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The Most Important Drill in Golf

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First, let me say that I hate blanket statements in golf instruction. There are so few absolutes in the golf swing, which is why recommending one thing for all golfers is usually one of the most detrimental things you can do as an instructor. With every rule there is an exception, however, and I believe this drill to be that exception.

A ton of golf instructors, commentators, and average golfers have noted throughout golf history that there are hundreds of different combinations of golf swings that can produce world-class results. Even today, it is very difficult to find any commonalities that hold true, for all, or even a large percentage of PGA Tour players. I am here to tell you that much smarter scientists and biomechanists than me have discovered a very important commonality. Based on this commonality, I believe this is the most important drill for every golfer.

Article 5

This picture always amazes me, and it’s proof of why function is so much more important than form in the golf swing. It always keeps me grounded as an instructor, and even as a player, to not always sweat the minute details of form. I know for a fact that all the golfers in the photo can hit the same shots when necessary despite the differences in their swings. When I was on tour with TrackMan, I saw all sorts of players hitting the same exact shot and delivering the same exact club path and face angle at impact. They were doing it in a multitude of ways, however, and none of their full club numbers were exactly the same. Having said that, there is one commonality between them all.

So, what is the drill? All I want you to do is to figure out how to hit straight shots with your non-dominant hand on the club. If you’re a right-handed golfer, use only your left hand. If you’re left-handed golfer, use only your right hand. All I want you to accomplish is to start the ball on line. Distance does not matter. I know this sounds really easy, but I know the first time I ever tried it I thought it was almost stupid. Boy was I wrong.

What you will find out pretty quickly is that this drill is not easy. Almost all golfers who first try it will either struggle making contact or always start the ball way right of the target line. There is some pretty in-depth science about why this happens, but I will try and explain things in the simplest terms possible.

Article 3

In the swing sequence above, I’m demonstrating what happens when a golfer first tries this drill. The club face is open throughout the downswing and even more open at impact, which causes the ball to start significantly to the right of the target. There are a couple of reasons why this happens. When swinging with only my left hand, I don’t have enough strength to rotate my forearm or left wrist in time to square the club face. So when I pull the butt end of the grip down toward the golf ball in transition to try and create power, the club face remains open and the ball starts right.

Article 4

Now, look at my second swing above. The ball started on target and was hit well. Hopefully, you notice quite a difference between these two swings. As you can see at impact, the club face is square and the ball therefore starts on target. You may be asking yourself, what is the trick?

In the second swing I am creating passive torque to help square the clubface. I know… I probably just lost you. What is passive torque? Well, in simple terms, I am creating a relationship between the club’s center of mass and the force I am applying to the grip that naturally helps square the club face up at impact.

For all of you familiar with this topic, I may not be saying it 100 percent accurately, but I want to try and describe it in a way most golfers can understand. If you are looking to fully understand this relationship and how it happens, I suggest you look up the work Dr. Sasho MacKenzie has completed. In the frames below, you can see a better representation of what the club head and shaft are doing differently in the two swings.

Swing #1

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As you can see in Swing #1, I start to pull the butt end of the grip down toward the golf ball at the top of the backswing. This begins to steepen the shaft and open the club face through the transition. At this point, I do not have the strength with only my left hand to square the face, so the club face remains open and the ball starts right.

Swing #2

Article 2

In Swing #2, you can clearly see that in early transition the club head and shaft shallow while the club face remains square. I am accomplishing this by relaxing my left hand and feeling like the left wrist bows in transition. Now that I have created passive torque, the club head wants to line up at impact and the face is square. It’s important to note that just because I am creating this look or relationship does not mean I am going to only hit draws. Plenty of drawers and faders of the golf ball create this relationship. Just look at Ben Hogan or Lee Trevino if you don’t believe me.

So why is this important?

According to the research from Dr. Sasho MacKenzie, all but one PGA Tour player he has measured has this relationship in the early transition. That means it’s very difficult to be a world-class ball striker if you don’t create this relationship in the early downswing. That’s why I believe this drill to be the most important drill in golf. Even if you already have this relationship, I think it is helpful to revisit this drill in your practice. I would compare it to taking a daily multivitamin. It really can’t hurt you, even if you’re eating all the right foods.

The vast majority of golfers I see on a regular basis have no concept of this motion, which is why I consider this drill to be something than can help everyone. It’s a blanket statement I can get behind. This drill is easy, fun, and it won’t cost you anything to practice. And most importantly, it can be a game-changer.

