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How far you can actually hit your driver

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This story was selected as one of the 15 best GolfWRX stories of 2015!

For 22 years I have taught golf full time, and the one thing that has NEVER changed is the unrealistic expectations golfers have of how far they think they can drive the ball with their current swing speed.

When I ask students how far they carry the ball and what their average total distance is, the answer is usually grossly inaccurate and overstated 99 percent of the time. It has taken technology such as Trackman and FlightScope, the most popular Doppler Radar systems, to help people truly understand how far they can hit their drives.

For that reason, I’ve provided two charts from Trackman below that show you just how far the ball will carry and roll on PGA Tour-like fairways. The results will probably surprise you, and show that there are far fewer golfers in the world who can actually hit the ball 300 yards without the help of special circumstance.

For swing speeds of 75 mph to 95 mph

Trackman_Optimization_Chart

For swing speeds of 100 mph to 120 mph

Trackman_Optimization_Chart_High_Swing_Speeds

Unless you swing around 105 mph, it’s unrealistic to think that you can carry the ball 250 yards in the air on a windless day at sea level without special circumstances. It’s these special circumstances that golfers tend to recall and focus on when it pertains to their distance output. While this type of vanity driving distance is great for your ego, it is detrimental to your psyche to expect such unrealistic distances to occur.

If you are truly unhappy with your driving distance output, you can see what’s needed to hit the ball farther. The good news is that most golfers do not maximize the distance they can hit their driver for the current speed because of two reasons:

  1. Off-center contact, which decreases ball speed.
  2. An angle of attack (usually too much downward, or negative) that creates less-than-ideal launch conditions.

I hate breaking the bad news to my students that they are not driving the ball as far as they think they are, but in golf, knowledge is power. Know what you actually do so you can know what’s possible for your game in the future.

Note: For golfers who live in areas of the world where the courses tend to be softer, it is often better to follow the “Carry Optimizer” charts from Trackman below, which show the launch conditions that will maximize a golfer’s carry distance. Their the best route to the most distance on fairways where the ball does not roll very much.

For swing speeds of 75 mph to 95 mph

Screen Shot 2015-05-18 at 4.10.29 PM

For swing speeds of 100 mph to 120 mph

Screen Shot 2015-05-18 at 4.10.36 PM

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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.

66 Comments

66 Comments

  1. Pingback: Best 9 how to get 120 mph swing speed - lindaadvisors.com

  2. Pingback: Driver Loft - Golfible

  3. Steve

    Oct 13, 2019 at 2:20 am

    I’ve been in and out the game since 1981,I hit drives in the Australian long drive championships in 1990 and 1991 311m,314 ms,I was no’1 qualifyier both yrs, I used a borrowed demo driver (Taylor made steel shaft,) from the local pro shop.I was 78kgs,but fairly fit,My swing speed (108-110)wasn’t as fast as some of the bruts who thought they could hit it,It’s technique,strong left side of body and great timing.I’m 55 now ,made a comeback 12mths ago after 16yrs without picking a club up,new technology has made it easy for everyone to hit it long,I’m now very unfit,been pensioned off,I’m no where near as strong as I should be yet with 103-106 mph speed I’m still hitting it bout 245 255 m on fly,yer,timing ,and a descent swing speed ,with these new balls and clubs,long distant hits are possible.TIMING..

  4. Jared

    Jul 6, 2019 at 4:36 pm

    I just wanted to clear up a few things about launch monitors and sims that confuse a lot of golfers. The biggest thing is that “Total Distance” means nothing regardless of what monitor is being used.

    Ball speed, Carry distance, and spin are the only things that matter and they are also the stats that Trackman is more accurate with than any other launch monitor. It’s more accurate because instead of guessing with calculations it tracks the ball during the entire flight all the way to the ground.

