Mind Blown -- The BEST DRILL EVER

[games]

How many of you struggle with the throw a little due to being a lefty that is golfing as a righty?

 

Struggle, yes. But, for those of us who play golf with our "off" hand, I think it a worthwhile exercise. I've been working to get my right hand more involved in my swing, and I think this exercise definitely helps.

[zebra2955]

Ok after playing a few times after chucking some clubs. I have found my iron play has gotten much better, longer, more accurate. Now I seem to be pulling my driver and fairways woods. Any suggestions ?

Congrats. Wish I could help but anything I'd throw out there would be a complete guess. Have an old driver or 3 wood you can practice throwing? Maybe your body reacts differently because of the longer length, flatter lie, etc... Only way to know for sure is to try the drill with the club you are struggling with!

 

I do have some real old drivers, maybe I will give that a try. Thanks

[Petunia Sprinkle]

Dude must've seen this thread - https://www.instagram.com/p/BaRDh65hjVU

[GMR]

Dude must've seen this thread - https://www.instagra...m/p/BaRDh65hjVU

I think he would benefit from practicing his club throws a bit. Fore left!!! :)

[kadey]

So I tried this during a practice round today where I was experimenting with a bunch of different things. A couple of shots that I really got a hold of, a 6i and 8i, I hit 30 yards longer than my normal distance.

 

I'm definitely going to continue to use this feeling of throwing the club at the target, instead of intending to hit the ball.

[GMR]

So I tried this during a practice round today where I was experimenting with a bunch of different things. A couple of shots that I really got a hold of, a 6i and 8i, I hit 30 yards longer than my normal distance.

 

I'm definitely going to continue to use this feeling of throwing the club at the target, instead of intending to hit the ball.

Glad it seemed to work for you. Picking up 2.5 clubs on an approach is certainly nothing to scoff at!

[OrangeGravy]

So I tried this during a practice round today where I was experimenting with a bunch of different things. A couple of shots that I really got a hold of, a 6i and 8i, I hit 30 yards longer than my normal distance.

 

I'm definitely going to continue to use this feeling of throwing the club at the target, instead of intending to hit the ball.

Glad it seemed to work for you. Picking up 2.5 clubs on an approach is certainly nothing to scoff at!

 

Kind of makes you wonder how much club head speed/distance we have in the tank that isn't being realized through swing inefficiencies! Kind of relates in a way to trying to swing hard actually producing slower CH speed due to too much tension etc.... I know I'm leaving 10-20 yards out there with my inefficiencies. Specially with irons. With woods I run into the a better swing more often.

[Cropduster79]

I found the lighter the grip pressure the better the results with this swing thought. This has changed my game around. 5 rounds in the 80s. Lowest being an 80. Really clicked when I lesson the grip pressure.

 

I was a 16 HC. Trending to a 11.7 now!!!!

[GMR]

I found the lighter the grip pressure the better the results with this swing thought. This has changed my game around. 5 rounds in the 80s. Lowest being an 80. Really clicked when I lesson the grip pressure.

 

I was a 16 HC. Trending to a 11.7 now!!!!

 

Wow that is fantastic, congrats! And yes I agree grip pressure is important, in the same way that it's important when throwing pretty much anything. Just imagine trying to to pitch a baseball while gripping the life out of the ball--likely wouldn't get the best results!

[GMR]

So I tried this during a practice round today where I was experimenting with a bunch of different things. A couple of shots that I really got a hold of, a 6i and 8i, I hit 30 yards longer than my normal distance.

 

I'm definitely going to continue to use this feeling of throwing the club at the target, instead of intending to hit the ball.

Glad it seemed to work for you. Picking up 2.5 clubs on an approach is certainly nothing to scoff at!

 

Kind of makes you wonder how much club head speed/distance we have in the tank that isn't being realized through swing inefficiencies! Kind of relates in a way to trying to swing hard actually producing slower CH speed due to too much tension etc.... I know I'm leaving 10-20 yards out there with my inefficiencies. Specially with irons. With woods I run into the a better swing more often.

It really is interesting. I am fortunate to have a skytrak which gives me pretty accurate launch and carry numbers, and I'm always amazed how small tweaks in intent or technique can have pretty huge impacts on ball speed and distance.

