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9 steps to make the swing change you desire

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While I don’t know what swing changes you’re currently trying to make, I do know how to ingrain those changes into your swing.

Hint: It’s not mindless repetition on the range.

While repetition is necessary to make a change, it’s more crucial to make correct repetitions, obtain proper feedback and have a comprehensive understanding of why certain things happen in your swing. Sadly, most of the golfers I see practicing are in a boastful ball-hitting contest to see who can outlast the other on the practice tee, and for that reason they usually don’t see any improvement.

The most efficient practice sessions utilize quick, focused bursts of practice swings, rehearsals at partial speed and full test swings to gain the desired feeling. Then it’s off to the golf course to test the translation between the range and course. You want full attention on quality, NOT quantity.

Follow these eight steps to ingrain the swing changes you want to make this summer. 

Have an understanding

Make sure you have a proper understanding of the fundamental you’re trying to change and why it makes the most sense for you swing.

The best-case scenario would be to work with your instructor to come up with a long-term practice plan. If you don’t, then it’s easy to get off track or focus on the wrong things. There are many programs you can find on the Internet to help you develop a better practice plan. I suggest finding one of those if you have any issue guiding your practice sessions effectively.

Locate the correct position

Visually locate the correct position through video or using a mirror in real time so you can begin to understand and feel what’s “correct” for you.

Correct vs. Incorrect

While choreographing this new move in real time, make sure you understand all the pieces that lead to the correct and incorrect movements.

Use your mirror to audit correct versus incorrect positions by taking slow-motion practice swings and stopping in the positions where you tend to error. Once you have identified the correct and incorrect positions, you can feel the difference between the two. This will allow you to slowly embed a correct position into your swing and more easily identify when you get it wrong.

Slow-motion rehearsals

Now work yourself into the correct position in super-slow motion in a mirror and hold that correct position statically (for a few seconds if possible) so you gain more of a feeling of what you’re trying to do.

Slow-motion swings are good because they give you a chance to actually guide the club and feel where it’s supposed to go. When people try to improve their golf swing without starting in slow motion, they tend to not make enough high-quality correct repetitions. By using slow motion, you can increase the probability that you will make more correct repetitions.

Work up to full-speed swings

Work yourself back into the correct position with slow-motion swings on the range and repeat until you are back up to full speed with your short clubs.

When going back to hit full shots, I would start with a shorter club first. After making successful strikes, I work my way up through the bag. If at any time I struggle, I go back to smaller swings using shorter clubs. If things blow up on the golf course, I’d recommend swinging easier with an extra club to slow yourself down.

If it’s too fast, return to Step 3

If you’re having trouble, go back to Step 3 and make sure that you are indeed in the correct positions you need to be in. If you still don’t improve after the second try, find a teaching professional in your area who can take a quick look at your golf swing.

Repeat full swings through the bag, up to the driver

All clubs have generally the same mechanics and feels when hit off the ground. Yes, your angle of attack will change slightly, but for the most part your swing should feel similar from club to club. The driver, being longer and having the least amount of loft, will be more difficult to hit at first because your misses will be worse. This should improve very rapidly, however, after a practice session or two.

Lose the feeling? Return to Step 1

If at any time you stall out on the feeling or lose it all together, go back to Step 1 and begin the process all over again. If you feel lost during a round, use shoulder-high to shoulder-high swings, trying to find the center of the face. If this doesn’t work, then I would schedule an appointment with a teacher.

Stick with it

So you’re starting to feel comfortable with your swing and the changes have taken place, but you get under pressure and start to go back to your old habits?

Under tournament pressure, we often revert back to old patterns. If you continue to practice and play diligently, however, that will become a problem of the past.

This process will take some time, but I promise that you will begin to improve and solve your swing problems much more quickly if you follow these steps. Take your time and have some fun!

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Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at [email protected] and he welcomes any questions you may have.

16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. martin

    Aug 1, 2015 at 7:16 am

    Thanks!
    This article is very good!!! Of course you have to put in a lot of hours, and follow the plan all the way, but since I love practising thats no problem. Thanks again!

  2. ??????????????? vios

    Jul 31, 2015 at 10:47 pm

    Having read this I believed it was rather informative.
    I appreciate you spending some time and energy to
    put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending a significant amount of time both
    reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

  3. Cris

    Jul 30, 2015 at 3:29 am

    Great article. Quick question, you reference looking up some practice plans on the internet. Is there any practice plan that you have used in the past or have seen been used with some degree of success?

    Thanks!

  4. Bob Jones

    Jul 29, 2015 at 1:04 pm

    Exactly. Going through the bag after I have figured out what I’m supposed to do, I’ll start with my 9-iron and stick with it until the change feels part of what I do now. Only then do I start in with the 8-iron. One club at a time, and if the next club isn’t working, back to the previous club for a while. That, and don’t expect the change to sink in (so it comes out without thinking on the course) for at least three or four months of steady practice.

  5. other paul

    Jul 28, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    I have tried both. Tried to copy Kuch. It hurt my back. Now I read Kelvin Miyahira and try to copy something between Bubba, and Tiger 2000 swing. More distance, and no back pain during my swing.

  6. JillC

    Jul 28, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    Very accurate article! From many years of experience, the range allows you to groove and time flawed swings. You need to understand each position fully and video yourself. This is the key to positive gains IMHO. I can slowly progress through the steps, then pull the trigger over a range ball and see on video, it ain’t right yet! Back to slow, then half swings, etc. I’m a 4 handicap and cannot believe the bad habit I have fallen into. iPhone and video is the way to go. BTW, try UberSense – Technique. The newest version is better than anything out there IMHO.

  7. Tiger

    Jul 28, 2015 at 2:07 am

    I’m putting in the reps but it is a process. I can do it in the range but not the course. On the course my glutes are just not firing.

    • Christosterone

      Jul 28, 2015 at 1:01 pm

      How’s the spin rates

      • Christosterone

        Jul 28, 2015 at 7:18 pm

        The “spin rates” comment was so funny and clever. Keep up the good work.
        -Christosterone

        • Christosterone

          Jul 30, 2015 at 7:23 pm

          I thought you’d like this comment the most
          -Christosterone

  8. TimJHU

    Jul 27, 2015 at 8:46 pm

    From a teacher (of music not golf) I use simple sequences like this all the time! Very effective and informative.

    • Steve

      Jul 28, 2015 at 3:29 pm

      As a music teacher you heard of a great jazz guitar player named Pat Martino. What he said about learning guitar, I think applies to golf. From Pat ” learn everythng you can, then forget it all and just play”

      • TimJHU

        Jul 28, 2015 at 10:32 pm

        Absolutely…tons of parallels bw music and golf. Playing technical exercises and scales (ie doing drills) helps tremendously but great players of their instruments don’t think technically. They focus on singing the song, not how the vocal chords vibrate. I’ll check out that book…thanks for the recommendation.

      • TimJHU

        Jul 28, 2015 at 10:33 pm

        Oops…for some reason thought you said he wrote a book. Sorry

  9. Steven

    Jul 27, 2015 at 4:21 pm

    Great suggestions. I am going to give them a try.

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Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

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Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

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How a towel can fix your golf swing

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This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

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Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

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