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PGA Member and Golf Professional at Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, NC. Former PGA Tour and Regional Representative for TrackMan Golf. Graduate of Campbell University's PGM Program with 12 years of experience in the golf industry. My passion for knowledge and application of instruction in golf is what drives me everyday.

49 Comments

49 Comments

  1. Mr. Divot

    Nov 29, 2017 at 5:47 pm

    I wonder who ‘the one’ guy on tour is that didn’t have this relationship? Bryson perhaps?

  2. Steve

    Oct 23, 2017 at 11:29 am

    This actually has a bit of “gravity golf” intuition to it. Possibly, that is one of those styles that not so many people liked, but that basic structure really helped me understand pitching and chipping. Some days, it even shows up as a great full swing. “Passive torque” may be too abstract to explain, and I would not say that all of David Lee’s analogies made sense to me; however, drills like the one suggested here, are founded on a useful premise: the body likes to conserve energy, so the brain will find more efficient ways to deliver the club head to the ball (but, only when it sees a need to do so, and that will really only happen when we are in a position of weakness).

  3. yobro

    Oct 22, 2017 at 1:16 pm

    WOW!!!! Here’s the best drill for right hand swinging::::
    http://www.golfwrx.com/473818/a-great-drill-to-learn-the-proper-release/
    Put the two instruction articles together and your golf swing woes are solved, permanently!!!!
    This stuff is gold… GOLD!!!!

  4. Andrew Cooper

    Oct 22, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    Hunter, i agree learning to hit decent shots with the weaker hand is a good exercise, but looking at the two sets of photos it looks like you’re going from one bad place to another, i.e. from steep and out, to inside and underneath?

    • iblak

      Oct 22, 2017 at 9:22 pm

      so how do you educate the weaker left hand to do its share of the work in the full swing?

      • Andrew Cooper

        Oct 23, 2017 at 7:23 am

        I’d suggest taking the last two fingers and thumb of the lower hand off the grip. That way you’ll still have some support from the right arm, which will make it easier to avoid the weight of the clubhead pulling you into bad places. And obviously start with small shots off a tee and build up from there. Definitely need to be wary of injury trying to hit shots one arm only-A club is heavy when being swung- it’s not designed to be used with one arm only.

  5. bogeypro

    Oct 22, 2017 at 11:42 am

    I can’t only imagine how brutal a lesson with SteveK must be on someone…. lighten up man. Hunter, I like this idea for trying to give someone the feel of what should be happening. My son is left handed and swings a baseball bat and a golf club right handed, but throws left handed. All the drills about throwing side arm, etc means nothing to him. It would be like trying to get me to throw side arm pitches left handed…it would feel wonky. So, trying to find drills that give him the right feel is difficult.

    • yobro

      Oct 22, 2017 at 1:11 pm

      Okay, dad …. tell your baseball son to do this drill and assure him it will make him a better golfer. After all it makes eminent sense to swing a golf club one-handed to get the ‘feel’ of the golf swing.
      Father knows best, because this golf tip is on a golf forum. Go for it and watch your son blossom into a great golfer.

      • bogeypro

        Oct 23, 2017 at 8:55 am

        Thank you for adding nothing to the discussion.

    • SteveK

      Oct 22, 2017 at 6:56 pm

      So you believe that this conscious drill will help your baseball son to ‘feel’ what is happening. Now, how does he make it automatic without consciously thinking about in during the golf swing? How many conscious repetitions must he do to embed the ‘feel’ into his unconscious mind?
      Ask Hunter that question!

      • bogeypro

        Oct 23, 2017 at 8:57 am

        You offer alot of criticism, but never any swing advice of your own. You don’t add anything to these discussions. How about you post some links to some of your writings on the swing so we can see how you teach.

        • OB

          Oct 23, 2017 at 4:50 pm

          You obviously don’t know about Motor Control & Learning science that explains how the brain and body learn movements through the conscious and unconscious mind. It’s all there if you need swing advice.
          Perhaps you should hit the books before you hit the ball…. because basic knowledge of the sciences is the start of basic learning of the golf swing.

          • David Kopf

            Nov 8, 2017 at 10:56 am

            @OB, what resources would you suggest for learning more about Motor Control & Learning?

  6. SteveK

    Oct 22, 2017 at 1:26 am

    Hunter…. what is your take on The L.A.W.s of the Golf Swing by Adams et al ….. where they classify the optimal golfswing style to body shape and structure?
    Surely a stout golfer’s swing is vastly different than a slim golfer’s swing….. and your one-arm drill must be adjusted for different body types.