 

For example just the other day I felt like the swing was just hard. I was having to really swing near my limit to get any distance, and I was still coming up 5-15 yards short every time I hit an iron. I then made a more consious effort to really turn better in the backswing and keep the club more in front of my chest. Viola, less effort and carry distances up 5-10 over my "normal" distances, so around 15-25 yards per club vs what I had just been doing.

 

No idea what other swing abnormalities are holding me back, though I'm sure there are some, but it's just amazing to me how sensitive the results are to such small changes. Just one of the challenges that makes the game so interesting!

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

So I tried this during a practice round today where I was experimenting with a bunch of different things. A couple of shots that I really got a hold of, a 6i and 8i, I hit 30 yards longer than my normal distance.

 

I'm definitely going to continue to use this feeling of throwing the club at the target, instead of intending to hit the ball.

Glad it seemed to work for you. Picking up 2.5 clubs on an approach is certainly nothing to scoff at!

 

Kind of makes you wonder how much club head speed/distance we have in the tank that isn't being realized through swing inefficiencies! Kind of relates in a way to trying to swing hard actually producing slower CH speed due to too much tension etc.... I know I'm leaving 10-20 yards out there with my inefficiencies. Specially with irons. With woods I run into the a better swing more often.

It really is interesting. I am fortunate to have a skytrak which gives me pretty accurate launch and carry numbers, and I'm always amazed how small tweaks in intent or technique can have pretty huge impacts on ball speed and distance.

 

For example just the other day I felt like the swing was just hard. I was having to really swing near my limit to get any distance, and I was still coming up 5-15 yards short every time I hit an iron. I then made a more consious effort to really turn better in the backswing and keep the club more in front of my chest. Viola, less effort and carry distances up 5-10 over my "normal" distances, so around 15-25 yards per club vs what I had just been doing.

 

No idea what other swing abnormalities are holding me back, though I'm sure there are some, but it's just amazing to me how sensitive the results are to such small changes. Just one of the challenges that makes the game so interesting!

 

Very likely, and it could be even more than 2.5 clubs. Most people have no idea how much they're leaving behind on a bad swing until they start maxing out their swing potential.

 

I like to think of this as one of the main difference between a single digit player and a bogey golfer.

[GMR]

So I tried this during a practice round today where I was experimenting with a bunch of different things. A couple of shots that I really got a hold of, a 6i and 8i, I hit 30 yards longer than my normal distance.

 

I'm definitely going to continue to use this feeling of throwing the club at the target, instead of intending to hit the ball.

Glad it seemed to work for you. Picking up 2.5 clubs on an approach is certainly nothing to scoff at!

 

Kind of makes you wonder how much club head speed/distance we have in the tank that isn't being realized through swing inefficiencies! Kind of relates in a way to trying to swing hard actually producing slower CH speed due to too much tension etc.... I know I'm leaving 10-20 yards out there with my inefficiencies. Specially with irons. With woods I run into the a better swing more often.

It really is interesting. I am fortunate to have a skytrak which gives me pretty accurate launch and carry numbers, and I'm always amazed how small tweaks in intent or technique can have pretty huge impacts on ball speed and distance.

 

For example just the other day I felt like the swing was just hard. I was having to really swing near my limit to get any distance, and I was still coming up 5-15 yards short every time I hit an iron. I then made a more consious effort to really turn better in the backswing and keep the club more in front of my chest. Viola, less effort and carry distances up 5-10 over my "normal" distances, so around 15-25 yards per club vs what I had just been doing.

 

No idea what other swing abnormalities are holding me back, though I'm sure there are some, but it's just amazing to me how sensitive the results are to such small changes. Just one of the challenges that makes the game so interesting!

 

Very likely, and it could be even more than 2.5 clubs. Most people have no idea how much they're leaving behind on a bad swing until they start maxing out their swing potential.

 

I like to think of this as one of the main difference between a single digit player and a bogey golfer.

I am a single digit and play with single digits predominantly, and I still think very few have swings that are any where near maxed out in terms of efficiency. Maybe at the scratch level people have it figured out, but it's actually surprising to me how many manage to hold down a respectable 4 or 5 handicap who are easily leaving 5-10mph of clubhead speed out there. I personally think that, judging from observation, with an efficient swing most people of decent fitness under the age of about 60 or 65 should be able to get a driver out there at least 260-265, but I am constantly amazed by how few seem capable of this feat.

