Be Your Own Drill Sergeant (Part 2)

Jeff Fisher
Director of Instruction
Fisher Bryan Golf Academy at Longbow Golf Club
Mesa, AZ
jfisher@obsports.com

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Last month I started a series on drills that will help make your practice time more effective. Remember we defined a useful drill as one that will do most of the thinking for you and will provide you instant feedback. This month I have two more drills for you that will help you feel a correct release as well as the correct sequence of motion in your downswing.

The first is a back to the target drill. Put a ball on a tee and use a 7 iron. Address the ball as you normally would with the ball slightly farther back in your stance than normal. Then turn your feet 45 degrees to the right, as you see I have done in the picture. Keeping both feet fairly well planted on the ground, make a half to two thirds swing and hit the ball. By keeping your feet planted you will not turn your body through the shot and it will be basically an arm swing. The stance you have taken will encourage an inside out swing path and you will be able to feel your arms pass up your body rather than have your body race out in front. If done correctly, the ball should start to the right of your target and draw to the left.

The second drill is to help with the sequence of your downswing, again helping you not to race your body out in front of your arms. In the picture I am using a long piece of PVC pipe, but you could use a broomstick handle or anything similar. Whatever you choose it should be light enough for you to swing and about a foot longer than your driver.

All you are going to do here is to start by making full length slow motion swings with the stick. By doing it in slow motion you will get used to the length of the stick you are using and you will also be able to feel exactly what is happening. You must make sure that you swing the stick down with your arms before your hips start to turn and trap the stick behind you. If you do this incorrectly the stick will hit the ground well behind where the ball would be. As you get better at this gradually start to pick up the speed but never much more than about two thirds full speed.

If you do these two drills correctly and often, you will get a better feeling for the proper sequence of the downswing and release of the club.

Jeff Fisher is Director of Instruction at the Fisher Bryan Golf Academy at Longbow Golf Club. Jeff can be reached at 480.414.9330 or jfisher@obsports.com.