The Vijay Drill

ATLgolfer · August 7, 2007

looking for video clips, more detail

Guys,

I have read a couple threads on here about the "Vijay Drill" and I know some of you have seen it in detail in the Fedex/Cleveland video.

Does anyone know where I can get some closer detail, and video clips on this or even buy that Fedex/Cleveland video (there is no Scheels where I live, for those of you that don't know it is a sporting goods chain in the mid west)???

This past weekend, the Golf Channel actually highlighted the drill on "The Turn" but I haven't really been able to find any replay or material information on YouTube, PGA.com, or any other websites....

I'm a huge fan of what this drill is trying to accomplish as I struggle with coming too far inside/under plane...

Thanks,

ATLgolfer · August 8, 2007

no respones huh?

....can't believe I have stumped the Golfwrx'er masses!

Tyler Durden · August 8, 2007

Wow, with all the swing gurus on this site, I can't believe nobody has any info on this. I'd help you if I could, but I personally don't know how the drill works. Somebody throw this guy a bone!

scores · August 8, 2007

Gordon may know Vijay!! ask him!

ATLgolfer · August 8, 2007

don't know Gordon.....

Gordon any suggestions?

thatswhatshesaid · August 8, 2007

I've seen a picture and description of the drill in a PGA Partners magazine about 5 years ago. I also saw a post on the internet about it. Here is how the drill works:

1. Club shaft on the ground, parallel to the target line.

This helps ensure the feet are aligned properly -- not pointed at the target itself, but parallel to the line of the ball's intended flight. "Your eyes can play tricks on you," deceiving you into thinking you're set up properly, Donovan says. "The club on the ground helps ingrain the habit of proper alignment." For Singh, the club also provides a visual guide for his swing path.

2. Golf glove tucked under left arm.

This helps the golfer "stay connected," Donovan says, meaning the arms and body turn together. If they get out of sync -- if, say, the arms are turning faster than the body -- the glove drops to the ground. "This drill is mostly for advanced players," Donovan says. More important for developing golfers' timing: learning to keep the arms and hands very relaxed throughout the swing, which permits them to turn more easily with the body. "Arm tension can ruin your timing," he says.

3. Plastic water bottle about a foot in front of and an inch to the right of the ball.

If Singh's club head or ball hit the bottle, the club is moving from inside (his side of the ball) to outside (the far side of the ball) rather than straight down the target line. But, Donovan says, most amateurs have the opposite problem -- swinging from outside the target line to inside, the dreaded "over the top" swing path which invariably produces a slice. (For fix, see next item.)

4. Club shaft stuck in the ground behind the golfer, matching the angle of the club at address.

Keeping the club "on plane" -- neither too vertical nor too horizontal -- is essential to a repeating swing. The shaft provides Singh with a visual checkpoint for his plane on both backswing and downswing. But this may distract less experienced players, Donovan says. A more "feel"-related drill to improve swing plane: Use a training aid like the "Inside Approach" ($80, www.insideapproach.com; knockoffs made of PVC pipe are available via eBay for about $15) or the homemade model Donovan recommends (fashioned from a range ball basket, a club shaft and a length of foam pipe insulation). All prevent a too-vertical swing plane, which creates the out-to-in slice-maker move. Or try this drill: Grab a driver, tee a ball up high and hit it from your knees. This ingrains a horizontal, more baseball-swing-like motion. It also stabilizes the body and ensures club head release. Take that feeling back to your regular stance and watch the ball fly.