As someone who’s currently reworking his golf swing, I know how difficult it is to consistently keep your club on the right path.
When your swing is a little out of whack, bad things tend to happen. From an open clubface open to a too-steep angle of attack, these bad habits can significantly impact your ball’s trajectory, distance, and accuracy.
So how can you practice keeping your club on the right path? PGA Professional James Hong — the Director of Instruction at Southern California Golf Academy — has an easy-to-use drill to help!
Try this two-club drill for an improved club path
As Hong demonstrates in the video above, take two clubs (or an alignment stick), and overlap the handles. This creates an extended shaft, leaving one end touching the ground below you, and one sticking out from behind you.
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Setting up over the ball, take a few practice swings, helping you get accustomed to the feel of the longer club.
Once you’re comfortable, Hong says to focus on keeping each swing you take on plane, avoiding the temptation to get too steep.
“What you want to do as you take [the club] away is ensure that this whole club and clubhead points towards the ball the whole time,” he says. “As you can see, the club is pointing towards the ball, not getting steep. It stays on plane and then traces back down as you follow through.”
Once you get the feel after a couple of practice swings, Hong says it’s time to ditch the second club and hit your shot as you normally would — with an emphasis on retraining your brain to duplicate that same practice motion.
“Use this as a visual and a feel,” Hong says. “Set up to it, make a nice slow backswing, [have that club] pointing towards the ball the whole time, swing down and through.”
While it may take some time to get used to the club’s new path to the ball, your tweaks will help you maximize your club’s power, speed and accuracy. Farther, straighter shots should soon follow.