short game shot, which is why it can take some getting used to. The one-hand swing is a drill that has helped me with feel, ball striking, and distance control on these shots.

The mission is simple. Place a ball on the ground, line it up towards your back foot, grab a pitching wedge in your strong hand and place your left hand behind your back.

Ensure the wedge shaft is upright, then take a quarter-practice swing and follow through. Repeat this five times and get a feel for the shot. Once comfortable, take a quarter swing one-handed and stroke the ball to its target.

Besides familiarizing yourself with the setup, this drill secretly helps you improve your ball striking. This is because you have limited power and rely on a clean strike to produce an element of speed for forward roll. You will definitely induce a few air shots at the start, but it is all part of the journey.

2. Land The Ball on a Coin

The coin drill was probably my favorite as a junior because it boosted my distance control skills. I would sit on the chipping green for hours, trying to land as many golf balls as possible on a coin. This worked for flop shots, standard chips, and the bump and run.

The approach was different with the bump and run since it required limited airtime. I placed the coin closer to my ball than the others and positioned 10 balls.

If the ball landed before the coin, I counted it as a bogey since it didn’t possess sufficient speed to make it to the cup. Conversely, when it landed over the coin, it was also a bogey because it rolled too far past the cup.

Finally, I counted direct hits on the penny as pars, and I refused to move to the next drill until I was a maximum of 4 over par.

3. Varied Lies

As I explained earlier, the bump and run work in various scenarios, including up against the first cut of rough on the fairway or the fringe.

Place five golf balls in each different lie, and position a swing stick 2-feet behind the cup. Your objective is to get the ball to roll past the cup, but not further than the alignment stick.

When your ball lands in the target zone, it counts as a birdie. But if it is short of the hole or passes the stick, it is a bogey.

Your mission is to finish at least -5, and if you can’t, you repeat the drill.

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

Source link

Some golfers can admit to the fact that the main reason they are a high handicapper is because of bunkers.

If it’s still taking you more than one swing to get out of the bunker, it’s time to make a change in your game. Not all high handicappers can stick the ball close to the pin, but getting out of the bunker in one swing needs to happen every time.

Here are the best bunker drills you can use to increase confidence and performance and hit your target score.

1. Big Backswing Drill

One of my favorite drills for teaching high handicappers to get out of the bunker in one shot is the big backswing drill. When players hit their shots into green side bunkers, they often fear their ability to get the ball out of the sand.

With this fear comes a lack of confidence, which brings about a swing that includes some deceleration.

If you want to hit a good bunker shot, you must have plenty of acceleration and a big enough backswing. In addition, the finish should be high and complete.

How To Do The Big Backswing Drill

The big backswing drill is truly a simple drill that you can do in any greenside practice bunker. Take a few golf balls and your favorite current sand wedge down to the bunker. Put the golf balls in a spot in the center of the bunker, not on a slope.

Ensure that your setup is perfect and you are lined up toward your target.

Instead of taking a small backswing and trying to lift the ball out, take a big backswing and hit about an inch behind the ball. Continue that backswing speed through impact and get to a higher finish.

The first few times you do this, it may feel a bit awkward and inconsistent.

More than anything else, amateurs need to learn the mental side of playing these greenside bunker shots.

Learning to take these big swings with an open face and hit the sand behind the ball will only help you become a better player around the greens.

2. Line In The Sand Drill

Perhaps the most common bunker drill for high handicap golfers is the line in the sand drill.

The idea behind this drill is to teach players what the weight distribution, set up and overall mechanics of a greenside bunker shot look like.

Keep in mind this is not a drill for the fairway bunkers.

All you will need is a practice bunker, your wedge, and a few golf balls for this drill.

How To Do The Line in The Sand Bunker Drill

Find a practice bunker where you can work without any other golfer nearby. Setup with a golf ball in the sand and then draw a line back from that golf ball that extends a few feet. This is going to be your practice line.

Setup to this line as if it were the golf ball. You should have a slightly open face, and the ball should be a bit forward or center, closer to your lead leg.

In addition, it makes sense to have a little extra weight on the left side. Don’t exaggerate this feeling as it could end up in delofting your wedge. Simply put about 60% of the weight on the left leg.

Once you have your grip, stance, and set up in place, start taking swings where you do not hit a ball. Instead, you make a perpendicular line across impact with your wedge.

If you do this right, your line in the sand will look like a stack of lowercase “t’s.” This shows the club going into the sand before the line and coming out after the line. A quick session of this will ensure your mindset is right for the next bunker your ball ends up in.

My favorite way to do this drill is to take three swings using the line and then hit one ball. Continue this pattern until it starts to work!

3. Variation of Golf Clubs

The sand wedge is the club selection of choice for most golfers looking to get out of a hazard. However, it should not be the only club that you use. Different clubs have loft and spin characteristics that can help you manage the lie and the location of the pin.

The most common clubs to consider using out of the bunker include:

• Sand Wedge: best overall, typically around 56 degrees of loft, good ball flight, and mid to high spin.
• Lob Wedge: perfect for high lofted shots when the pin is too close, and there isn’t much room to work with.
• Gap Wedge or Approach Wedge: best for the longer greenside bunker shots where you can’t open the face quite as much.
• Pitching Wedge: when there is no lip on the bunker, and you have to go across the green, the pitching can get the trick done.
• Putter: yes, some golfers use a putter out of a greenside bunker. Make sure the lip is lower and the sand is more compact.

You have quite a few tools in your bag to get a golf ball out of a bunker, and learning these may help this part of the game feel a little less overwhelming.

How To Use Variation In Club Choice Drill

Find a practice bunker where you can vary the distance you have to the pin. Take three or four golf clubs with you into the bunker. It’s always best to vary the shots you hit, so it is more like golf course conditions.

I recommend taking three shots with the lob wedge, three with the sand wedge, three with the approach wedge, etc.

Repeat this process until you feel as though you have more than one solution for hitting out of a bunker.

When a player feels stuck with just one shot, it brings up a lack of confidence. Eliminate this by giving yourself more than one tool.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children.

Source link