Want To Improve Your Golf Swing? Start With This SIMPLE MOVE
Want To Improve Your Golf Swing? Start With This SIMPLE MOVE
When I'm out on the golf course, especially around the green, I often see golfers make the same mistake: trying to hit a shot they're simply not ready for. We've all been there – faced with a tricky lie, maybe over a bunker, and the temptation to hit that "hero" shot is strong. But what if I told you that the key to dramatically reducing those frustrating "blow out holes" lies not in hitting the perfect shot, but in making smarter decisions?
Let’s talk about why a swing driven just by your arms is so damaging to your game. When you swing without a coordinated turn from your shoulders, torso, and hips, a lot of problems pop up.
You Lose Power: The largest muscles in your body—your legs, glutes, core, and back—are where golf swing power truly comes from. When your arms work alone, you're not using this power source. This leads to shorter drives and weak iron shots.
Erratic Contact: When the arms do all the work, your swing becomes unpredictable. You might hit the ball thin, fat, off the toe, or off the heel, with little warning. The ball flight becomes a mystery every time.
It’s Hard to Repeat: A swing that relies on just the arms is tough to do the same way twice. The small muscles in your arms and hands are prone to tiny, unpredictable changes. Trying to make a purely arm-driven swing work time after time is a major challenge.
You May Start Slicing: A super-active arm swing can cause an "over the top" motion on the downswing, where the club comes across the target line. This is a primary reason why many golfers struggle to stop slicing golf ball. On the flip side, a disconnected arm swing can get stuck behind your body, causing hooks or pushes.
I see these issues daily, and they are often at the root of a golfer's frustration. They’re focused on detailed hand positions or wrist movements, but they're missing the key golf swing fundamental: the connection between their arms and their body.
My Go-To Drill: The Basket Drill for a Stronger Connection
To fix this crucial link between your body and arms, I highly recommend a drill I call the "basket drill." The great thing is, you can use all sorts of objects to get the same feeling.
The Idea: The main goal of this drill is to create and keep a connection between your arms and your chest for the first part of your swing. This forces your big body muscles to take control and stops your arms from swinging on their own.
Using a Basket: As I show in the video, a small, lightweight laundry basket is a perfect tool. [00:23] The size of the basket makes you keep your arms together. The basket is a physical reminder that your arms must move with your body turn.
Using a Soft Ball or Tour Striker: A soft foam ball or a training aid like the Tour Striker ball works great, too. They fit between your forearms or upper arms and give you instant feedback. If you drop the ball, you know your arms have come apart from your body turn. [00:30]
Using a Folded Towel: A simple folded towel tucked under your armpits also does the job. The pressure of keeping the towel in place will make your body turn with your arms. This version is especially good for feeling the rotation from your shoulders and chest. [00:35]
How to Do the Drill: Building the Foundation
The key to this drill isn't about hitting the ball with power; it's about developing a new feeling. Start with small, slow swings, like you’re hitting a chip shot.
Set Up: Get into your normal golf stance. Place your object between your arms, holding it gently but firmly.
Small Swings: Make very short swings, going back to about hip height and through to the same spot. Your main goal is to keep the object between your arms the whole time. [00:38] This forces my golf body turn to start the swing. If my arms start to work on their own, the object will fall.
The Hip-Height Motion: This small, hip-to-hip motion is the foundation of a great swing. Getting this right builds a solid base for everything else. [00:59]
Focus on the "Y" Shape: Pay attention to the "Y" shape made by your club and your arms when you set up. The goal is to keep this "Y" shape as you start your swing. [01:23] This is only possible if your golf arm connection to your body is strong.
Feel the Body Turn: Focus on feeling your shoulders and torso rotate with your arms. This drill should give you a sense that your big muscles are in charge, not your small arm muscles.
Practice, Practice, Practice: Do these small, connected swings many times. The goal is to get used to the feeling of your arms and body working together as a team. Don't worry about hitting balls at this stage; just get the feeling right.
The Benefits: Why This Simple Move Works
Focusing on this body-arm connection offers several key benefits that lead directly to a more solid game:
More Solid Ball Striking: A connected swing creates a more stable swing path, which means you'll hit the sweet spot of the club more often. Hitting the ground in the same spot, shot after shot, is the hallmark of great contact. [01:39]
More Power: By using your body's big muscles, you’ll naturally create more power without swinging harder with your arms. You'll get effortless speed.
Improved Rhythm: When your body and arms move together, your swing will have a smoother rhythm and a better flow. It's much harder to get out of sync.
More Control and Accuracy: A connected swing gives you greater control over the clubface throughout the swing, leading to better accuracy.
A More Trustworthy Swing: A swing that uses the bigger, more stable muscles of the body is naturally more reliable than one that relies on the small muscles of your arms and hands.
Moving to a Full Swing: Taking the Feeling to the Course
Once you have a good feel for the connection with these small swings, you can slowly start to increase your swing speed and length.
Remove the Object: First, remove the basket, ball, or towel. Now, the challenge is to keep the feeling of that connection as you swing.
Gradually Increase: Slowly build up to three-quarter swings and then to a full swing. At each step, focus on keeping that body-arm connection.
The Release: As you swing down and through the ball, the connection will naturally loosen as your arms extend. The feeling of the "basket" being there should last until about hip height on both the backswing and follow-through.
Every Swing Counts: The feeling you get from this drill is the key to a good golf swing fundamental and should be present in every full swing.
By focusing on this simple move—the feeling of connection between your arms and your body—you'll be well on your way to developing a more powerful and trustworthy golf swing. It's a fundamental part of a solid motion, and it's a great place to start if you want to take your game to the next level. Even top players use this kind of drill as a daily warm-up to keep their swings in sync. Give it a try, and I'm confident you'll see a huge improvement in your contact and overall ball striking.
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