Use these triple-T drills to change your game

When it comes to playing your best golf, one of the most effective things you can do is consistently work on your fundamentals. To help you do just that, I’ve come up with a simple training aid that anyone can make called the “Triple T” (two 12-inch PVC pipes connected by a PVC tee fitting with one 10-inch PVC pipe as the third leg). From putting to setup to full swing, the Triple T is an all-around game changer.

If you spend any time watching the best players in the world practice on the range before a PGA Tour event, I’ll bet you every dollar I have in my wallet you’ll find at least one player working on his alignment. The reason is simple: Alignment predicates how your body moves during the swing. If it’s off, your whole swing will look and feel foreign, not to mention you’ll probably hit a wide variety of uncontrollable shots. To fix this, the Triple T can reign your alignment back in as well as tidy up your ball positioning.

The last key fundamental you can improve with the Triple T is the connection between your body and the club as you rotate back and through. When your arms sling the club back too far or too quickly without your body in tow, your ballstriking, consistency—even your ability to hit the ball farther—will diminish considerably. With the Triple T, if you make a swing with the 10-inch PVC pipe pointed toward your center, you’ll quickly feel the relationship your arms should have with your core, helping you stay connected and make a better and more consistent swing.

There’s more you can discover using the Triple T—these three fundamentals are just the start of the benefits a little trip to the hardware store and some nuts-and-bolts practice might bring.

Triple T Putting

This DIY device makes it easy to see if your putting stroke is crisscrossed, meaning you’re pulling your arms back too far to the inside or pushing them too far outside during your stroke. By positioning the Triple T along your forearms and using the 10-inch pipe as your grip, simply make a few putting strokes and keep the Triple T going back and through on the same arc.

1. Swing the Triple T back and through, keeping it in position above your forearms as you swing.

2. Imagine the 10-inch pipe as the grip of your putter. Keep it centered and pointing at your belly button as you make your stroke.

3. Squaring up your feet with the Triple T at address will help lead to a more consistent stroke and likely better aim.

Triple T Alignment

A good setup is the foundation for a rock-solid swing.

1. Aligning your feet is important, but don’t neglect your knees and hips. They, too, should square up to the Triple T along with your toe line.

2. When all else fails, aligning your stance to the Triple T and using the middle PVC pipe as a centered ball position will help restore your consistency.

Triple T Connection

In a sound swing, the chest and arms move as a cohesive unit.

1. Grip the Triple T just above the joint. As you start the device back, keep the end closest to you pointed at your belt buckle.

2. As your left arm reaches a position parallel to the ground, the 10-inch pipe should be pointing toward your chest.

3. WARNING: If you yank the Triple T too far inside on your takeaway, the 10-inch pipe will point behind your right arm.

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