Throughout the last few months, social media was flooded with pros showing off how they were keeping their game sharp. Now as the PGA Tour returns this week at the Charles Schwab Challenge, we get to see these pros back in action.
Dustin Johnson is among the star-studded field, and his coach Allen Terrell shared one of the drills his pupil was working on in prep for the week.
Johnson lines up for short chip shots around the green, but then he turns his body toward the target and has his feet pointed out. He then tries to hit crisp chips like normal. Looks odd, right? Well even as that’s the case, the drill can have great benefits for your short game.
“(It’s a) great drill for player to get upper body forward and up through the strike,” Terrell said in a comment on the post. “This body action enables the club to pass the hands.”
That idea — of “forward and up through the strike” — might sound counterintuitive if you’ve ever been told to “stay down” through the shot, but if you watch any of the best players around the greens, you’ll see it’s true. Staying down limits the rotation you can get through the swing, which is detrimental to the quality of strike.
When you shift forward and up through the swing, it will put you in the proper position to deliver a proper descending strike.
It might sound odd, but if you are able to get taller in the downswing, you’ll be in a better position for a proper shot. Your swing thought should be “rise and rotate.” This is what Johnson’s drill helps promote, and it’s something you should consider adding to your practice routine for more crisp contact around the greens.
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