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A Simple Drill to Help Strike the Ball Solid

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The hip-height-to-hip-height swing drill has helped many golfers achieve solid contact in a very short amount of time. In this article, I’m going to explain why you should practice this simple motion and how to do it to see your ball striking improve.

Doing this simple hip-height-to-hip-height swing motion can help you learn the tempo of your swing while improving many other aspects of your swing simultaneously.

Gaining control and developing confidence in your short swing is an excellent way to improve and imperative if you want to decrease your score. My instructional preference is to encourage the beginner or struggling golfer to practice brushing the ground in the same place every time, which develops control and fluency.

Set upMPA TOP fundamental in golf is being able to brush the ground in the same place every time. Gaining control over this shorter motion will build a huge amount of confidence into your golf game. It is also just as important as the more often practiced full swing.

The hip-height-to-hip-height golf swing helps golfers attack different aspects of their game with more assurance. Better balance, weight distribution, setup, grip and just getting comfortable over the golf ball are just a few of the benefits in making this motion correctly (stay tuned for tips and videos on those aspects of the game). It’s a necessary part of your game to focus on.

BSMPFT1What’s awesome about mastering this type of motion is that it lends itself to making a good full swing for longer shots. In fact, beginning golfers progress swiftly in this drill because they are typically relaxed. They often begin with little grip pressure and tension, so their swing automatically becomes longer after practicing the hip-to-hip swing.

BSFTThe hip-height-to-hip-height motion also allows you to effectively move the bottom of your golf swing forward and sweep the ball off the ground. Doing the drill, you will feel the weight of the golf club and get used to controlling the face and path on your shorter shots.

WingThe picture above is usually the “before picture” with many of my students, and the picture below is the “after.” This simple drill will get you hitting the ball solid every time!

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Jess Frank is a PGA Teaching Professional at Deer Creek Golf Club in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He's owner of the Jess Frank Golf Academy, and his passion is to help golfers play better and have more fun on the course. Students have described his instruction style as non-intimidating, friendly and easy to understand. Jess works with every level of golfer, and his lesson tee includes complete beginners and high-level golfers. Playing lessons are also a very important part of his lesson program. His greatest joy is seeing his students smile and get excited about playing golf! Please feel free to email him at [email protected] or contact him directly at 561-213-8579.

30 Comments

30 Comments

  1. Bert

    Sep 3, 2017 at 8:02 pm

    Nice well-written article, I used to practice this way and have become lazy in my old age. I intend to restart this routine slowly and make it a habit again.

  2. Doug Ferreri

    Sep 2, 2017 at 9:10 am

    Nice rendition of what Paul Bertholy, PGA taught me in 1980

  3. HeineyLite

    Sep 1, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    Wow, a bunch of arm chair golf instructors!!!! Mr. Frank is only giving his opinion on what he thinks is a great drill. Leave it at that, try it, and if you don’t like it stop. Modern golf is here and we should all learn from it… Plus Mr. Frank is a professional… WELL DONE JF…

  4. Andrew Cooper

    Aug 31, 2017 at 7:05 pm

    Good article and a great drill for all golfers. Its really effective because of its simplicity. Its amazing that some can’t take this drill without throwing in talk of power levers, zero spine bend, P3, P4, stacked etc.
    Just swing the club back and through and aim to brush the ground in a consistent spot. Your body will figure it out. Don’t try to throw your weight around or keep it rooted in one spot, don’t try to hinge your wrists or keep them stiff. Just swing the weight of the club back and through and let your body support and coordinate itself with the swinging motion. As the author says, get a feel for the weight of the club and develop control over the face and path and you can’t go wrong with this.

    • 4right

      Sep 1, 2017 at 12:07 pm

      When you go thru a session with an instructor that uses technology especially “Gears” you have those terms. That is modern golf and that is what most tour pros are doing. Try it sometime.

    • Dan

      Sep 22, 2017 at 5:57 pm

      Very well said, Andrew – I can’t agree enough. I have been fortunate enough to play golf since I was 5. I’m an engineer in life, but I’ve always enjoyed myself more on the golf course, and been more successful, when I don’t get too technical. Maybe it has it’s place for those trying to tour for a living, but not for the rest of us.
      Jess, thanks so much for a well written explanation of a simple, but important drill. One that I have forgotten by middle age, but will definitely benefit myself and my kids, whom I’m trying to get into the game.

  5. Skip

    Aug 31, 2017 at 5:26 pm

    That “before” pic though LOL. C’mon, nobody swings like that. Even a rank beginner wouldn’t be swinging with the hands connected to the chest.

  6. Mike

    Aug 30, 2017 at 7:15 pm

    Thank you will try it tomorrow 🙂

  7. Billy

    Aug 30, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    Great drill, Jess, but should you practice it with all the clubs from wedge to driver but only clipping the rubber range tee with the driver? Or should you stick to the shorter irons?
    Which club do you start with for beginners; the heavy wedge or the lighter 7-iron?
    Also, how often should beginners practice this drill each day and how many repetitions for muscle memory and confidence to take hold? Thanks.

