Why You Should Exit Left In Your Golf Swing (Like Hogan And The Pros)
In this video, I share why I believe golfers should exit left in their swings to create the correct body and club release.
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My golf learning began with this simple fact – if you don’t have a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, it is practically impossible for your body to execute a fundamentally sound golf swing. I’m still a big believer that the golf swing is much easier to execute if you begin with the proper hold on the club.
As you might imagine, I come into contact with hundreds of golfers of all skill levels. And it is very rare to see a good player with a bad hold on the golf club. There are some exceptions, for sure, but they are very few and very far between, and they typically have beat so many balls with their poor grip that they’ve found a way to work around it.
The reality of biophysics is that the body moves only in certain ways – and the particulars of the way you hold the golf club can totally prevent a sound swing motion that allows the club to release properly through the impact zone. The wonderful thing is that anyone can learn how to put a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, and you can practice it anywhere your hands are not otherwise engaged, like watching TV or just sitting and relaxing.
Whether you prefer an overlap, interlock or full-finger (not baseball!) grip on the club, the same fundamentals apply. Here are the major grip faults I see most often, in the order of the frequency:
Mis-aligned hands
By this I mean that the palms of the two hands are not parallel to each other. Too many golfers have a weak left hand and strong right, or vice versa. The easiest way to learn how to hold the club with your palms aligned properly is to grip a plain wooden ruler or yardstick. It forces the hands to align properly and shows you how that feels. If you grip and re-grip a yardstick several times, then grip a club, you’ll see that the learning curve is almost immediate.
The position of the grip in the upper/left hand
I also observe many golfers who have the butt of the grip too far into the heel pad of the upper hand (the left hand for right-handed players). It’s amazing how much easier it is to release the club through the ball if even 1/4-1/2″ of the butt is beyond the left heel pad. Try this yourself to see what I mean. Swing the club freely with just your left hand and notice the difference in its release from when you hold it at the end of the grip, versus gripping down even a half inch.
To help you really understand how this works, go to the range and hit shots with your five-iron gripped down a full inch to make the club the same length as your seven-iron. You will probably see an amazing shot shape difference, and likely not see as much distance loss as you would expect.
Too much lower (right) hand on the club
It seems like almost all golfers of 8-10 handicap or higher have the club too far into the palm of the lower hand, because that feels “good” if you are trying to control the path of the clubhead to the ball. But the golf swing is not an effort to hit at the ball – it is a swing of the club. The proper hold on the club has the grip underneath the pad at the base of the fingers. This will likely feel “weak” to you — like you cannot control the club like that. EXACTLY. You should not be trying to control the club with your lower/master hand.
Gripping too tightly
Nearly all golfers hold the club too tightly, which tenses up the forearms and prevents a proper release of the club through impact. In order for the club to move back and through properly, you must feel that the club is controlled by the last three fingers of the upper hand, and the middle two fingers of the lower hand. If you engage your thumbs and forefingers in “holding” the club, the result will almost always be a grip that is too tight. Try this for yourself. Hold the club in your upper hand only, and squeeze firmly with just the last three fingers, with the forefinger and thumb off the club entirely. You have good control, but your forearms are not tense. Then begin to squeeze down with your thumb and forefinger and observe the tensing of the entire forearm. This is the way we are made, so the key to preventing tenseness in the arms is to hold the club very lightly with the “pinchers” — the thumbs and forefingers.
So, those are what I believe are the four fundamentals of a good grip. Anyone can learn them in their home or office very quickly. There is no easier way to improve your ball striking consistency and add distance than giving more attention to the way you hold the golf club.
More from the Wedge Guy
- The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game
- The Wedge Guy: Why golf is 20 times harder than brain surgery
- The Wedge Guy: Musings on the golf ball rollback
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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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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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ButchT
Sep 29, 2017 at 3:54 pm
Pretty funny “Highpro” discussing rational thought and in the same paragrap referring to a “god” having mercy on a soul! Talk about irrational thinking!
joro
Sep 5, 2017 at 9:51 am
Theories are marvelous but that is what they are. Everyone is different yet most teachers teach what they do and not what the player needs. The first thing they need is skill and ability, something most Golfers don’t have. Then they need to see what works for them, not Hogan or anyone else. We all have a skill level and that is it, a level whether it be great or ok, it is our level.
