As you know, I teach golf using biomechanics. This is a great way to learn because it teaches you what each muscle will feel like. However, I have encountered some problems with many students. I teach in sequence: setup, the takeaway, the lift and turn (the rest of the backswing), transition, and forward swing to the finish. However, I have found that no matter how hard some students work, they will forget which muscle to use and what it feels like, reverting to their original swing in various parts of the swing. It’s like Whack-A-Mole, the old carnival game. They learn the first muscle, then the second muscle, and then the third muscle, but when it comes time to learn the fourth muscle, they may have forgotten how to use the first muscle. So, they have to go back and learn the first muscle, and by that time, they may have forgotten the second muscle. It is like Whack-A-Mole. It occurred to me that if I could develop some drills that would put these muscles together, it might cement them in the student’s mind.
Both the backswing turn and the forward swing turn have proven difficult for students to learn. The worst part is that they don’t even recognize their mistakes. I had one student plead with me to develop a drill to correct the problems. I came up with a simple drill, as you will see in the video. It is actually like rolling over in bed to the right for the backswing and rolling over in bed to the left for the forward swing. There are three muscles that control the backswing turn and four muscles that control the forward swing turn. If any one of these muscles doesn’t contract during the turn, it will prevent the turn from happening correctly. It has helped many, many students to feel what the turn feels like if they think about rolling over in bed. The right way to turn is for the left side on the backswing to turn into the right side and for the right side on the forward swing to turn into the left side. Most people will incorrectly use back muscles to pull away from the target line with the right side during the backswing and to pull away from the target line with the left side on the forward swing. They do this to varying degrees based on the center of gravity, which you will learn about in the video.
The center of gravity is a survival instinct. It keeps us alive by not letting us lose our balance and hurt ourselves. If the center of gravity is going in the wrong direction, you’ll have to make some bodily move to correct it so that you do not lose your balance. You will learn more about the center of gravity in the video.
This drill also helps teach you how to use the arms during the takeaway, the rest of the backswing, after impact, and to the finish. The drill will keep your arms in front of you on the backswing and keep you from chicken winging on the forward swing.
This drill has helped many people already, and I think it will help you too. Even people who thought it looked ridiculous changed their minds after they actually tried it. I hope it helps you too!