DEVELOPING A CONSISTENT, POWERFUL SWING IS AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3....
Golf Drill Explained by JJ
If you research the best ball strikers in the world, you will find that they all have 3 things in common; consistent tempo, smooth transition, proper impact
This is something that all golfers can develop, golfers overlook these two important aspects and experiment with swing methods and positions.
PGA Tour players do NOT have perfect swings. We have added in a few key swing positions that all great players have. You do not have to create the positions perfectly, you just have to error on the “side you can play from”. If you error on the correct side, you will play much more consistent golf.
JJ Wood on the PGA Championship Live Telecast, CBS & TNT
- 1 SET UP
You better set up PERFECTLY EVERY TIME WITH THIS DRILL
- 2 EXAGGERATE THE SAFE ZONE
Very few players I’ve seen over do the safe zone, i.e. take away or any back swing positions. EXAGGERATE IT until it becomes natural
Learn these basic swing positions and you will have a guide of what to monitor each time you practice. When your swing gets off, you know how to get it back quickly!
Step 1. Set up for success
Control your set up each time you hit a ball. You can control this every day and do it properly!
- Posture – slight knee flex, bend from the hips
- Stance – proper width and balance in the middle of your feet
- Ball position – PW, middle | 7 iron, one ball forward of middle | Driver inside left big toe
- Alignment – use a stick on the ground to have good alignment each time
Step 2. Take away
The first move when swinging the club is the take away. Great golfers have different swings, but they all error on the “safe” side of certain positions. For the take way, you want to make sure that the club head never gets inside the hands when the club is hip high, you can over do it and have them outside the hands, but never inside!
Step 3. Transition
After the take away position, the transition is at the top of the back swing. Keep your arms connected to your shoulder turn allowing you to properly load to eliminate any weight transfer issues and generate speed through impact.
- Make sure to keep turning your shoulders to the top of the golf swing
- Your arms swing up as your shoulders turn, NEVER let your arms/ hands get behind your body during the back swing
- At the top of your swing, the “transition” is when you complete the back swing to starting your down swing. Fill like you pause for 2 seconds in order to fully “load” and generate more speed to the ball, it will also allow you to swing the club consistently on the right “swing plane” on the down swing.
Here are a couple drills for transition and turn.
Even the “weird” swingers on tour get the top of the swing correct
Bubba Watson
Dustin Johnson
The secret is in how you practice the swing changes
No Time? No Problem!
“I DON’T HAVE TIME” worst excuse I hear every day. The best part of the swing analysis, is the practice secret on how to improve faster, without going to the golf course in 10 minutes per day!
PLEASE work on your changes WITHOUT hitting a golf ball. SLOWLY
FACTS
- The golf swing is muscle memory
- It is going to be uncomfortable
- You make changes, ONLY when you perform slow rehearsal swings
- You can buy the heavy club to change your muscle memory faster buy purchasing the heavy club.
Changes don’t always FEEL good
FEEL vs. REALITY
Changing Swing Technique (positions) the best way to make changes quickly is to make slow rehearsal swings without hitting a golf ball. The heavy club drill listed above is the secret drill to making permanent changes in as little time as one week! Do this every day from the home or office when you need a break from work or bored. The heaviness of the club changes your muscle memory much faster. 3 sets of 10 every day and you will change in one week!
Developing Feel for NEW Swing when hitting a golf ball indoors or at the range you need to make your focus on routine and feel, not mechanics! In the video below you can see how I rehearse the feel for the swing change I am trying to make. I do this in my pre shot routine before hitting each golf ball! You have to exaggerate the new feel, yes it is uncomfortable but any change is uncomfortable! Keep doing it until it is automatic. Trust your coaches guidance!
Below I filmed my practice session where I am working on fixing a swing flaw. Please notice and implement to your swing practice the following:
1. I have a stick down for proper alignment and ball position *8 iron slightly forward in stance
2. I break up the swing fixes, thoughts, drills to work on them 1 by 1 *never think about more than one swing thought when hitting a ball!
3. I put it together by going through my routine, focusing on tempo and establishing one swing thought/feel that gives me the best chance to execute.
QUICK READS TO HELP YOU IMPROVE QUICKLY
Because being a good golfer is BORING
YES I’m still hitting inside, but do this outside…
just make sure to create a feel with good tempo
Below I filmed my practice session where I am working on fixing a swing flaw. Please notice and implement to your swing practice the following:
1. I have a stick down for proper alignment and ball position *8 iron slightly forward in stance
2. I break up the swing fixes, thoughts, drills to work on them 1 by 1 *never think about more than one swing thought when hitting a ball!
3. I put it together by going through my routine, focusing on tempo and establishing one swing thought/feel that gives me the best chance to execute.
It’s a process that will last a lifetime
What you’ve been missing! We all experiment with swing theories and methods, but thats what they are “THEORIES”!!! No wonder, you can’t figure it out, what “THEORY” works for you?
Research proven from the pro’s we all watch the best players in the world, it doesn’t take a genius to point out all their golf swings are different. What I have done is studied swing videos of ALL GREAT PLAYERS (PGA Tour Quality) swings and determined they all have a few things in common. Most of us didn’t have the gift to figure it out instinctually, but you can develop those key elements! It doesn’t take rocket science, $500 swing coach or Dustin Johnson athletic ability to incorporate it into your game.
You just need to FOCUS on what works! Quit Experimenting!
Yes, there are different ways to get there and I will explain that later. Just believe in the key elements and trust the process!
Just in case
If the lines aren’t right, you’re in trouble
DOWN THE LINE
This view is used to find the cause of the direction of your golf shots and the curve
- Place phone behind you, directly down the target line
- Make sure the phone is in line with your hands, in a straight line in the direction you intend to hit the ball. The camera should be at the same height that your hands are hanging.
- You can have some one hold the phone, prop it up on a bag or purchase the craddle here (gadget I’m using in picture to hold phone on alignment stick)
- Make sure the camera is set back far enough to get the entire swing (top of swing) in the video
FACE ON
This view is used to see your weight transfer and impact positions
- Place camera directly in front of your chest
- Make sure it is in line with your sternum (middle of chest)
- Camera height should be at the level of your hands as they hang.
- Make sure the camera is set back far enough to get the entire swing (top of swing) in the video
Library of Good Full Swing Habits
How you set up to the ball dictates your swing positions and impact. Do it correctly every time!
JUST BE WIDE
SMOOTH
ARM THROUGH CHEST & SHOULDER
GOOD CLUB FACE
IRON SHOT IMPACT remember, proper impact is when your club heads the back of the ball, then down through the ground (with iron shots). I like to error with thin shots (the club hitting back of the ball a little high) opposed to “chunking” it (catching any dirt or grass before the ball). The smallest amount of dirt/grass between the club face and the ball will lead to inaccurate spin and distance control.
VISUALIZE these impact positions for irons, it will help you execute the proper impact at the course!
Pro Impact vs. Amateur Impact
DOWN THE LINE IMPACT IMAGES
REMEMBER SET UP influences your impact position but it is not the same setting up at it is coming down at impact. The key swing positions we discussed create the proper impact naturally!
DRIVER IMPACT, ATTACK ANGLE remember the golf swing positions are the same for all clubs. The impact position (attack angle) is the difference between iron shots and driver.
Driver hit up because its on a tee
Iron hit down ball first, then ground
DRIVER vs. IRON IMPACT
Remember, always incorporate smooth-fluid tempo into all swings. You may get distracted when working on technical positions in your swing, but try to implement a smooth, repeatable tempo each swing. End every practice with your pre shot routine and ONLY ONE swing thought of one key swing position and tempo. Thats it!