Linn Grant has been a professional for less than three years, but she’s already made a big splash on the LPGA Tour.
The 24-year-old notched her first career LPGA win at the 2023 Dana Open, and is currently No. 28 in the Rolex ranking. She’s also gained a reputation as one of the longest bombers in the women’s game, with an average drive of 270 yards.
During the LPGA’s recent stop in Gilbert, Ariz., for the Ford Championship, I asked Grant if she had a go-to ballstriking drill. Her answer included a simple move that any player can replicate — and it’s gadget-free.
“I always like to keep my swing compact,” Grant said. “So I always use a glove and I just put it under my right arm and I try to keep it there throughout my swing. It’s super easy. You don’t need any gadgets, you just need whatever you want to put under your arm.”
Grant said this drill is useful for any player who is seeking that compact feel — and it’s also a handy way to minimize the feeling of your arms guiding the swing.
“I usually use it for a few balls every day to start my routine,” she said. “It’s basically just to keep my arms compact with my body so that I feel like my body is actually moving the club and not just my arms. I’m just trying to stay connected with the club.”
Grant says she appreciates the drill because it helps her engage her legs and hips.
“A lot of amateur players swing with their arms, which causes a lot of disconnection to the body,” she said. “That causes a different path that they maybe don’t want. But if you could keep your arms connected with your body, they will always stay tight, and it will be easier to control the club just by swinging. It’s like like adding speed with your body instead of your arms.”
Give Grant’s advice a try, and reap the benefits of your newfound compact motion during your next round.
As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.