    • Jess Frank

      Aug 31, 2017 at 7:32 am

      Hey Billy! Thanks for your note! I like to use a pitching wedge with beginner golfers off of a tee to produce solid contact and confidence. Yes, you can use any club but I recommend 7 iron to wedge to see the flight of the golf ball. You can practice this drill every day for the rest of your golfing life:)

      • AV

        Aug 31, 2017 at 11:19 am

        In my observations, ‘golfer’ and ‘practice’ is an oxymoron. Attempting to ‘practice’ with an inadequate body is not only frustrating it’s self-defeating. So the ‘golfer’ just hits a bucket of balls on the range and is ‘ready’ to conquer the golf course.
        Only serious and committed golfer train and practice because they know their game needs constant maintenance. Very few take an athletic approach to golf and are just satisfied having ‘fun’.

        • chipin

          Aug 31, 2017 at 5:43 pm

          sooooo obvious, You are being a fool!

        • Boss

          Sep 1, 2017 at 3:33 am

          Must be fun to lose so many balls every round, eh AV? Is it really that fun to lose that many balls?

  8. Bill

    Aug 30, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    Great drill explained well. The other name for this drill is the 9 to 3 drill. Great for warming up after a bit of a layoff. And the drill as mentioned always progresses to a longer swing perfect for all irons.

  9. Oppai

    Aug 30, 2017 at 7:53 am

    Yeah but you’re stacked. Try doing that without stacking your left side and then tell us how the striking is for your students. I bet they don’t have enough coordination for this drill without keeping both their feet down, so how is that going to help with the whole swing? It’s only going to hurt their bodies

    • Rors

      Aug 30, 2017 at 2:19 pm

      Being stacked is the best way in not hurting your body. The more the spine extends in the backswing, the power levers remain constant… Thus the spine has less rotational drag moving back and forth. Read the “golfing machine” by Homer Kelley…

      • SportsMed

        Aug 30, 2017 at 2:25 pm

        Very well put Rors’… Your spine at address in forward bend shouldn’t stay there at P3 or P4. The spine should go to zero at the point. Extension… This drill is very simple and should be very easy even for a novice player… Great drill Mr. Frank

        • Jess Frank

          Aug 30, 2017 at 8:37 pm

          Thank you very much SportsMed and Rors! Is this the real Rory McIlroy:)) Sports med I have always loved this drill for almost 20 years of teaching golf:)) Happy to share it with the Golfwrx world:) All levels of players get great results:)

      • LoBlo

        Aug 31, 2017 at 12:07 pm

        Yeah until their ribs hurt, the back hurts, the ankle hurts, and can’t hit their driver, and they all end up quitting stack like the entire Tour. Brilliant.

        • HiRoad

          Sep 1, 2017 at 12:12 pm

          I guess you’ve never seen a video from athletic motion golf. A vast majority of touring professionals are stacked… Even back in Hogans day…

          • LoBlo

            Sep 2, 2017 at 3:40 am

            But we don’t recall them as legends. Name some, if you would, please

        • Frankie

          Sep 2, 2017 at 4:52 pm

          I wish I could provide you with 3D evidence to prove you so wrong, the average PGA Tour player at the top has their pelvis tilt 10 degrees TOWARDS the target (meaning right hip is higher than left hip) at the top of the backswing along with their thorax side tilt 35-40 degrees toward the target as well. These actions can’t happen without extension, the thorax bend at address actually goes to nearly 0, meaning almost vertical and the pelvis bend goes from 20 to 10-15 at the top of the backswing. I have a K-Vest 3D and the numbers are there, it is impossible to maintain thorax and pelvis bend and have 0 side tilt in the backswing, the head goes so far back and down, literally behind the back foot and chest level from address at the top. But as always, you will just refute clear evidence and stick to your own completely made-up beliefs with no evidence

    • RonaldRump

      Aug 30, 2017 at 2:27 pm

      Hence the point of the drill!!! If you set your weight into the right side you’re not making a functional swing…

    • Jess Frank

      Aug 30, 2017 at 8:27 pm

      Thanks for your comments Oppai! I really appreciate the feedback! Students get better and gain confidence quickly in my experience on the lesson tee. In fact, just had a student struggling big time and used this drill and they started to hit a high draw. May not apply to everyone but I know it works!:) Thanks again!

      • stephenf

        Aug 31, 2017 at 11:04 am

        I have yet to see a student who wasn’t helped by this drill, and most are helped a _lot_. As for being “stacked,” we need to quit being locked into modern-era jargon. If you’re making a part swing like this, there’s not a lot of body movement anyway. And drills don’t necessarily mimic, and aren’t obligated to mimic, every movement in a full-effort swing.

        Bottom line, it’s a helluva good drill, no question.

      • AV

        Aug 31, 2017 at 11:22 am

        You gotta crawl before you can walk, and talk, like a true golfer. Every good golfer has suffered immensely to achieve his game. True?!

      • chipin

        Aug 31, 2017 at 5:42 pm

        Soooo Obvious you have no idea what you are talking about!

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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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