As an old guy that taught Golf for over 40 yrs. and a really good player in my day I have seen it all and it ain’t pretty. Some have the ability and some have no chance and they are the vast majority who pour money into teachers pockets. The First and most important thing is the game should be played naturally by letting your body control the swing. Start off with swinging the arms and the body will react. Hit the ball with your strong hand, the hips will go along and make a good finish. For a right hander it is a right hand hit, or you can even call it a swat.
Just let the club do its thing and make a good finish, that controls the direction. Finish with the hitting had next to your ear and the club over your shoulder. I you are right handed it is the left shoulder of course. The single most important thing to me in the swing is TEMPO. I always tell players to swing at 60% and go from there up and down until you find your best tempo, it is way too simple yet we do nothing to keep it that way. We attack it with vengeance to hit the little White Ball out of the Park, losing our balance and hitting it who knows where and nowhere. Today there is way too much garbage about what the swing should be and how it should be done and totally confusing so a few Gurus can spread their BS and make a lot of money.
Back in the day we did not have Gurus, or 300 yd Drives, or hot Balls. We were self taught and just picked up a club and went at it and the gifted became good while like today the rest just kept on trying. Guys I played with like Tommy Bolt who in my opinion was the best ball striker I ever saw, and guys of that era were all like me, self taught. Even a guy like Sam Snead taught himself, but we all had the skills to be good. Take it for what it is worth and rather than follow all these quacks, try figuring it out for yourself what works for you. And remember TEMPO and Balance is the key.
Hogan Fan
Sep 5, 2017 at 11:15 pm
While there is a great benefit to digging your own personal technique out of practice sessions of trial and error, even Ben Hogan wrote 2 books on swing instruction and specifically mentioned his reason for writing them were so others could capitalize and build on his knowledge without having to start from scratch. Hogan basically said that by the time he figured out the swing, he was physically incapable of adequately performing the motion. Instruction books and videos just speed the process but it certainly helps to have talent, desire and an ability to sort through some of the BS and experimental thought that is in todays golf instruction. I don’t agree with some of your thoughts but I will agree that balance and tempo are key factors to keeping things under control and on a decent track. Best wishes.
joro
Sep 6, 2017 at 11:54 am
True, but in films it showed even Hogan did not do what he perceived he did. He was a great tinkerer and player no doubt, but what he enjoyed was the search for the perfect swing, but what is perfect? I think it is what works for you.
But, as we get older it goes on and on. Thanks for the opinion, we all have one. Mine is based on years and years as a player and a teacher and what I saw.
Take care and enjoy the game.
Andrew Cooper
Sep 3, 2017 at 2:04 pm
Hogan’s swing, or any other great player you want to pick-was unique; built around his physique, the equipment of his era, his feels, influences, environment etc. Also it evolved over time. Hogan was a notorious tinkerer and practiced probably more than anyone. He also detested hitting hooks, and much of his technique was designed to guard against it. Trying to emulate/copy what he did (or somebody’s idea of what he did) is probably a bad idea for the vast majority of golfers.
Nathan
Sep 3, 2017 at 10:50 am
http://www.stevewozeniak.com/2014/04/swinging-left-is-for-amateurs-2/
Swinging left is an awful idea. Not sure what else to say…
Adam
Sep 3, 2017 at 12:41 pm
Great find, Nathan, but what this reveals is that the followthru is different for different body shapes and sizes.
A short stubby guy like Alistair abbreviates his followthru and carries the club around his body.
The golfers in all the pictures in your linked article are taller and more slender and the momentum of the followthru pulls their arms and club outwards and not around.
So it all depends on your body type.
Both followthru styles are natural, however I’ll stick with Alistair because most amateurs and novice golfers tend to block their hips at impact and then come out of the shot. Alistair’s advice encourages the golfer to clear his hips and stay down resulting in the club coming around in the followthru.
Nathan
Sep 3, 2017 at 2:45 pm
I don’t agree.
