It’s difficult to truly know if you’re tracing the correct club path both going back and coming through. Setting up a path practice station like I’ve done above takes care of that.
Stick an alignment rod in the ground and slide a swim noodle over it. Do the same with a second noodle, this time angling it like a cannon, about 20 to 30 degrees to the turf. Positioning is key: Place the rods and noodles so that the first combo sits outside your right foot and on your toe line, and the second points downrange just inside your target line.
Believe it or not, that’s the hard part. Address a ball and begin your swing. Your goal on the way back is to swing the clubhead under the angled noodle and to the outside of the one behind your right foot. This eliminates any tendency to pull the club to the inside on the takeaway, which will then help you make a fuller turn. On the downswing, the trick is to motion the club to the inside of the noodle outside your right foot and again to miss the angled noodle by swinging under it. Presto: a power-rich inside-out delivery! Translate these backswing and downswing paths to real swings and you’ll notice an immediate improvement in your ball striking.
Mike Bender operates the Mike Bender Golf Academy at Magnolia Plantation GC in Lake Mary, Fla.
