Too often, I see players trying to push or pull the clubhead to the ball, which results in poor contact and no speed in their swing.
One of my favorite speed-building drills from my mentor, Jim Hardy, is the Oven Mitt Drill. If you can throw a ball, this will be easy, but even if you aren’t very proficient at throwing, this drill will give you the correct feel in your swing to create more speed and better contact with the ball.
Though both the left and the right arm are important in golf, for this drill, I want you to focus more on your trail arm (right arm for right-handed players) because that’s where your speed comes from in your swing.
The Oven Mitt Drill
The right hand and arm’s objective in the golf swing is to load in the backswing then “unload and throw” in the forward swing. When we teach kids to throw a ball, we work on just the motion of the wrist first, allowing it to go from flexion to extension.
With this idea in mind, take an oven mitt and put it loosely on your trail hand. Make a full backswing and let the right arm swing back fully. On the downswing, just like throwing a ball, the sequence is turn-step-throw: we turn in the backswing, the “step” is the early weight shift forward to our front side, then we “throw.”
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With the oven mitt on, take a backswing, shift your weight forward, and while keeping the right arm close to your body and the smiley face of the oven mitt looking at the ball, “throw” with some zip at a wall behind you.
Remember, we swing on an arc, so you are never throwing in a straight line or at the target. Just like a tennis player or a discus thrower, the arms go around the body as it pivots and the ball or discus goes straight. So aim for a wall or spot behind you to your left.
In the photo above, I am throwing towards the wall and golf bag that I placed behind me. This will allow you to swing the club on the correct path.
The right arm should whip around your body and finish across your chest. Do it a few times until you feel the right sequence and you are throwing the oven mitt with some zip and freedom! Then, put a club in your hands and make the same motion! Enjoy your newfound speed.
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