Toe Up to Toe Up: The Golf Swing Exercise for Better Ball Striking
TOE UP TO TOE UP SWING: A Simple Exercise for Flawless Ball Striking and Direction
I've seen so many golfers struggle with one of the most fundamental parts of the game: making solid contact with the ball. The frustration of hitting a fat shot, a thin shot, or watching the ball spray off the target line is a feeling I know well. We all want to hit the ball cleanly, but often we get lost in complex swing thoughts or intricate mechanics.
What I've found is that the key to more reliable ball striking isn't always a complete swing overhaul. Sometimes, it's about going back to basics with a simple, yet powerful exercise. I’ve developed and used a drill I call the "toe up to toe up" swing. This exercise is an incredibly effective way to reconnect with your swing, improve your golf ball striking, and build a more trustworthy motion from the ground up.
This isn’t about generating a ton of power or hitting the ball 300 yards. This is about learning what the clubface is doing through impact, controlling your clubface angle, and getting the feel of a solid body-driven motion. It’s the kind of fundamental work that lays the groundwork for a truly dependable golf game.
The Problem: When Your Body Gets Out of Sync
So, what's at the root of poor contact? Most of the time, it's not a flaw with your arms or hands. It’s an issue with how your body is moving during the swing. Many golfers—and I’ve been there myself—tend to sway, lift up, or drop down as they swing. These subtle body movements disrupt your posture and your swing arc, making it nearly impossible to strike the ball in the same spot every time.
Think about it: the golf swing happens on a circular path. If your body’s center of rotation moves up and down or side to side, you’re constantly changing the low point of that swing. This is why you might hit one shot flush and the next a fat, chunky mess. Your body's position is unpredictable, and as a result, your ground contact becomes unpredictable.
You might also be a golfer who tries to generate power with your arms and hands. This leads to what I call an "armsy" swing, where the body is passive. This type of swing often results in a pulled shot or a slice because the hands are trying to do all the work and the face of the club is difficult to control. It's a fight against the natural physics of the swing, and it’s a battle you’re going to lose most of the time. This "toe up to toe up" exercise is designed to solve these exact problems by forcing your body to become the primary engine of the swing, and to stay centered as it rotates.
My Go-To Exercise: The "Toe Up to Toe Up" Swing
This exercise is simple, but it requires your full attention. The goal is to focus on a few key feelings and movements, rather than trying to hit a perfect shot. The beauty of this drill is that the setup itself forces you to use the proper body mechanics.
The Drill's Goal:
To help you feel what the club is doing through impact.
To improve the angle of your club face.
To build a foundation for a powerful and reliable motion.
How to Perform the Exercise:
Start with a Narrow Stance: The first step is to bring your feet together. Stand with your feet touching, or very close together. This is a crucial element of the exercise, as it removes your ability to sway or shift your weight excessively. It forces you to rely on rotation for your swing. [00:33]
The Backswing: From this narrow stance, I swing the club back, but I don't take a full swing. I only take the club back to a point where it's roughly horizontal with the ground. As I do this, I make sure the toe of the club is pointing straight up in the air. This position ensures I’m turning my body and not just flinging my arms. [00:42]
The Downswing and Follow-Through: Next, I swing down, focusing on clipping the ground right where the ball would be. I follow through until the club is again horizontal on the other side of my body. At this point, the toe of the club should be pointing straight up in the air once more. The entire motion should feel like a controlled rotation around a central point. [00:49]
Visualize the Motion: The full swing is a compact, deliberate movement. You should see the club go from a "toe up" position on the backswing to a "toe up" position on the follow-through. The entire motion should be about turning, not swaying. [01:05]
Don't worry about how far the ball goes. The shot will likely only travel a short distance—20 to 30 meters is a typical range. The goal here is not distance; it's about the quality of the contact and the straightness of the ball flight.
The Benefits and Key Focus Points of the Drill
This exercise is more than just a swing motion; it's a diagnostic tool that provides immediate feedback and teaches you crucial swing mechanics.
Body Rotation is Non-Negotiable: Standing with your feet together forces your brain to figure out how to swing while keeping your balance. This is a game-changer. Without the ability to sway back and forth, you are compelled to rotate your body around a fixed point. This is the foundation of a powerful and reliable swing. [01:30]
The Ground/Ball Contact is Your Guide: The feedback you get from this drill is priceless. If you are missing the ground entirely or hitting the ball thin, it's a sign that you might be pulling your body up during the swing. [01:46] The drill gives you an immediate indicator of what your body is doing incorrectly, allowing you to fix it.
Maintain Your Posture: To perform this drill correctly, you must maintain a stable posture. I like to imagine a "rotisserie skewer" running down my back. This visualization forces me to only turn my body without moving up, down, backwards, or forwards. This a powerful thought that helps me stay centered and swing on the correct plane. [01:57]
Learn from the Feedback: The feedback from this drill is incredibly enlightening. I had a student who performed the drill and realized for the first time that they were pulling their body back and away from the ball at impact. This was a realization they never had before, and it was key to unlocking their improvement. [02:24] The exercise is a powerful problem-solving tool that helps you diagnose your own swing flaws.
Taking the Drill to the Course: Building a Trustworthy Swing
The "toe up to toe up" exercise is a fantastic drill, but the real benefit comes from taking the feeling you get from it and applying it to your regular swing.
1. Transitioning to a Normal Stance: Once you feel comfortable with the drill and are making solid contact with the feet together, try the same motion with a slightly wider stance. You'll have more balance, but you'll still be focused on the feeling of body rotation and keeping your center stable. The goal is to keep the club going from "toe up" on the backswing to "toe up" on the follow-through.
2. Gradual Increase in Swing Length: Slowly start to increase the length of your swing, but never lose the feeling of the drill. The toe up to toe up motion is the foundation of a good swing, and it should be present in a three-quarter swing and even a full swing. Focus on getting the clubface to that "toe up" position on both sides of the swing, and you'll find that your body is moving in a much more efficient way.
3. From Drills to the Full Swing: The final step is to take this feeling to your full swing. Focus on that same feeling of a strong body rotation, a stable center, and a controlled clubface that goes from "toe up" to "toe up." You'll notice that your ball striking will improve dramatically, your shots will go straighter, and you'll have a much more dependable motion.
This exercise is also an excellent warm-up. Before every round or practice session, I’ll do a few repetitions of the "toe up to toe up" swing. It gets my body rotating, reminds me to stay centered, and primes me for a day of solid, clean strikes.
This simple exercise is one of the most powerful tools I’ve found for building a solid golf swing. It teaches you how to use your body effectively, provides instant feedback on your contact, and helps you build a strong foundation. Give it a try, and I’m confident that you’ll see a major improvement in your ball striking and overall game.
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