Drills that don't use clubs - Do you like?

[kfowler]

Do you personally get a lot out of drills where you don't actually use a club?

I personally do not. I find them helpful in understanding a concept, but I find that they don't generally translate into a corrected swing fault once I put a club in my hands. I find a much greater benefit out of drills that resemble an actual swing with a club in your hands. Especially once you actually put a ball in front of your face. The mind can do some funny things when you actually try and hit a ball.

What do you think?

[WUTiger]

Personally, I find a motion drill paired with a club-swing drill is most helpful.

With the non-club drills, you are basically modeling ideal behavior, so would need to understand clearly the goal of the drill, and make sure you use proper form. This brings to mind my recent experience with athletic trainers.

Since 2002, my wife and I have used an athletic trainer on occasion to help us shape an exercise program. I'm a former college wrestler, and did a bit of high school coaching many years ago. A big thing I've learned from the trainers: A lot of of the old-school stretching and basic strength training exercises have been changed or upgraded since the 1980s. The trainer taught me not so much how to exercise, but how to exercise properly.

Same thing with golf. Here is a pairing of a non-club and a club drill:
* Stand facing a mirror in proper golf stance posture. Cross your arms over your chest, and practice your hip turn and follow-through motion.
* At range, do a partial swing drill, using movements of the mirror-cross drill.

Another idea which golfers might explore is learning style . The best way to learn things varies from person to person. A common classification of learning styles is:
* Visual
* Auditory
* Tactile/Kinesthetic (touch and motion)

For explanation of styles , see: http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyle...es%20Explained

For free learning style self-assessment test , see: http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html

[flopdarock]

i think it all depends on what im trying to accomplish and what type of drills they are...
some help me tremendously especially while practicing in the house... lol
haney has that swingnature thing i think thats what its called and i do that with just a shaft and no clubhead...

i know what you(the OP) is saying tho cuz when im on the course and even on the range... its just a diff "feeling" when you are actually about to hit the ball

[Leftygolfer]

The only drill I do without a club is turning with my head on the wall. I am changing my swing and it is a drill directly out of the book. It helps me get the feelings needed to accomplish the swing I want. It is very different feeling turn.