OPEN HANDS DRILL
WALK THE LINE DRILL
OPEN HANDS DRILL
“ This drill ( from former Canadian Teacher of the Year Rob Houldin ) is one of my favorites ,” Failes said . “ It helps you organize your attachment to the handle of a golf club , your awareness of its club face , as well as the swing rhythm and tension levels in your forearms .”
GOLDILOCKS DRILL
ROBERT FAILES
1 . Open your hands so your thumbs and thumb pads are off the club .
2 . Make sure the heel pad of your lead hand is pressuring the top side of the handle , and the bottom side of the handle is resting in your fingers .
3 . Check to see if the inside knuckles of both hands will stabilize each sides of the handle .
4 . Take a light swing . If you ’ re holding your club correctly , you should be able to make a swing at about 80 % of your normal speed without the club slipping or dislodging from your hands .
Failes said the Open Hands Drill also doubles as a great rhythm test .
• If your club travels too fast into its change of direction ( likely due to a lack of early momentum ), you ’ ll experience an abrupt change of direction that nearly guarantees the club handle will lose contact with your hands .
• If your club has momentum early and it ’ s allowed to “ settle ” into a change of direction , it ’ s much easier for you to keep it within the fingers of each hand through the top of your backswing .
In the pro ranks , the most powerful ball strikers are among the best at coordinating the three skills mentioned above . While they all do it in different ways , there are two common themes we tend to see in terms of how their respective clubs swing :
• The handle and head of their clubs move in opposite directions approaching impact . ( Yes , you read that correctly .)
• Long-distance players decrease spin-loft .
Finally , there ’ s no better tip we can offer ( no matter your skill level ) than staying hydrated — especially during the summer months . Virginia may be for lovers , but no one loves being dehydrated .
Ready to put everything you ’ ve learned into action ? Check out these three drills Failes shared in hopes of getting your driving game into high gear .
WALK THE LINE DRILL
“ This drill is inspired by Dr . Young-Hoo Kwon and is a staple in my daily coaching ,” Failes said . “ The idea is to create a rhythm using your entire body , and to simply walk that swing rhythm through the line of golf balls .”
1 . Set out 5 golf balls in a line , about one club head apart from each other .
2 . Take your address posture several feet inside the first ball . Then , take a deep , silent inhale ( bringing your attention to the tension in your shoulders and arms .)
3 . While keeping the handle of your club securely holstered in your hands , exhale , releasing the tension in the arms so the weight of the arms and your club are suspended from your shoulders
4 . Step in place , allowing the energy from your feet to migrate up through your body and into your shoulders . ( Your arms will begin to gently swing from your shoulder sockets , while the club head gently trails behind .)
5 . Start to “ pump ” your feet and legs with each step becoming more active , to inspire some rotation and magnify the momentum in the club head so that it ’ s swinging from about waist high to waist high .
6 . Begin walking forward and hitting continuously through the line of golf balls .
GOLDILOCKS
“ Got a nasty slice you ’ re trying to get rid of ? This is the drill for you ,” Failes said .
1 . Set aside three golf balls . 2 . Slice the first ball on purpose . ( You ’ ll probably do this anyway .) 3 . Now , attempt to create a wicked hook on your second shot . 4 . On the third ball , create a shot that lands anywhere in between your first two .
This allows you to clearly see both edges of your “ lane ” and , with practice , helps you prevent extreme slices in the rounds to come .
vsga . org J ULY / A UGUST 2023 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 37