    I think most people are surprised by Trackman carry numbers because they have used indoor sims and/or Foresight launch monitors. Almost all indoor sims notoriously inflate speed and carry numbers (as well as draw bias). Foresight is more accurate than most sims but it still calculates carry instead of measuring it and is almost always slightly inflated compared to Trackman.

    The other confusing variable here is that different launch monitors and sims measure club head speed differently. For example Trackman measures the center of mass of the club while Foresight measures the fastest part of the club (usually the toe of the club as it is closing through the shot). Most of the time Trackman and Foresight will measure identical ball speed numbers with Foresight having significantly (5-6mph) higher club head speed. For this reason golfers who hit on Foresight or indoor sims think they are swinging faster than they actually are.

    Summary:
    Ball speed is king and is also the most accurate stat to compare between most launch monitors. Your ball speed is THE limiting factor on how far you hit it. You will not be carrying it over 250yds consistently with ball speed less than 155mph. You will not be hitting it as far as most pros if your ball speed is less than 170mph. Sounds simple but very few amateurs have ball speeds over 150mph.

  5. Dmac

    Feb 11, 2016 at 11:00 am

    I play a golf simulator regularly in the winter. I have a swing speed ( on Avg ) of 97 MPH. The carry distance is always around 235-240 yrds… Don’t care about roll-out as I only want to know what I actually fly the ball. I read articles like this and wonder if people really do believe thier own hype. The said trackman numbers don’t meet what I see on a regular basis at the sim. If you can hit it consistantly to or past the average of pros then I am guessing you are in the wrong line of work. Everyone thinks they hit it farther then they actually do, lol.

  6. stephenf

    Jun 6, 2015 at 8:40 pm

    Really, really useful. Thanks. I’m looking at the measurements and they’re almost spot-on with on-course experience (at 107-112 mph, somewhat less if I’m in control mode) — the distances based on slight upswing or dead-level impact are right there. That’s not true at all with many of the charts and monitors I’ve seen, which often put me and other plus-handicappers at distances like 210 carry / 240 total, when the average on-course observations (I’m talking about long-term averages under varying conditions, not best-ever with 15-mph trailing wind, downhill, etc.) are much further than that (50-60 yards or more).

    Definitely saving for future use. Thanks.

  7. Breakfastballs

    Jun 1, 2015 at 12:54 am

    There’s one key aspect that is always overlooked in these conversations. Its NOT about clubhead speed. Its about clubhead acceleration. The more you accelerate through the ball, the further it goes. Newton’s second law is Force = Mass x Acceleration (not speed). The simple fact is that if 2 drives are hit at swing speeds of 100 MPH, the one that accelerates more will go further. I think the golf industry thinks physics is boring since they ignore this concept mostly. This golf industry term “smash factor” (Newton cringing) is an attempt to explain the “phenomenon” of why some swings impart a higher level of force on a golf ball than others. Its called acceleration and its not all that difficult to understand. If more golfers were taught this, I think they could learn to hit it a little further.

    • MHendon

      Jun 3, 2015 at 11:43 am

      Hmmmm interesting, so I think what you are implying is two golf clubs of equal mass swung on the same plane, striking the ball square and dead center both making impact at a club speed of 100mph will get different results if one is still speeding up at impact while the other is slowing down at impact. You may be right but I would assume the difference would be minimal since the ball is only in contact with the face for a fraction of a second.

      • stephenf

        Jun 6, 2015 at 8:41 pm

        I’d like to see the test results myself. I was about to post exactly what you posted.

      • Jack

        Jun 16, 2015 at 2:21 am

        The main difference would be that since the ball doesn’t reflect off instantaneously, it does matter if it’s accelerating or decelerating into the ball. I don’t know by how much, but that should make a difference.

    • Dan

      Jul 8, 2019 at 1:49 pm

      Sorry buddy, this just isn’t true. Not even in the slightest.

      You can’t just debunk smash factor as if efficiency isn’t a thing.

