Hey, Performance Golfers, Matt Walter here.
We're going to get you squared away with a great drill and learn how to shallow the golf
club using the right trail arm, trail side action in your downswing.
So, this drill is here to help you learn how to get the golf club slotted in a manner that
is effective, and also efficient in delivering the golf club.
So, what we're trying to do here is learn how our torso, so pretty much, just think
of your rib cage, moves in the downswing, and how our right arm can move in the downswing
so that you can kind of get rid of that slice or get rid of that quick snap hook flip.
So, a lot of times, what I see golfers doing in their downswing is that they are producing
this motion where their upper body leans too far forward, and their right arm works away
from their body, giving us a gap between their right arm and their rib cage, and you get
to see this nice flexed right hand, which we all know looks like a great little flip.
So, in motion, it would look a little bit here.
You'll see them tilt, you'll see the club go this way, that right arm's off the body,
and then you're just hitting and hoping, and you're praying to the golf gods for a good
bounce.
So, what we're going to do is learn how that rib cage can move in the downswing and how
that trail arm can maybe change just a little bit so that we can deliver the golf club with
a little bit more of a shallower, slotted position.
So, this is a great drill, I think, for most of you golfers over there who struggle with
the over-the-top move or you've got the inevitable flip at the bottom of your golf swing, because
if you watch what the tour players are doing online, in a YouTube video or wherever, you'll
see the tour player, their head actually moves back a little bit in the downswing.
Now, why is this?
So, when they are lined up at the top of their golf swing, you have a center to your torso
and a center to your pelvis.
So, what a tour player does is, they'll keep those two positions stacked on top of each
other, and then they'll create a separation where their lower body moves ahead of their
upper body.
So, the center of their pelvis moves ahead of their torso.
Too many golfers try and get that move at the top, and then the next thing they'll do
is, they'll either stand up and come away from the inside, and they're in trouble, or
they'll get here, do a reversed turn in their downswing with their pelvis, and they'll end
up tilting their spine forward and getting that right arm away, and throwing the face
into the ball, and it's no good from there.
So, here's what we want to do.
The drill I'm about to give you will, one, help you turn so that your center of your
torso and the center of your pelvis stay stacked together, but two, you'll learn how to create
that little bit of a slide where the pelvis gets ahead of your upper body, and then that
trail arm can feel like it's coming in more under plane, because that's probably what
you're needing to feel, and then you can get a good delivery to impact.
So, to start this drill...
You have to watch this closely because this is where it's going to get a little tricky.
So, if you don't hold the club right, you're not going to get the right feel.
So, what you want to do is, you can hold your grip straight up and down.
You want it to be outside your trail arm, and you're going to grip it backwards so that
your club comes up between your thumb and your index finger, and the butt of the club
still points to the sky.
It's sitting outside my trail arm.
I'm then going to take my left hand and grab it around the base of the shaft.
So, now, I can get in golf posture, and what I want to do is, I want to just twist my body,
holding on to that golf club, and that's going to allow me to feel how to twist without having
the club go this way, because as soon as I start to tilt my body, you'll see the club
move, and we don't want that.
We want the club to feel like it stays nice and straight, up and down.
I love this drill because the next part is really where it's going to come in handy.
And I can't remember where I saw it, but I definitely liked this next part.
So, what happens is, next, once you've created that turn, you're going to pull with your
left arm as you rotate your body, and you will feel your right elbow get way ahead of
your hand in the sense that it's going to reach towards the golf ball first, or that
right elbow's going to point to your target first.
So, you're going to start up here with a big twist.
As you rotate your body, you're going to try and pull up with your left hand so that your
right arm points more to the target with your elbow, and your right arm looks more flat
to the ground.
And the shaft gets from straight up and down to flat to the turf, and you feel like you've
created as much turn in your body as you can get, and you're only going to rehearse that
to impact.
And the big thing that's going to change here is, if you go to the top and go this way,
you'll feel instantly that your body's going in the wrong direction because you can't pull
the club in.
And so, what you have to feel is, that first move is starting to pull, and let your head
move back behind your pelvis, and your nose is going to look over almost your right knee,
and then turn and point your elbow at the tree.
So, if all things go well and according to plan, and you do 50 reps of these, you'll
start to feel how to route that club more under-plane and more shallow.
So, if we do it all correct, it should look a little something like this.
Now, the one word of caution I'll heed to you is, if you get really good at doing this
and you never actually release the golf club, you could find yourself hitting a lot of high
push cuts.
So, you have to be able to get this feeling only to about where your shaft would be parallel
to the ground.
So, if I took this up to a full swing, it would look more here.
And then, you have to learn how to deliver your hands through impact.
So, a secondary portion to this drill would be to take the golf club, set up, turn, twist,
get that feeling in your body where you have your spine tilted away from the target, your
nose over your right knee, a lot of turn, and then deliver your hands through the hit,
so you can learn how to close the club face and get a good squeeze on the golf ball.
So, if you liked this drill, please subscribe to the channel.
Leave a comment with any questions you have about either doing the drill or the success
you've had with it.
I'll be sure to answer those comments below.
And I hope you guys are off to a great start to rebuilding that downswing.