Want more power and control to your swing? Make what I call a “centered” turn, something you can learn quickly with this easy drill.
Stand in front of a mirror at home without a club. Use a dry-erase pen to draw a straight vertical line on the mirror. While standing erect, position your body so that when you look in the mirror, the line you’ve drawn runs straight from your shirt buttons to your belt buckle.
Now, tilt to your forward side with your upper body and touch your front knee with your target-side hand, letting your pelvis “bump” a little away from the target [1]. Then fold your arms across your chest [2]. Rotate back [3] and finally extend your arms like you’re at the top of your backswing [4]. The trick is to do all this without the center of your body moving off the line on the mirror. A good thing to think about as you perform this drill: Whatever direction your shirt buttons go, your belt buckle moves opposite.
The Hall of Fame instructor Jack Grout knew decades ago about the importance of a centered turn, so much so that he would often grab hold of a young Jack Nicklaus’ hair to keep him from moving off the line. (Story goes that Nicklaus got a crew cut so Grout couldn’t do that anymore.) It’s an easy drill that pays big dividends
Jake Thurm is a GOLF Teacher to Watch. Learn more from Jake Thurm on Instagram: @jakethurmgolf.
