When you really drill down into it, the golf swing isn’t so much a swing as it is a turn. One big turn back, and one turn through.
Teachers call it your “pivot,” and most consider it the engine of your golf swing. It’s the key to unlocking power you didn’t know you had, and it’s why GOLF Top 100 Teacher Tony Ruggiero makes it such a central part of his teaching.
Tony’s been putting some great content on his YouTube page recently around this theme, so if this is something you’re struggling with in your golf swing, check it out here.
Here’s a quick sampling of drills Tony says will help you pivot through the ball with more power.
1. Load and explode
This drill requires an exercise band. Attach one end to a surface (or have someone hold it), then get into golf posture with your hands in your chest, holding the other end. Punch through to your finish position. By working against the resistance, you’ll be training your body to turn through more forcefully.
2. Post and turn
Tony’s next drill involves holding an exercise band firmly just above both your knees. Often, golfers with mobility issues can slide too far off the ball on the backswing, and struggle to get back through the ball on the downswing. That’s when Tony uses this drill: To help them feel like they’re coiling on the backswing, and creating a base for them to rotate through.
3. Sequence
A good pivot relies on a good sequence, which is the order in which your different body parts move as it begins the downswing. When golfers struggle with this, Tony uses this sequence drill: Simply get in golf posture with a club across your shoulders, turn back, bump your hips towards the target, then turn through.
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