      As another user posted, the acceleration is irrelevant as the ball spends so little time on the face. I suspect you’re just trying to justify the discrepancy between your distance claims and your club head speed. Classic WRX.

  8. Ol deadeye

    May 26, 2015 at 8:56 am

    Ok. I will finally reveal my secret to increasing driver distance. Any driver, any swing speed, any AOA. Add easy 40 yards. I did this eight years ago when I hit 65. Just move up one set of tees. Works every time.

    • Shawn

      Jun 9, 2015 at 11:47 pm

      Or move to Wyoming…we play in Laramie around the end of August (7,200 feet elevation, no humidity, 85 degrees) and you wouldn’t believe how easy it is to hit the ball a long ways!

  9. Mad-Mex

    May 25, 2015 at 12:50 am

    Nice article, BUT, once again, how about REAL measurements! you know, hit it, measure it ?!?!?
    How about this, Trac-Man “calculations” followed with REAL measure numbers ?!?!
    Come on TOM , I CHALLANGE YOU to be a innovator. Measure ONLY carry and disclaim the roll.

  10. Bar

    May 21, 2015 at 9:02 am

    On the roll out thing, I was watching the Tour players at Riviera last year and noticed that they had a monitor on one of the holes just as Hunter Mahan drove off. According to the monitor he carried the ball 245 and it ran out at 309. I live in Ireland where we get backspin with our drives 11 months of the year so I suppose it’s subjective.

  11. Jim Maron

    May 21, 2015 at 8:00 am

    Here’s the problem I have with the launch monitors…when I did a TaylorMade fitting/demo day at Golftec my average numbers were 113MPH, spin 2600, ball speed 167, carry 275, distance 311. Which seems to jibe with these numbers.

    But here’s my problem…That would rank me 2nd on the PGA Tour in distance. And I know better. If I was to play with those guys they would hit it way by me.

    These machines seem to exaggerate distance in my opinion.

    • MHendon

      May 23, 2015 at 1:33 am

      Well Jim my club head speed and ball speed is about the same as yours which means we both swing about avg for the PGA tour. The 275 carry the launch monitor gave you is about what I see on the golf course. The roll however is exagerated. I was just as the Well Fargo in Charlotte last week and most of the pro’s drivers were getting next to no roll unless they where a real low ball hitter. I can tell you I’ve played a few courses that the pro’s play and my drives are in the same spot as most of those guys. Only the bombers like Rory, DJ, Bubba etc. are much longer than me. Point being the launch monitor gave you pretty accurate carry distance but add about 10 for roll and you’ll be about where you really would be on most lush golf courses.

  12. Golfgirlrobin

    May 20, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    Men exaggerating length; there’s a shocker.

  13. E McCall

    May 20, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    These days with most golfers having a laser or GPS device 99% of golfers not knowing how far they hit the ball seems high. I usually laser measure a drive or two each round and check in at around 280 yards total distance on well struck drives and 250-260 on lesser drives. I guess most may not care, but knowing your distances to me is an integral part of course management, and an important part of the game.

  14. Pablo

    May 20, 2015 at 2:51 pm

    Once I start golfing more this season, I might get a lesson to work on my driver swing. I actually haven’t had a driver in the bag for years due to cost, but I’ve demoed several in stores and always have too low launch and too high spin for a low-mid 100 mph swing, I can only presume due to a negative AoA. I didn’t always have this issue, but before I get fit for a driver I want to make sure my driver swing is solid!

  15. Jeff Smith

    May 20, 2015 at 2:02 pm

    Lots of clowns play golf and think they are good. ….clowns have taken to golf

  16. MasterGeezer

    May 20, 2015 at 1:51 pm

    Adjustable lofts on drivers . . . what an improvement! The fairways were I play give up maybe a foot of roll no matter what descent angle or spin rate for 6 months a year. And then summer comes and its time to LOFT DOWN bwaaa haaaa haaaa for some roll out. All with a twist of a wrench.

