In a special edition of Play Smart, GOLF & ADP have partnered to uncover how the best players in the world prepare for the biggest events and how it can help you play smarter, better golf.
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A few weeks ago I was cruising the grounds of the LPGA Tour’s Cognizant Founders Cup and spotted the highest-ranked English golfer in women’s golf, 2018 Women’s British Open champion Georgia Hall, on the range.
It took a second though, because rather than her ordinarily smooth, balanced golf swing, she was employing a more stop-start version.
Hall would take her club to the top of the backswing, then take the club down to her mid-downswing, and repeat this move three or more times before eventually swinging through.
The point of this was to rehearse her transition move, which is an important part of her swing that she says can get off sometimes.
“My swing in transition can get a bit quick,” she says of the key move. “I was trying to make sure I was taking my time on the downswing and I was a lot more balanced.”
You may also notice in the video above that Hall is also using an abbreviated follow through. That’s not a coincidence. Hall says that when her transition gets out of sync, her hips will spin out too soon and leave her arms — and the club — stuck too far behind her. When this happens, Hall will compensate by “flipping” the clubhead, which can cause consistency issues.
Her abbreviated follow through on this occasion, as if she were hitting a punch shot, is her way of ensuring that doesn’t happen.
“I really try to get my hands in front of the club coming down, and really hit into the ground,” she says.
It’s a simple drill, but one Hall uses to prepare ahead of every tournament, like at the U.S. Women’s Open this week. For Hall, it’s simple: This drill helps keep the key move in her golf swing in-sync, with her club and body turning through at the same time. When that happens, she hits better shots. And it all starts with a drill that’s simple enough for you to try as you prepare for your next round.
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