INSTRUCTION: STAYING WARM
Your game doesn’t have to get cold just because it’s winter. Here are more indoor drills.
Practicing indoors during the winter is a great way to make improvements to your golf game. Some corrections are best made in the off-season when you are playing less. This second installment of a two-part series on indoor practice will help you take advantage of the winter months and make the coming golf season a success.
The Takeaway
The takeaway is the first crucial move to the swing. Many players move
the club too far behind them in an effort to swing more inside to out. When
the club swings back to parallel to the ground in the backswing, the club
should remain in front of the body and in front of the toe line.
The Bag Drill
Place a carry bag at your side about 12 inches away from your rear foot.
The bottom of the bag should sit just inside the target line, and the bag
should be set on the angle of your 5-iron or slightly below. Practice making
your takeaway, keeping the club in front of the carry bag. If you hit the
bag, you’re too far inside. On the downswing, if your club drops down and
hits the bag, you are too far inside.
The Swing Plane
As the backswing continues, the wrists cock the club up when the lead
arm reaches parallel to the ground. This wrist cock provides the swing with
power and puts the club on the proper swing plane. When the wrists cock,
your rear wrist creates the cocking action so that it bends about 90 degrees
and the lead wrist is put into a flat position. The club is set so that a
90-degree angle forms between the club and the lead arm and the butt of the
club points directly at the ball or target line.
The Flashlight Drill
With some tape, attach a small flashlight to the end of your 7-iron.
Turn on the flashlight. Make your address position with the clubhead along
the base of a wall where you have plenty of room to swing. Make your
backswing halfway back, to the position where the club is cocked. The light
from the flashlight should hit the base of the wall where the wall and the
floor meet. If the light hits the wall, your swing is flat. If the light
hits the floor, your swing is upright.
Position at the Top
A good position at the top of the swing sets up a strong downswing and
impact into the ball. Many problems at impact can be fixed before you get
there.
To the Top Drill
Place two pieces of tape parallel to each other on a mirror. The first
piece should represent the angle of your club when you are at address. Have
a partner put the tape on the mirror while you stand at address so that your
club lines up with the tape on the mirror. The second piece should be placed
parallel to the first and at an angle to the top of your shoulders as you
are at address. During the first part of the backswing, the club should
trace or stay just in front of the first piece of tape, so that the club is
swung straight back and not inside or outside. Continuing to the top of the
swing, your lead arm should swing up to the second piece of tape, not above
it or below it, so that, in the mirror, the lead arm covers the rear
shoulder and the lead wrist is flat and parallel to the second line. This
will put the club on the correct plane.
Tom Bennett is director of instruction at Barton Creek in Austin, Texas, part of The Pinehurst Company Golf Institute. He has taught golf for more than a decade in the United States and Europe. Many top-ranked juniors are among his students.
Did You Miss Part
One?
In the first installment of this two-part series, Tom Bennett
focused on indoor drills for your setup and pivot. Just click on “Archives”
and find the “Golf” section of the November/December 2001 issue.