  17. Tess

    May 20, 2015 at 10:42 am

    Agree with Ryan. I’ve had a – A o A and subsequent high backspin forever and that results in very poor roll-out. My carry distances are similar to my buddies but they get past me with roll. Dammit. lol

  18. Regis

    May 20, 2015 at 9:47 am

    Many years ago I got my first Skycaddie. It had the Mark the ball feature which allowed you to measure the exact distance of your shots. It was an eye opener. That trap on 4 that we thought required 220 yards of carry to cover really only required about 190. Ooops that means that our 240 yard drives are really closer to 210. And it hasn’t gotten better with age. That’s why it always surprises me the number of people who claim to hit it over 250. I play a lot of golf and I just don’t seem to meet them. Great article. Thanks

  19. other paul

    May 20, 2015 at 1:37 am

    I think its funny when people complain about the big roll out numbers. Anyone who lives on the coast is upset. Everyone who lives on the prairie doesn’t mind them. The ground can get dry and hard. I played in Vancouver in January and my ball averaged under 10′ of roll. Now I easily get 30-40 yards back on the prairies with our dry fairways.

  20. Martin

    May 19, 2015 at 5:23 pm

    I am not a Trackman expert, but the machines say I swing around 90mph with a driver and my drivers carry between 200 and 220 as measured by my gps and our supersoft fairways where I live.

    We had two glorious weeks in the past two years where the course was dry enough for me to try for and hit two par fives in 2.

  21. James

    May 19, 2015 at 4:17 pm

    I don’t think these trackman number look right. Those launch angles are stupid low…
    I have data from a foresight monitor that has my average ball speed 155, launch 14.4, backspin 1832, carry 280, total 308….but from these trackman number it says the FARTHEST i can hit it at 155 ball speed is a 250-260 carry?? I know from the course that this is not true

    • MHendon

      May 23, 2015 at 12:18 pm

      Brother I hate to break it to you but the foresight is wrong if it’s telling you you’re carrying it 280 with a 155 ball speed. The 250 to 260 would be about right.

  22. Mat

    May 19, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Tom, those charts are not optimized. 0, +5, they each have raising carries. I don’t care what 0 or 5 are; am I better with 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8? When is high too high?

    We could really use data that matches swing speed with Dynamic Loft, and then we can assess driver Dyn loft – loft to get AoA (right?) and approximate where we should be. For example, if my driver is 105, then what should my Launch Angle be optimally? 14? 15? 19? As such, this chart actually never goes “too far”, so I can’t even extrapolate an optimum DL.

    • A

      May 20, 2015 at 3:21 pm

      That’s because this chart has been cited over and over since 2010, and has never been updated to fill the gaps. Has Trackman not improved on the information, or at least created more detailed charts in the last 5 years than these ones, and the oft-cited PGA Tour Average Driver swing speed of 113mph, with carry distances that follow for each club? Really? That’s all trackman’s got in the distance-charts-graphics game?

  23. kenny

    May 19, 2015 at 1:13 pm

    The roll out distances are irrelevant as we all experience different NORMAL conditions

  24. Jeffcb

    May 19, 2015 at 9:57 am

    Man I’d love to get a tour roll at my course. A 10yd roll out for me ain’t much but thankfully I play at 8000ft so i get some added air time.

    • MHendon

      May 19, 2015 at 2:58 pm

      8000ft, where the heck do you play?

      • Double Mocha Man

        May 20, 2015 at 9:56 am

        Probably one of the ski resorts in Colorado.

      • trc

        May 21, 2015 at 11:45 am

        With cb in his name, probably Crested Butte, CO.

  25. Greg V

    May 19, 2015 at 9:15 am

    Some of the cheaper measuring devices for swing speed really inflate that number. I have one that costs around $100 and I can get my swing speed almost to 100 on that. Put me on Trackman or Flightscope and I am down around 90 at best.

