Instruction
5 drills that can ruin your golf swing
Let’s face it, struggling golfers will try any and every drill that’s ever existed; anything that’s ever been prescribed in magazines, on TV, or by their best golfing buddy. And while many of them are actually helpful, some are downright useless… and potentially harmful to your game.
In this article, I offer my take on the 5 drills that can ruin your golf swing.
5. The Feet Together Drill
I know this is probably the oldest golf drill in the world, but really, what does it do?
By putting your feet together, you can’t possibly use your pivot to move the club, thus you’re effectively grooving improper sequencing. I know the drill is supposed to work on your tempo and balance, but properly sequencing the way your body and club work throughout the swing is the only sure way to good balance. So don’t tear down sequencing when trying to fix your balance; it’s counterintuitive.
4. Left Foot Back Drill
This drill is often given to players working on “clearing their hips,” or “activating” their lower body. And while it can serve its purpose, it can also be extremely dangerous.
If you hit balls at a slower-than-normal speed, I will accept using this drill, but I never see anyone doing this drill at anything other than full speed. That’s detrimental because when you take a rip at it with your left foot back, you’re ensuring that your right shoulder fires forward first, causing you to come over the top almost instantly. Any golfer knows that engraining an over-the-top move is almost never ideal. So ditch this drill unless you have a special reason for using it, and keep your swing speed low.
3. The Pump Drill
How many people have you seen using this move to try and increase their lag or keep the right arm in front of the body? What people do not understand is this position is a by-product of a proper pivot motion, coupled with the proper external rotation of the rear shoulder. It’s not a position that can be manufactured, or trained in this manner whatsoever.
A better feeling would be to either lay the shaft down during the downswing — thus shallowing out your swing and getting the club to come from the inside — or rotating the bottom hand skyward on the downswing. If you want more information or drills on external rotation, I suggest checking out Joe Mayo a.k.a. @TrackmanMaestro.
2. Hook it with the Hands Drill
Before you cry foul and tell me that this drill has saved your life and stopped you from hitting slices forever, let me explain. Yes, we need to have the face left of the path in order to draw the ball. This drill trends to over-exaggerate this movement, though.
When people practice this movement without the proper understanding of the new ball-flight laws, they tend to over-rotate the face so it’s pointing left of the target at impact. This is not what we want, because that will cause the ball to start left and go farther left.
Remember, the club face is the main factor in determining starting direction. Therefore, to hit a draw, the club face needs to actually point right of the target line and left of the path, which creates the coveted push-draw.
1. The Split-Handed Drill
People tell me this drill helps them understand the feeling of “setting” the club, and how it “unloads” in the downswing. The feeling I get from swinging with a split grip, however, in no way mimics anything in the golf swing that’s normal, or in anyway useful. For hockey players, it could possibly help compare the golf swing to the slap shot, but that’s a stretch. To me, the split-handed drill teaches people how to use the left wrist as a fulcrum in the downswing, which is never a good thing.
Ben Hogan once said he “wished he had three right hands,” but that would be deadly for the average player. It would cause the right side to dominate the left side, leading to flipping in most golfers. That adds excessive loft during impact, creating higher than normal trajectories and reduced distances. Pass on this drill.
Have questions about your favorite drills? Ask me about them in the comments section, and I will do my best to answer as many questions as I can.
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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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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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Scott
Nov 22, 2016 at 10:53 am
Thanks Tom. The article says 5 drills that “can” ruin your game. Not “will” ruin your game.
I have swung with my feet together to slow my tempo down, but I agree, other than a few swings like that, the drill did nothing for me. Others seem to have benefited from the drills, which are great. I see a lot of people, including myself in the past, taking drills to an unnatural level, which can cause other problems.
stephenf
Nov 16, 2016 at 3:14 pm
Yeah. So ignore the drills that guys like Toski, Flick, and Leadbetter think might be good. Okay.
I mean, come on. Most drills are used to isolate certain aspects or elements of the swing, so that — for instance — the feet-together drill has nothing at all to do with pivot in the first place. And most aren’t intended to be full-speed or full-force. They’re for specific purposes, which some of the best teachers in the history of the game have identified.
Leftienige
Nov 13, 2016 at 6:01 am
Reminds me , next week sees the release of my new best-seller , the 3rd in the trilogy
“Another 5,000 things to remember during your Golf-swing”. Cheers all , Nige .
DaveT
Nov 11, 2016 at 8:52 pm
I expected to disagree with at least some of the examples. I was pleasantly surprised to find this article spot-on. At various times I have tried each of these drills. With the possible exception of #1 (feet together) I found it teaching the wrong thing overall for a good golf swing. And even #1 is only useful if you are working on balance pure and simple. If you’re working on anything else, it probably does more harm than good. Right on, Mr. Stickney.
You wrong
Jul 30, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Wrong. Split hand teaches rotation, weight shift, and in to out swing while staying in posture.
Ray Bennett
Nov 11, 2016 at 3:51 pm
Great stuff. Unfortunately the wisdom of this article will be lost on the multitude of golfers who will never understand or get to feel the real swing as a direct result of popular golf instruction . if it was that easy everybody would be able to do it.
Ronnie
Nov 10, 2016 at 8:37 pm
This article is not a complete shank, but I do have some issues with it. Every drill has a purpose when it is used correctly and explained. #1 is my favorite drill for multiple reasons, but if used incorrectly I can see how it can mess up your swing. That is the point of having a good golf professional. It is our job to simplify the drill and explain what the desired goal of that drill is. Not a single drill listed in this article will ruin your swing if used correctly and for the right purpose. I always instruct my students to not take any drill I give them to extreme measures.
Steven
Nov 10, 2016 at 2:20 pm
Wow, this seems to be one of the more contentious articles. I tend to agree with Tom. There are a few drills that are common that may help with 1 aspect of the swing but will cause a different problem. Some golfers, myself included, are good at over exaggerating parts of the swing, so a drastic drill like these cause me different problems. I think the key is to find drills that teach fundamental parts of the swing in a proper swing motion. I could be wrong though because each golfer does need slightly different instruction because we all learn differently.
pepperwhiteknight
Nov 10, 2016 at 10:50 am
My buddy has been using a few of the drills listed especially the feet together. He over swings, crosses the line at the top, has a loop in his swing, and sets up with his feet so close together. But the real problem is not the drill. It is the lack of knowledge and understanding of what he is doing. He doesn’t stick to one thing and is constantly changing because he wants instant results. Like he is fishing for the solution and hoping it works. If he goes and gets lessons from a pro they might give him a drill but chances are they will also make some tweaks to his setup and ask him to stop trying to smash the ball to the moon.
Ronald Montesano
Nov 9, 2016 at 11:14 pm
I use the feet-together drill to cure my high school golfers of excessive stack-and-tilt that was taught to them by underinformed golf teachers. I find it to be effective in this specific case.
Looper
Nov 9, 2016 at 11:52 pm
I guess you are the stack and tilt whisperer??? Every teacher good or bad has whatever knowledge they’ve learned, not one contains every piece of the puzzle. Tough to judge with such a broad stroke… I guess all your students are on tour???
Jack
Nov 10, 2016 at 4:51 am
Huh? He is more advising against stack and tilt rather than for it. Not sure where all that pent up hate is coming from. Not to mention he’s a contributor here, so someone with decent knowledge.
Smokin' Gun
Nov 10, 2016 at 5:49 pm
It’s called an opinion, that hate word gets thrown around way to much now… Who cares if he’s a contributor, or has decent knowledge… Wow, way to sensitive man…
justin case
Nov 11, 2016 at 10:05 am
too much
…and
too sensitive.
You wrong
Jul 30, 2023 at 4:52 pm
Wrong. Split hand teaches rotation, weight shift, and in to out swing while staying in posture.
Ronald Montesano
Nov 11, 2016 at 5:21 am
I believe that Stack and Tilt requires a fair amount of muscular strength, as you are working without the load-back and shift-forward of a traditional swing. One particular golfer is neither tall nor strong, so his stack and tilt was absolutely killing his chances at distance. I put him into the feet-together position and he started to understand how to shift weight a bit back, then forward (odd as that sounds.) It’s up to him to keep at it, but I would certainly opt for the adjacent-feet technique in similar situations, as a point of departure.
Smokin' Gun
Nov 12, 2016 at 1:04 pm
Agree completely, the one most important facet that stack and tilt reveals in bodi trak is that there still is a shift to right but COP remains centered. As a drill with the feet together, it will stimulate a steady head, plus a centered point of pressure…
Robert
Nov 9, 2016 at 9:10 pm
Rated Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, well Golf Magazine you just lost my subscription. wow
Grizz01
Nov 11, 2016 at 9:43 am
hahahahaahha… well put.
Rich
Nov 9, 2016 at 8:39 pm
Tell Rory McIlroy the feet together drill doesn’t work. He swears by it for his balance and I’m pretty sure he’s doing OK. To each their own.
John Yacobellis
Nov 9, 2016 at 8:19 pm
Tom,
Please stop using the term “new ball flight laws.” The laws of physics have not changed, even for top golf teachers. What has changed is that many teachers are finally admitting their past ignorance, and it took Trackman to do it. Ball flight laws are immutable, and consulting a basics physics book, if the PGA and all the gurus had taken the time or made the effort, could have set them straight and helped instead of hindered countless students the last 150 years.
Philip
Nov 9, 2016 at 9:12 pm
They are no different than scientists or doctors – fact is, no one likes to admit they were wrong as many see admitting mistakes as a weakness. But yeah, last I checked the laws of physics haven’t changed since I came into being.
Jim
Nov 11, 2016 at 12:52 pm
The ‘ancient’ ball flight laws still apply in a primordial sense. We knew about ‘face override’ before Trackman, and new golfers need to understand path & face. Unless someone has a significant lack or loss of mobility, I’m not teaching them an outside in or ‘pull swing’. You can replicate the “9 possible ball flights” faithfully by the described paths & face angles… and to move the club into impact with continued acceleration and power people need to at least ‘THINK’ it’s going inside out even if it ends up just square…I think it’s the “laws” part that leads to the conflicts…also, someone forgot to include “straight up in the air” as one 😉 if it’s on a tee
Rors
Nov 9, 2016 at 11:54 pm
Amen…
Jack
Nov 10, 2016 at 4:53 am
It’s not like humanity changes, but the laws governing them could change. That’s all he means. How else would you call it?
devilsadvocate
Nov 10, 2016 at 7:07 am
Really? Guess what there are NEW ball flight laws because what used to be taught has been PROVED incorrect by New technology. The term NEW ball flight laws could not be more applicable. Maybe do a little research before you decide to question a professional. It’s students like you that go take a lesson, listen to NOTHING the teacher says and disagree constantly. Then you go play 9 holes and play like (removed) and tell all your buddies that instructor doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
tom stickney
Nov 10, 2016 at 11:36 am
John–
It would have helped us all if you had published your ball flight law findings much earlier…
I'm Ron Burgundy???
Nov 11, 2016 at 11:13 pm
Gotta love keyboard Cowboys like “Big John”!
TonyK
Nov 9, 2016 at 7:03 pm
Feet together to me is the best drill that instantly works even during a round.
David M
Nov 11, 2016 at 9:57 am
Agreed 1000% – this article is crapola
Mitch Young
Nov 9, 2016 at 12:35 pm
i would say the pump drill is by far the worst drill you can do in golf. anytime a drill that focuses on establishing a static position from a dynamic movement is doomed for failure. it would be equivalent to teaching a quarterback through a foot ball by putting his throwing elbow in front of his head and have him throw it from that position. total nonsense.
GMatt
Nov 9, 2016 at 11:56 am
To each his own…..
Tim Schoch
Nov 9, 2016 at 11:32 am
I’m a sponge for exaggerated swinging. It always works its way into my golf swing, which is not a good thing. I wish I could soak up the feeling and movements of the real golf swing as readily. Ergo, I’m not a fan of swinging drills. I am a fan of position drills, hitting drills, and drills designed to focus on specific things, like keeping your arms close together. I think you need to find the drill that works for you, then don’t overdo it. Use it to get a feeling back, then focus on the whole swing and where your ball is going. So although this article is too all-inclusive for me, I think it is a good reminder that some drills, sometimes, could actually hurt your swing–especially if you do them incorrectly (which is probably a bigger problem).
Jim
Nov 9, 2016 at 11:25 am
All drills, like any exercise need to be done corrctly to produce the desired results. There’s a book of 1000. Some people have WAY too much time on their hands to even think up some of this crap. I use maybe 6, and only 3 of them on all students at some point.
The feet together – With the left foot 1/2 way back – DONE PROPERLY, with the least amount of body movement possible and literally ‘dropping the hands’ from chest high and learning to ‘steer with the lead hand’ while teaching the power hand to wait is incredibly successful, and 90% of the time it’s the “closer” on a first lesson that signs people up for packages. Gravity fed, NO ‘downswing’ hip turn, just learn to hit & release, then learn to speed up the hands – seperate from the hitting muscles…It will produce 70% of your total distance with any club 🙂
Christian Gau
Nov 9, 2016 at 11:07 am
The feet together drill allows you to work on your balance while swinging a club. In order to counterbalance the weight of the arm/club unit (actually it’s the gravitational force pulling on your shoulder sockets once you start swinging the club), you use your posterior. Sure you can train that with feet apart but some of us tend to sway and resist proper hip movement (that includes me). So this drill is very far away from being useless. Refer to Shawn Clement for further details.
Harold Bolzagna
Nov 9, 2016 at 11:06 am
The feet together drill is one of the greats for establishing rotation within the swing. Try swaying and make a swing with your feet together.
Sorry, you couldn’t be more wrong with that start to your brilliant article.
Matt
Nov 9, 2016 at 10:58 am
Feet together drill helps me a lot. I tend to slide my hips at the target instead of rotating around my body, and I’ve yet to find a better drill for that problem.
Pete
Nov 9, 2016 at 10:07 am
Shank. lol
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Alex Jackson
Nov 9, 2016 at 9:14 am
Feet together drill is great for players who have excess lower body action (too much hip slide, etc.). It’s a drill to get unstuck.
I wouldn’t say it’s a bad drill, rather a drill for the minority of golfers that have this problem.
steve kemlo
Nov 9, 2016 at 10:15 am
this drill worked for me as i had to much hip movement,starting striking my irons much more solid and knocked 2 shots of my handicap
Donald Quiote
Nov 9, 2016 at 10:18 am
I have a bad habit of at times my lower body gets way ahead of my upper body…there is one result for this every time…shank or you could call it the hosel rocket. The feet together drill is always a go to for me just to get things back under control. I definitely think this drill has a use.