This is a simple practise drill that you can practise at home without the need for a golf ball.
It will help you train the correct muscle memory for your swing with your driver and fairway woods.
A common mistake many golfers make when hitting a driver is an over-the-top move on the downswing – which leads to an out-to-in swingpath and an angle of attack that is too steep coming into impact. The out to in swingpath when hitting a driver normally results in a shot that starts left of target but has excessive clockwise spin on it meaning that during the flight the ball curves away to the right producing a horrible slice.
To train the correct swingpath simply do the following:
• Place a tee on the ground next to a wall
(pic 1)
• Set up to the tee so that the tee is opposite the inside of driver (pic 2)
• Now make your backswing at 50% of your normal speed/tempo : you should see the clubhead starting low and moving away from the wall (due to the rotational movement of the backswing) (pic 3)
• Once you have completed your backswing – pause for a couple of seconds before starting your downswing. If you make an over the top movement by ‘incorrectly’ starting your downswing with a rotational movement of the shoulders and a ‘throw’ of the arms you will find that your club stays high and will hit the wall (pic 4 ). For this reason, I want you to make slow downswings (as golf clubheads and walls don’t mix)
The idea is to practise making your downswing so that it mirrors the swingpath and plane of your backswing. You will find that by making the correct downswing, your club will find its way back to the
tee from a slightly ‘inside’ swingpath – continue to unwind your hips through impact to work the clubhead away from the wall through impact – see (pics 5, 6, 7, 8).
Article by Tom Long – Golf Professional