  7. Ron

    Oct 21, 2017 at 1:47 pm

    This drill is perfect for anyone who struggles with coming over the top, casting, or too active with their dominant side. Your non-dominant arm should do most of the work in your swing. The dominant arm is there just to add speed and power. But the problem is that most people take over with their dominant side and with that comes all the swing flaws I mentioned above. I can’t advocate enough for this drill. It has worked wonders for me in the past. Word of caution, take it slow at first and grip down an inch or two. Also use a PW or other short iron. YOu can gradually work up once you’ve gotten the hang of it.

  8. SteveK

    Oct 20, 2017 at 4:53 pm

    “So, what is the drill? All I want you to do is to figure out how to hit straight shots with your non-dominant hand on the club. If you’re a right-handed golfer, use only your left hand. If you’re left-handed golfer, use only your right hand. All I want you to accomplish is to start the ball on line. Distance does not matter. I know this sounds really easy, but I know the first time I ever tried it I thought it was almost stupid. Boy was I wrong.”
    ——————–
    You”re wrong on two counts….. one on doing the one-armed/handed drill, and two on the Motor Learning & Control aspects of teaching your brain this stupid drill.
    If you only use your non-dominant left hand you only involve the right side of your brain’s Motor Cortex, and the left side Motor Cortex is not only idle, it’s confused when you try to add your right hand to the swing. Kinesthetic training is clear on that point. Try again, Homer.

    • Hunter Brown

      Oct 21, 2017 at 9:46 am

      Hey Steve, thanks for taking the time to read and provide constructive criticism. I was happy to see I didn’t have to sort through anonymous childish put downs and dismissive rhetoric to get to your point. Also you are probably correct this drill does not necessarily teach you the mechanics of this movement with two hands on the club however it absolutely teaches you the concept of the motion so you can then apply that to your full swing. Understanding can only be positive right?

      • MB

        Oct 21, 2017 at 9:46 pm

        No, you are completely wrong and just as immature as the others as you can’t take the put downs so you reply with:
        ” I was happy to see I didn’t have to sort through anonymous childish put downs and dismissive rhetoric to get to your point.” and “Understanding can only be positive right?”

        But you’re not understanding and just as dismissive as anybody else, because you know you’re wrong but can’t admit it.

      • SteveK

        Oct 22, 2017 at 1:09 am

        No, Hunter, you can’t learn the full swing with this ‘drill’; you only learn to uncontrollably lash out a golf club with one arm and that’s it. Sorry, but that’s the brutal truth.
        Swinging the arms is only about 10% of the golf swing and the other 90% is what happens from the soles of your feet/shoes up to your shoulders and in your head.
        Golfers want to believe that arm swinging the club is a ‘golf swing’ and they ignore the function of the rest of the body because their body is usually non-athletic and they don’t want to train their inadequate body because training hurts and is not ‘fun’.
        So, is understanding the brutal truth a positive thing or not golfically correct?

      • MK

        Oct 22, 2017 at 7:04 pm

        Hunter. Appreciate this article. Some of these tards probably still think/teach that the end all be all is to swing inside out and release hard with the right hand. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of ignorance when it comes to the golf swing there.

  9. Dennis Mcmahon

    Oct 20, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    After trying this drill i strengthened my grip to having 3 knuckles showing. I was able to achieve the goal of the drill with less effort.

  10. Jeff Lebowski

    Oct 20, 2017 at 2:40 pm

    I understand that using only one hand creates the proper torque. However, how does one transition from this drill to full swings? Does the drill correct your mechanics unconsciously? At some point I would like to swing using both hands.

    • SteveK

      Oct 20, 2017 at 4:55 pm

      Good point … see my above comment on this stupid drill… potentially injurious too.

    • Hunter Brown

      Oct 21, 2017 at 9:51 am

      Hey Jeff I like where you are headed here. This drill really just teaches you the concepts and gives you greater understanding of how the club head and shaft need to react in early transition. When applying to full swings video your swing and see if the shaft shallows while the club face remains square. You can accomplish this by flexion (bowing like hitting the throttle on a motorcycle) in the lead wrist and external rotation of the trail arm/shoulder (think losing at arm wrestling or skipping rocks). Hope this helps when moving to a full swing!

