Drill Principles for Beginners
Eliminate, Isolate and Concentrate
A drill should eliminate the fear of failure
Remove the target, the ball, the club and most of the swing, then you can’t fail if there is no standard to measure success against
When you are not worried about where the ball goes, then you can focus your attention
Mimic the true movement while isolating a “mini” (specific) point of performance
Focus your concentration on the specific “feeling” for what you are trying to do right
How Drills Work
A drill should be idiot proof
The logic of why you doing the drill and what you are learning should be obvious
Easier to perform than the normal movement
Drills require discipline and must be correctly performed
Drills are VERY powerful learning tools … failure to correctly perform a drill replaces one bad habit with another incorrect habit “Dogging” your way through a drill is worse than not doing the drill in the first place
Drills Teach Feel
Your task is to pay attention to how the movement feels to the exclusion of everything else. Don not use your eyes, feel the movement.
60/21 ... that's sixty correct repetitions for twenty one consecutive days. This is a guideline, not a law. There is no known scientific basis for this technique, but it well known and used among coaches who teach technical sports.
Bow, Squat and Hangle
Bow, Squat and Hangle is a learning and performance technique more than just a drill … this position is the starting position for most drills as well as for a normal golf swing. Like the golf swing, all drills must begin from a correct starting position.
Starting Position
Feet spread shoulder width apart; knees locked
Standing tall, back straight, head erect
Both thumbs are placed on the back shoulder (done with or without a club)
Execution … By-The-Numbers
Do NOT blend these movements. Like a soldier being taught to assemble his weapon … Ready, Bow, Ready, Squat, Ready Hangle … 1, 2, 3. Complete the technique by checking for the five points of setup … butt up, chest down, chin up, arms hangle and weight balanced.
Bow … from the waist, keeping the back straight and head erect (don’t duck your head into your chest), bow forward from your waist until you feel your heels starting to rise up off the ground
Squat … break your knees just enough to regain your balance
Your toe to heel balance must be on the balls of your feet … you will feel the most pressure just behind the big toe joint
Hangle … hang and dangle your arms
Let you arms fall from your shoulder
Don’t “reach” for the ball … your hands will hang inside your necktie
The anterior head of the triceps muscle will be soft and relaxed
Continuous Motion
Drills are characterized by continuous, back and forth movement. If there are more than one checkpoint of performance, isolate your attention onto one checkpoint. Make continuous swings, back and forth paying attention Shaping and Chaining are used for position by position learning.
Windmill / Hitchhiker Drill
Purpose: Teaches correct shoulder rotation in a circle around your nose, develops upper body/torso flexibility
Starting Position
Standing tall, back straight, head erect, feet spread shoulder width apart
Raise your arms to your sides up to about chest high (like Jesus on the cross)
Make a fist with each hand and point both thumbs up into a hitchhiker position
Swing both arms to your front
Grab your left thumb, placing it into the pocket of your right palm … if this is done with a club, place both thumbs on the top of the shaft
Point your thumbs forward to form a 45° angle with your forearms
Execution
Point your nose straight ahead and LEAVE IT THERE
Turn your shoulders to the right, then back to the left
Gradually increase your shoulder turn and work your way past a 90° rotation
Step 2 Modification
Raise your arms to your front, grab your thumb and execute in the same manner except noticing that of each side of the turn one elbow MUST fold
Prayer Drill
Purpose: To learn correct use the hands and to initiate the backswing
Starting Position
Standing tall, back straight, head erect, feet spread shoulder width apart
Partially extend your arms (elbows bent about 90°) to your front up to chest level, squeeze your upper arms against the sides of your chest
Place your palms together, fingers extended and joined in the prayer position, then extend/slide your right until the thumb pad is in the palm of the left hand
Bow forward from the waist until your feel your weight balance slightly more towards your toes.
Execution
Push your L hand against the R hand and turn your L hand, L arm and L shoulder as one SOLID unit to initiate the backswing
Keep your nose pointed at a fixed point
Keep your upper arms squeezed against your torso
Keep your hands together, DON’T let them separate … this is a huge point of performance
Push your R hand against the L hand and turn your R hand, R arm and R shoulder as one SOLID unit to initiate the forward swing
This drill can be used as a mini-swing like a chip shot
Starting Position
With or without a ball
Put a tee into the ground and clip the top of the tee on the swing; or tee up a ball on a tall tee
Place both hands on the handle with the thumbs on the top, at the 12 O’clock position, palms face each other as if in a prayer in a prayer position, slide the bottom hand down and close your fingers
Take up a chip stance
Execution
Make a 1/4 backswing and then swing through to a 1/2 followthru position
Thumbs stay on top, wrists do not break or roll.
Blue on Blue Brick Wall Drill
This drill is a modification of the Windmill /Hitchhiker Drill and
the Prayer Drill … with this drill we add a club but still remove the ball and
the target so you must focus on learning rather than performance. This is a
three-step drill
Memorize this little poem: Blue on blue, left arm back, right arm through.
