I saw a short clip on The Golf Channel today showing Tiger Woods and his caddie. They are working very hard to keep his upper body from moving back and down during the forward swing. He had a horrific tournament last week and is searching for the old magic.

The very drill they were using is exactly what I use for my students and something I suggested in a recent blog he could use to help him overcome an increase in right spine tilt during his downswing. What I prescribed was to hold a shaft against his right ear and have him move away from it during the downswing. As I mentioned this is exactly what Williams was doing during a recent practice round for the PGA !

This simple drill is one you should use if you are having problems ‘backing up’ through impact, failing to stay on top of the ball with your upper body. Many players in an effort to get the club traveling inside during the forward swing will move their spine right which causes the golf club to feel ’stuck’ as you near impact. Exactly what is plaguing the world’s number one ranked player.

Keep using this drill Tiger and I know you will get on top of the ball once again and on top of the golfing world.

I have have shown this clip before, but it is worth reposting ! I have been asked many times by students “How do I make my golf shots sound like a Touring Pros? ” Try this drill and you will be on your way to compressing the golf ball not just hitting it..

Understanding where your weight, hands, and golf shaft should be at impact is where you need to begin if you are to compress the golf ball and control direction. I have had many students misunderstand the most important position..impact. Try this drill and you will find also begin to feel what it is like to compress the golf ball.

I worked with one of my students this week who is one of the top Texas senior amateurs He has also played in the US Senior Open. One shot he struggles with is the slight block right as well as slightly chunked shot. This guy is an exceptional player and his misses are better than most players good shots ! But these two shots creep into his game now and lead to trouble. Let me explain what we did and maybe it will help you.

After we filmed a couple of swings using V1 software it was very apparent how the spine moved down and to the right occasionally in the forward swing. When this happens the low point of your swing moves back(therefore chunked shots) and the hand path will shift out to the right causing blocked shots or flipping through impact to get the clubhead square.

If you struggle with blocked shots you should check two positions. First, monitor your ball position. With this student his ball position was back in his stance promoting his head moving right during the downswing in an effort to feel he was behind the ball at impact. Second, have a friend hold a shaft against your right ear( assuming a right handed player) checking for movement right during the downswing. If you hit the shaft as you move towards the golf ball then you are moving the head back. What you should feel is the right shoulder stays higher through the downswing, not moving back and right.

Give this a go and I think you will begin eliminating blocked shots.

Where do you think the hands should travel during the forward swing? Should they move inside out, or inside square and back inside? During a recent lesson with a new student I asked this very question. I was told he had been taught to swing the hands down the target line towards the target post impact.

Most golfers fail to realize what should happen or mislead when they begin moving towards impact. You should imagine the swing pattern rotating around a fixed point, which is your spine. When this happens the club will make contact with the golf ball when it reaches the apex of the circle and will then continue to exit around and on the circular path. When pressure points of upper arms and torso are maintained you should feel arms and body are working as a unit. If you attempt to swing the golf club towards your target the golf club will then be thrown out of its natural orbit around the body causing speed reduction and also requiring a great deal of timing to square the golf club upon impact.

I suggest you try this drill. Set up to the ball just like you would if you were making a golf swing. From this position turn the torso and arms until your hands are directly in front of your right pocket. Keeping both elbows straight, make the same rotary move back towards the golf ball and over the left pocket.  Notice how the hands seem to travel around the waist ( or beltline) . I think you will understand the correct hand path when performing this drill and why you should not swing down the target line during the forward swing. Give it a try !