    The use of the cheaper devices might be why some think that they hit it farther than they do.

  26. Jonny B

    May 19, 2015 at 8:03 am

    I figure that for each beer I drink I gain about 5 yards off the tee. Until I reach the 6th beer, then it decreases about 10 yards from that point on.

  27. dapadre

    May 19, 2015 at 6:08 am

    Shouldnt the Ball speed be the same for each category ( ie 100 mph in the Total Optimizir shows 146/148/149), otherwise the smash factor is not constant?

    Apart from that, numbers look spot on. Golf in the Netherlands, see level, my swing speed hovers around 104-108, so 105 numbers ( avg carry 240/245 ish, total around 270) are my numbers exactly.

    • other paul

      May 19, 2015 at 6:32 pm

      Attack angle affects smash factor. If you hit down on it you have lower ball speed then if you hit through and up more. I think…

      • MHendon

        May 23, 2015 at 12:24 pm

        I believe that only effects spin. Smash factor is more a relation of ball speed to club head speed. Basically the more on the sweet spot you hit it the better your smash factor.

  28. mark3

    May 19, 2015 at 4:18 am

    All this is fairly obvious without Trackman. You could stand there and hit drives and just watch the flight. For every swing speed there is an optimum arc of flight, whether you have Trackman or not, it doesn’t matter too much. Also, accuracy comes into the equation. If I hit up too much it causes a pull hook. There’s always a pay off. I think what most players these days need are two driving clubs. It’s as important as the multiple wedge thing. I’ve carried a 2006 Ping Rapture 3 wood for years… 14* and 230cc, and 43 1/2″…, and long as my driver sometimes, and hits more fairways. I think it’s partly due to a more downward attack.

    • Large chris

      May 19, 2015 at 8:44 am

      I don’t think it’s obvious without Trackman…. There are not many driving ranges where you can gauge with any accuracy your driver carry distance.

  29. Joe Golfer

    May 19, 2015 at 3:03 am

    Glad to finally read that those “roll” distances are calculated using PGA Tour type fairways (not in one of Tom Stickney’s forum responses).
    Many of us don’t get to play those types of faiways.
    They are like a living room carpet compared to what many of us play, so it is no wonder that the rollout is so incredible.
    Hence, that lower chart optimizing carry would probably be better for those of us playing Kentucky Bluegrass turf rather than Bent grass fairways.

    • MHendon

      May 19, 2015 at 3:03 pm

      Ive been to enough PGA tour events to know they dont usually get anywhere near that kind of roll so I dont know there getting that from

      • Scott

        May 20, 2015 at 12:00 pm

        I’ve been to enough PGA tour event to know that they get way more roll than that. So, I do not know where they are getting that from 🙂

        • MHendon

          May 21, 2015 at 1:30 am

          More roll than 40 to 50 yds? Not at the tournaments I’ve been to. East lake in Atlanta where they play the tour championship, Quail hollow in charlotte, and the course they play for the greater greensboro open. Maybe our courses play softer her in the south.

  30. Derek from Hong Kong

    May 19, 2015 at 1:32 am

    I wouldn’t say these numbers are surprising but I was disappointed when I measured my own swing on a Flightscope recently. Swing speeds on a driver was between 95-100mph, 1.4 smash factor, 1900-2400 rpm, carry around 230 and total between 250-260 yrds.

    I thought I’d get a bit more carry based on the above, but guess it’s enough length to work with given that I’d rarely have to hit anything more than a 5 irons into the par 4 greens on my course.

    Tom and Dennis, would love to hear your thoughts on what I can do to improve my distance. Have been consistently in the gym the last few months and having people give me dirty looks when I smash a ceiling light and dented a trash can with my wayward medicine ball throws (this really happened). Thanks.

  31. Tom Stickney

    May 19, 2015 at 12:05 am

    David– the roll is calculated on Pga Tour fairways. If I were you I’d focus on hitting the ball a touch lower than your max carry traj and the roll will take care of itself.

