What's your favorite/most useful swing drill?

[TD22057]

The title says it all - I'd like to hear your most effective swing drill(s). Here one to start:

Problem: a back swing that's too flat. For me this was from flipping my hands right at the take away and pulling the club back way too much inside.

The drill: put your butt against a wall (I used a stone wall outside our house and an old 7 iron) and take your normal back swing. SMACK (hence the need for an old club). Practice taking the club straight back until your don't hit the wall.

I found that standing about 1-2" from the wall and making about a 1/2 speed backswing worked great. I did this one about 1500 times and it has completely fixed my swing plane problems. I think the 1/2 speed motion also helped my tempo (which is normally too quick).

[King Cobra II]

I have a similar problem, I'll have to give that one a try.

[Heat]

putting the driver head cover just outside/behind of the ball so if I do an incorrect swing path, i smack into the headcover. It puts the fear into you that you will damage the pretty and clean headcover.

[doublesuited77]

putting the driver head cover just outside/behind of the ball so if I do an incorrect swing path, i smack into the headcover. It puts the fear into you that you will damage the pretty and clean headcover.

this works better with a "heavy" towel. just take a towel dip it in water and put it 2 inches outside your target line.

[Ringer]

Couple of em..

Walk through Drill and Forward Ball Placement drill.

[TD22057]

Couple of em..

Could you provide a little more detail on these? Thanks!

[sonicblue]

Simplest drill I do is, just a "position check" at each key point of the swing (IMO):

1) Parallel, toe up
2) Halfway point of backswing (arms about chest level)
3) Full backswing
4) Downswing start (sometimes called the "piston" or "pump" drill)
5) Impact
6) Follow-through

Take position at address and take the club back to the first point and check position and/or feel the proper position. Repeat about 10 times. Then, start from address and pause at the next position.

Usually what this does for me is reminds me of excess movement I've been allowing to fester in my swing. In this drill, I try to really feel a unified grip and a solid, balanced base as I hit each position. When it's over, I usually feel like I'm taking a half swing (even though I'm swinging full) with just a comfortable shoulder turn with a natural hip turn/shoulder uncoil, and my hands and arms are just subconsciously connected with everything else.

[Ringer]

Could you provide a little more detail on these? Thanks!

Walk Through Drill -

Forward Ball Placement -

[EGS]

Although it is very simple, I find that if I am having trouble striking the ball, I grab my three and four iron, and swing hard for about five or six swings on a practice tee. The added weight and bulk of the grip then make swinging one club a joke. Simple yet very effective for getting back to basics.

[Big Lex]

Well, I've tried several of the drills mentioned here, including the one about swinging with your butt near a wall. But I've never done something like this a hundred times, let alone 1500.

Maybe this is why I'm stuck at 11 hcp, and can't get into single digits like I've always wanted.

Well, whatever...here are my most useful routines/drills that have worked over the years:

If I'm having trouble releasing or am releasing the club late (blocking the ball, push fades/slices, thin hits, etc.), I swing my Momentus weighted club with an exaggerated, hard release action early in the downswing. I almost feel like I'm casting/releasing right from the top. I really concentrate on the forearms crossing over as the swing goes through. Do that a few times, then pick up your driver, and it's like you just added 15 mph of swing speed. Try it some time. You can to it with any club, although it's better if it's weighted in some way, to enhance the effect.

As for almost all other problems, my main tool is to look at my swing in a full length mirror. I look both face on and down line (i.e., behind the golfer). Face on, I check the top position for appropriate coil, absence of swaying hips, steady head, etc. From down the line, I check plane (laid off, across the line, etc.) and club face (shut facing sky, open pointing down). Then, I make the first move down, and make sure the plane of the shaft coming down is the same or slightly flatter than it was going back.

One more drill I do is a modification of the Harvey Penick slow motion drill. I swing back at about 30-50% of full velocity, then swing down, also slower, and stop when the club is about 2-3 feet from the ball. I look at the club face at this point to make sure it's not too open or too shut, but roughly square or a bit open relative to its point on the path/arc.

My main striking problem is toe hits and hooks, and this drill helps me see if I'm getting the club shut coming into the hitting area. Over the years, I've learned that at times I regrip the club stronger as I'm preparing to start the backswing. You know the little fiddling movements you do with your hands, waggling, etc., as you prepare to swing? Sometimes in those movements, I end up regripping stronger with the left hand. It can be subtle and I won't otherwise notice it, then I'll do this drill, and I immediately catch it.