      • SteveK

        Oct 22, 2017 at 1:18 am

        Sorry, but there is no way this single ‘drill’ can be kinesthetically transferred to a two handed golf swing because the right and left brain hemispheres of the Motor Cortex must work together to produce a golf swing. Training only one side of the brain and leaving out the other side is simply wrong when both sides must be utilized.
        Now, if you told up to train both arms separately and then tried to meld the two together into an arm swing, that might fly…. but only winging one arm is deleterious to the complete golf swing … and the brain…. believe it.

        • MK

          Oct 22, 2017 at 7:07 pm

          Can u even break 80 dude? Seriusoly bud, relax. If you ever want to become a better player, or hit better shots you have to understand controlling the face. That’s what this whole article is about.

          • iblak

            Oct 22, 2017 at 9:25 pm

            you must be operating with only half yer brain by swinging with yer left arm only.

  11. TeeBone

    Oct 20, 2017 at 1:44 pm

    The clubface squares up very naturally and easily when swinging with only the lead arm, as it takes no more strength than to be able to hold onto the club to allow the left wrist to roll back. It is actually improper right arm participation that inhibits the clubface from returning to square. The researchers of “Search For the Perfect Swing” found a greater tendency to hook, not slice, when swinging the left arm only.

    • SteveK

      Oct 22, 2017 at 1:23 am

      Right on, TeeBoner ….. your comment is the only other legitimate comment on this topic thread…. next to mine.
      What do you think about doing single arm swings for both the left and right arms and then attempting to blend them together into a proto-swing?

  12. ted

    Oct 20, 2017 at 1:00 pm

    Very..very interesting! I will for sure try this. Would this help with 2 other issues i have? weight transfer and my out to in swing?

  13. Aot

    Oct 20, 2017 at 11:50 am

    Total and utter tosh.

  14. yoyo

    Oct 20, 2017 at 11:46 am

    What length irons would this be best practiced with when just starting them?

    • Hunter Brown

      Oct 21, 2017 at 9:52 am

      I would start something light like a wedge

    • yobro

      Oct 22, 2017 at 1:06 pm

      Just use a 5/8th inch diameter steel rod 18 inches long with a golf grip and you will get a decent workout. A lightweight golf club is too awkward for one armed swinging…. unless you believe swinging a golf club will get you closer to a golf swing.

  15. Chris

    Oct 20, 2017 at 11:38 am

    +1

  16. Steve

    Oct 20, 2017 at 11:36 am

    “Now that I have created passive torque”

    passive torque?

  17. David Ciccoritti

    Oct 20, 2017 at 10:59 am

    Would this work if you’re a LH golfer with right hand dominance?

    • painter33

      Oct 20, 2017 at 11:09 am

      That was going to be my question too. I play right handed but am left handed – the opposite of Phil Mickelson and Mr. Ciccoritti. In essence, my lead arm is my dominant arm.

      • Ian

        Oct 20, 2017 at 12:42 pm

        +1

      • SteveK

        Oct 20, 2017 at 5:11 pm

        Curiously, tennis star Pete Sampras who is right handed, swings his golf clubs left handed. Why, you ask?
        Because his tennis backhand stroke is done with his dominant right hand and he just transferred that skill to golf.

        • MikeC

          Oct 22, 2017 at 9:13 pm

          To SteveK: What about Tiger Woods? If you classify the best putter as the person who consistently made the most important putts that mattered then he is clearly the greatest putter of all time. His favorite putting drill which he’s done countless times: The right hand only drill. Wouldn’t this also violate the left/right sides of the brain theory? Clearly it worked for him. It trained him to release the putter when he transitioned from a hold release to more of a full release stroke in about 1999. I think there is so much we don’t know about the brain so to try to hold to these absolute truths is foolish.

          • OB

            Oct 23, 2017 at 4:54 pm

            Yes, but it took Tiger 10 years of solo practice before his putting stroke was established securely. It’s not something you can learn on the practice green by doing it a few times before you go to the first tee.

      • BCKnoll

        Oct 21, 2017 at 4:46 pm

        add me to the list of a LH playing from the right side…….using extensor action seems to place my right arm as dominate……..

    • Hunter Brown

      Oct 21, 2017 at 9:53 am

      absolutely!

      • SheaM

        Oct 22, 2017 at 8:34 pm

        Great article Hunter! In my experience I teach this same concept using the golfers trail arm. I find that this allows the club to drop into the correct position while still keeping the club face square. Just wondering what your thoughts are teaching with the trail arm vs the leading arm?

        Thanks

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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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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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