  32. gvogel

    May 18, 2015 at 10:43 pm

    How far can I actually hit my driver? Not very far, but I am working on it.

    I used to be able to carry it 220; now, probably only 205 or so. Carry distance is the real test for me.

    Heck, downwind I can get it out there almost 250. But, I don’t have much trouble with down wind holes. It is the holes into the wind where I need to focus.

  33. Dennis Clark

    May 18, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    When a guy in your group hits one into the woods, start looking about 50 back from where he thought he hit it.

  34. Jamie

    May 18, 2015 at 9:35 pm

    Look at the top 5 carry distance drives for a PGA tournament….many times the top 5 drives for carry distance will not be on the list for longest drive…which means that some weeks those guys get 50+ yards of roll out

  35. moses

    May 18, 2015 at 6:37 pm

    I wish I could get 50 yards of roll.

  36. Jang Hyung-sun

    May 18, 2015 at 6:00 pm

    Easy way to hit far is buy old Bridgestone j33r and put in a Crazy Black Tour 75 shaft. 290-320 yard for even girly-man like me no workout just on lady friend. Lol

  37. David

    May 18, 2015 at 5:52 pm

    This same article AGAIN. Where do these absolutely ridiculous roll-out distances come from? It always undermines this article when it’s reposted on the site.

  38. MHendon

    May 18, 2015 at 4:50 pm

    Ok so this has nothing to do with this article but I found it very interesting thought you might to Tom. I was at the Wells Fargo this past saturday got there around 11 and left a little after 4. As I was walking to the course I stopped by the driving range and watched some of the pro’s hitting. My buddy noticed Padrig Harrington and pointed him out to me. He appeared to be intentionally hitting fat shots of about 30 yards over and over again. I mean he was digging a trench. When We where leaving about 5 hours latter he was still there doing the same thing. I thought damn he must have had an early tee time and then was very frustrated with his round. Turned out he hadn’t even made the cut but was still there on saturday working on something, what I have know idea.

    • Brian

      May 18, 2015 at 8:54 pm

      maybe he will go home when he stops drop kicking drives? Crazy Irishman.

  39. Ryan

    May 18, 2015 at 4:48 pm

    Those launch angles in the top chart are extremely low! You’re obviously going to lose a ton of carry distance because you’re not getting the ball off the ground. Am I missing something here?

    • chad ryan

      May 18, 2015 at 6:54 pm

      Really good post. I recently had a driver fitting and found that I was losing distance because my attack angle had changed in the last year. I went from 2 degrees up to 1 degree downward attack angle with my driver (mostly due to ball position). This information is why trackman is such an awesome training tool.

    • Cheech

      May 18, 2015 at 7:05 pm

      The top chart maximizes total distance using roll on a perfect ideal fairway. The bottom charts are what you want to look at to maximize carry.

      • Ryan

        May 19, 2015 at 9:00 am

        Yes but you’re not getting anywhere near your max carry if your launch angle is only 7 degrees for example. Your launch angle should be somewhere around 11-14. At only half of that launch, all I’m saying is that you’re losing a ton of carry distance.

        • Dylan

          May 19, 2015 at 11:20 am

          You have to realize thats at a -5 AOA.. hitting down that aggressively you’d need a 14+* driver to get those optimal launch conditions which isnt the point of this test. it’s to show realistic maximum carry not ideal maximum carry.

          • Ryan

            May 19, 2015 at 3:16 pm

            I agree but you can still have a negative attack angle and launch the ball high. I don’t know if this test was done with just a standard 9.5 and he calculated the numbers that way. The point I’m trying to make is that if you get properly fit, you should be able to make the distance gains you want. The biggest robber of distance is the spin rate at 3600+. There is no way you’re getting 20 yards of roll with that spin rate.

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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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Instruction

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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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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