Starting Position … Step 1
Standing tall, back straight, head erect (same as for Hitchhiker)
Club is held to your front, slightly lower than shoulder height, thumbs on top of shaft
Shaft points “up and out” at a 45° angle to the arms and the ground
Execution … Step 1
Point your nose at an imaginary brick about belt high located on the imaginary wall to your front … fix your nose on this brick and don’t move it (teaches you to look at the ball)
As with the Hitchhiker and Prayer drills, turn your shoulders back and through you nose gradually increasing your range of motion to trying to turn the shoulders through a 180° revolution
Key focus … L shoulder back, elbow down; R shoulder through, elbow down
Starting Position … Step 2
Similar to the Prayer Drill except with a club … standing tall, back straight, head erect, feet spread shoulder width apart
Bow slightly less than for a normal swing, then squat into a balanced stance
Drop your arms from your shoulders, but deliberately “reach” for the ball, keeping the clubhead 6” off the ground
Squeeze your upper arms against the sides of your chest
Execution … Step 2
Again, fix your eyes on a single brick about 6” from the bottom of your imaginary wall
Turn the shoulder back, turn the shoulders through
Gradually increase your range of motion to more than 90° turn
Key thought … L shoulder back, R elbow down, R shoulder through, L elbow down
Starting Position … Step 3
Similar to the Prayer Drill except with a club … standing tall, back straight, head erect, feet spread shoulder width apart
Bow slightly less than for a normal swing, then squat into a balanced stance
Drop your arms from your shoulders, but deliberately “reach” for the ball, keeping the clubhead 6” off the ground
Squeeze your upper arms against the sides of your chest
Execution … Step 2
Again, fix your eyes on a single brick about 6” from the bottom of your imaginary wall
Turn the shoulder back, turn the shoulders through
Gradually increase your range of motion to more than 90° turn
Key thought … L shoulder back, R elbow down, R shoulder through, L elbow down
The Elbow Drill (1/2, Back, 3/4 Thru)
Purpose:
To teach correct extension of the takeaway (delayed wrist cock) continuing the correct use of the hands as passive connectors rather than active hitters … thumbs on top into the backswing … this is the same movement as a pitch shot
To teach correct weight transfer onto the back foot
To teach correct elbow position to control swing path
Starting Position
Correct, normal, full swing address
Execution
Continue the movement of the Takeaway Drill up to the ½ backswing position (waist high)
The shoulder and left arm are the prime mover of the whole motion, the legs and right side are passive
Checkpoints … insure:
The L shoulder has moved back, not down
75% of your weight transfers onto back foot
The thumbs are still on top of shaft
The shaft points 180° away from target
The toe of the club points to the sky
The wrists have minimum wrist cock
The R elbow folds naturally … it is neither fully extended nor deliberately held close to your body
Slowly and continuously reverse the movement back and forth focusing on each of these checkpoints one at a time
The Shoulder-to-Finish Drill (3/4 Backswing to Full 4/4 Followthru)
Purpose
To extend the motion of the Elbow Drill up to the ¾ backswing position
8To teach correct weight transfer onto the back foot … to “get behind” the ball
To teach correct elbow position in order to control swing path through the ball
Starting Position
Correct, normal, full swing address
Execution
Extend the motion of the Takeaway and Elbow Drills up to the ¾ backswing position
The prime mover of the motion is still the L shoulder and arm, the right side is still passive
The same checkpoints of performance for the Elbow Drill continue except …
Execution
The wrists will break slightly to moderately, depending upon your level of flexibility; the shaft will generally point to the sky indicating there is more swing remaining
Staggered Release Drill/Split Hands Drill
Purpose
Starting Position
Execution
Make as slow and as full of a swing as possible … the modified stance and hand position cause you to be aware of every little detail in your swing … weight transfer, balance, elbow and thumb positions
After making a number of dry swings, gradually, work your way out of each modification … first move your hands closer together
When you feel some comfort, add a ball … from this position, you will hook the ball as soon as you have control of your elbows and thumbs
One-Armed Man Drill
Purpose: To develop strength in the prime mover of the
backswing and forward swing
Starting Position
Full, normal address position
Remove your bottom hand and softly grasp the wrist of your arm
Execution
Slowly make repeated ¾ length back swings, focusing on correct checkpoints
Reverse your hands and make forward swings
Stop, Get Some More & Go Drill
Purpose
To ensure a correct backswing has been executed
To isolate the backswing movement from the forward swing movement
To increase an awareness of the transition from back to forward motion
Starting Position
Full, normal address position
Execution
Make a ¾ backswing in the same manner as you did in the Shoulder to Finish Drill
At the ¾ position, STOP and check for errors … correct any errors by cocking your wrist into a full 4/4 backswing
AND GO … initiate the forward swing by reversing the shoulder turn
Blind Swings Drill and Super Slo-Mo
Your eyes are the “queen of your senses”. They override your sense of feel and can interfere with learning. All of these techniques should be performed with and without a weighted club.
Purpose: Teaches “feel” for the correct checkpoints of execution
Starting Position
Full Normal Address or intermediate
Execution
Blind Swings: Close your eyes and make slow, continuous, full swings while systematically isolating your attention to each checkpoint
Make single, full motion, normal speed swings while focusing on a single checkpoint
Super SloMo: all movements are made as if in a tank of molasses; the forward portion is slightly faster than the backwards movement
Posing: Move to the desired position, check your checkpoints of correct performance and hold the position for a slow count of ten.
Copyright © 1992 [CraftSmith Golf Enterprises]. All rights reserved. Revised: