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By now, most GolfWRX readers are familiar with force plates and the center of pressure (COP) tracking devices designed for golf. And if you haven’t already, you must try one.

These devices have been an eye opener to coaches and players alike. They range from general COP trackers to sophisticated, fixed force plates that can measure load and unload. The development of these tools has gone hand in hand with what we’ve uncovered about how energy is created and transferred in the golf swing. That knowledge has helped modern golfers hit it farther than ever, as they can now quantify and track yet another important variable in the golf swing.

One the major issues I see with amateurs and some elite players is getting too much weight toward their toes, especially during the transition. This has a major effect on the plane of the club, angle of attack and path. If you work on trying to keep your center of pressure in a linear fashion between the middle of your feet going back and through the ball, culminating in it rotating onto the left heel at impact, you will hit it better.

I want to share this drill in a video as it has worked for some tour players of mine. Lifting your toes up inside your shoes is something you can do in competition as well as on the range.

A good adage to remember about the feet is that the toes are the brakes, the middle of the foot is for balance and the heels are for speed. We want to utilize the middle of the foot, not the ball, and also the left heel. Obviously, if you get onto your toes, you need a counteracting feeling. Lifting your toes up, or just lifting your big toes, keeps the weight back allows the body to explode open at impact rather than raising up and staying closed, which gets the hands active through the ball.

Watch the video and try the feel. It really works!

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Jonathan Yarwood is a proven tour and elite development golf coach with more than 24 years experience coaching winners at the highest level. He has had great success at both ends of the spectrum, ranging from taking students of 11 years old to the tour through many years of work to coaching Michael Campbell to his major championship victory at the 2005 U.S. Open. He has also coached two U.S. Amateur winners, two U.S. Girls Junior winners, three AJGA Players of the Year, and winners on the PGA, LPGA, European, Challenge, Asian and Australasian tours. His players have also recorded a slew of amateur victories. Jonathan was voted a UK PGA Master Professional in 2011, and he has also been recognized for his work by Golf Digest Magazine. In 2006, he was voted a Top-20 Teacher Under 40 and was voted a top teacher in the state of Florida for a decade. "Your swing needs to be good enough to control the ball, that's all," Jonathan says. "Your short game does the scoring; your mind glues it all together." Jonathan is currently a senior instructor at Bishopsgate Golf Academy in Orlando.

9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. Jack

    Apr 27, 2017 at 8:44 pm

    Tried this last night. It help me. I will continue doing this until I stay off my toes.

    Thanks for the tip!!!!

  2. Jalan

    Feb 23, 2017 at 8:24 pm

    I actually tried this at the range yesterday. I found it very effective, not just for keeping me off my toes, but for also helping me transfer my weight properly..

  3. TheCityGame

    Feb 23, 2017 at 12:26 pm

    This is a great tip. Last fall, I went to see my guy because my contact was getting inconsistent. I was right up on both toes in transition.

    He had me focus on getting onto the back heel when I was at the top, and my weight naturally shifted to the left heel.

    When you get up on those toes, you have nothing to do except push back onto your heels, and thrust your hips forward. Very difficult to stay consistent.

  4. Tom Slagle

    Feb 22, 2017 at 8:45 am

    Would that be like Lexi Thompson and Bubba Watson?

  5. Richard

    Feb 21, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    Gee! center face contact with the ball is better than non-center face contact :):)
    What can contribute to causing the center of your clubface to get closer or further away from the ball while swinging a club that is a constant length.? Sudden Growth spurts with arms?
    Hmmh let me think about that.
    Is the ball in golf moving or stationary?
    What is a good stance and footwork for soccer and basketball and tennis and badminton and table Tennis (moving object sports) is not necessarily good for stationary object sports like Golf.
    Hmmh.
    So a movement pattern that alters ones distance from the ball is perhaps non ideal.

  6. Phil

    Feb 20, 2017 at 12:31 pm

    I guess Justin Thomas is doing it all wrong then…

    • TheCityGame

      Feb 23, 2017 at 12:31 pm

      This isn’t about staying flat-footed. Justin Thomas doesn’t get up on his toes like Yarwood is talking about. His right foot comes up early, but he’s pushing onto the middle of his left foot.

      Getting up on your toes is related to early extension and forces an OTT move. JT does not do this.

      • Phil

        Feb 23, 2017 at 12:55 pm

        Take a look at this video, you’re wrong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shk6obgJMsE&t=47s

        • AceW7Iron

          Mar 13, 2017 at 8:06 am

          I agree with CityGame…Thomas does finish hard on his toes but he certainly does not start on them. Look at the video closely and watch his weight as he swings back…its toward the middle of his right foot almost as if his toes could be elevated. The onlt time he gets his weight forward is on the downswing when its obvious his toes are no longer pressure free but he is actually riding them.

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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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Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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

 

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