Going left is just incorrect. Plain and simple.
Golfers are not blocking their hips for the reasons you’ve mentioned before.
Going left is just a ‘trick’ (a bad one) to get the hips around a touch more.
It’s sad that golfing instructors are still pushing this BS.
Adam
Sep 3, 2017 at 6:10 pm
Your comments are just personal assertions with no explanations. I have explained why golfers block their hips and cause different followthru’s.
Perhaps you can offer us a bit more detail for your reasons why golfers tend to block their hips, otherwise your views are unsubstantiated.
I’ve told you the examples shown by Wozeniak are slim golfers who can fully rotate without body mass interference. Alistair shows us the only feasible followthru for his stout body type, and then he prescribes it for most golfers.
And yes, I’ve seen golfers fling their arms and club into the followthru and then follow up with hip rotation, but that’s because they stall their hips going into impact and then restart the rotation after impact. Swinging around to the ‘left’ may unlock their hips from blocking, as Alistair demonstrates.
Chipowahhhh
Sep 4, 2017 at 6:29 am
ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz
Chris K
Sep 5, 2017 at 12:00 pm
aaaah, the Gearhead Song.
Hogan Fan
Sep 3, 2017 at 8:41 pm
He mentioned he was actually looking for a fairly neutral path. I’m not sure you are understanding what he is saying. I used to agree with you but in this case, I’m totally in agreement with the video. I watch a lot of Christo Garcia on YouTube and his MySwingEvolution. He has some great videos on this and I have found it to work like a dream. In addition, this would parallel what Jim Hardy teaches as an RIT (Right Arm Inward Throw) release. The wording sounds terrible but it is 100% correct. A large number of the best ball strikers in the world are One Plane swingers and RIT releasers. Buy Jim Hardy’s book “The Release”. You’ll probably love the other release he speaks of (LOP-Left Arm Outward Pull) but both are valid. I love this one for certain.
golfreality
Sep 5, 2017 at 9:21 am
the fact you actually watch christo garcia says alot he is completely clueless
Hogan Fan
Sep 5, 2017 at 11:07 pm
Have you watched Christo Garcia? What do you not like? Please be specific. I have studied the golf swing for about 35 years and taught for 25. I have learned a lot from many different people and Christo Garcia has many thoughtful insights into the golf swing. Much of what he says is dead on and although he is specifically pursing a “Hogan swing”, it is a highly efficient way to swing the club for those who are physically capable. Its easy to say someone is clueless without giving specifics. Please expound on your vast knowledge. In all seriousness, I am interested in why you believe what you believe.
Andrew Cooper
Sep 4, 2017 at 8:14 am
Agreed. There isn’t a good player in the world who’d get anywhere near hitting that inside stick. Even the pros on the video aren’t really doing anything more than letting the club take its naturally arc back to the inside after impact-they’re certainly not artificially pulling the club across themselves.
Highpro
Sep 5, 2017 at 9:46 pm
At no point in this rambling incoherent blog post does the author come anywhere close to a rational thought. Everyone on this site is now dumber for having clicked this link. I award you no points, you know nothing of the golf swing, and may god have mercy on your soul.
Adam
Sep 2, 2017 at 6:53 pm
What Alistair failed to say was that your arms and club will fling outwards if the body rotation stops and the hips block. The arms and club have no other path than down the line.
Completing the hip rotation will carry the shoulders around together with the arms and club.
Why do golfers block their hip rotation? It’s because they go erect into impact and their body stiffens up with hips extended open and no lateral torso tilt. This is the natural instinct but it is anti-golfswing.
Caroline
Sep 2, 2017 at 6:41 pm
You will know you did this wrong when you hear the plate Glass patio window to the left (right Hand golfer) of the fairway shatter…be careful this idea is NOT fantastic for the weekend warrior…it is more for the real single digit player and the ones you see each week on TV.
Firsttimeposter
Sep 2, 2017 at 5:29 pm
Hey Alistair, cool video.. with the exit left, how would one work on hitting a draw..
Draw Meister
Sep 3, 2017 at 8:28 pm
Aim right and shut the face.