[Need2golfalot]

 

 

Define decent fitness. Most recreational golfers are no where near physically fit IMO.

[GMR]

Define decent fitness. Most recreational golfers are no where near physically fit IMO.

Personally I think it takes a lot less fitness than you might imagine. I seem to have this conversation with people a lot and it's always circular:

 

"You are 55 and not physically incapacitated. You should be able to carry a driver further than 200yds."

"My fitness isn't good, I'm not as flexible as I used to be..."

"Well that guy over there is 65, looks somewhat like he may collapse walking between shots, might soon require a walker, and yet can carry the ball around 230"

"Yeah but he's a 5 handicap! I play off 15!"

"Yes...?"

 

Basically that is to say that just because someone is a better golfer to you doesn't mean you can't compare yourself to them, particularly as it concerns distance. It just means you have an inefficient swing that prevents you from swinging as fast. And you know what? Once you start to address those inefficiencies not only will you be able to hit the ball further, you will probably begin to score better as well--length and accuracy are not a tradeoff, but often work hand in hand as the swing gets more efficient.

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

I am a single digit and play with single digits predominantly, and I still think very few have swings that are any where near maxed out in terms of efficiency. Maybe at the scratch level people have it figured out, but it's actually surprising to me how many manage to hold down a respectable 4 or 5 handicap who are easily leaving 5-10mph of clubhead speed out there. I personally think that, judging from observation, with an efficient swing most people of decent fitness under the age of about 60 or 65 should be able to get a driver out there at least 260-265, but I am constantly amazed by how few seem capable of this feat.

 

I completely agree with this, and this is coming from someone not as astute as you are at watching people's swings. It's just a feeling I get when seeing how much variation is in their distances.

[zebra2955]

A thread started with an instructor names Malaska (not sure if it spelled right), throwing a ball at the ball. Is this not the same idea ? I really like how much has changed since I started throwing the club and will do it when the weather permits this winter. So would throwing a ball at a ball give the same results Something I can do on the carpet indoors.

[Londoner]

Can club throwing lessons and getting fit for throwing clubs be far off. Trackman sessions for throwing?

Dear WRX . I throw a club at 120 mph but is spins through the air and wooshes too much. Will a stiffer shaft help?

[Scottie68]

Can club throwing lessons and getting fit for throwing clubs be far off. Trackman sessions for throwing?

Dear WRX . I throw a club at 120 mph but is spins through the air and wooshes too much. Will a stiffer shaft help?

Hard to say... can you post thowing videos, down line and face on?

 

Can club throwing lessons and getting fit for throwing clubs be far off. Trackman sessions for throwing?

Dear WRX . I throw a club at 120 mph but is spins through the air and wooshes too much. Will a stiffer shaft help?

Hard to say... can you post thowing videos, down line and face on?

[Londoner]

Can club throwing lessons and getting fit for throwing clubs be far off. Trackman sessions for throwing?

Dear WRX . I throw a club at 120 mph but is spins through the air and wooshes too much. Will a stiffer shaft help?

Hard to say... can you post thowing videos, down line and face on?

 

Can club throwing lessons and getting fit for throwing clubs be far off. Trackman sessions for throwing?

Dear WRX . I throw a club at 120 mph but is spins through the air and wooshes too much. Will a stiffer shaft help?

Hard to say... can you post thowing videos, down line and face on?

Downline went fine, face on, not so good. Will try again when camera repaired.

[GMR]

Just wanted to post an update here to update with my progress. As I suspected, this is of course no "magic bullet." That said, what I've learned is that this whole "club throwing" concept is an extremely useful lens through which to look at the golf swing in general terms.

 

First-off, let me say that after my "revelation," the quality of my golf improved, but scoring still inconsistent (albeit a couple strokes better than before). Incorporating that throwing feel into my preshot routine has helped me dramatically with timing and has all but reduced the total disaster type shots (tops, etc.) in the process.

 

Despite the improvements, however, struggles continued--albeit of a different kind. While my consistency of hitting solid shots out of the middle of the clubface improved with the new feel, my path and clubface control did not (which actually resulted in some misses that were even worse than before!). So I went to get a lesson with my pro. The takeaway from that was very interesting. Basically he reminded me that at the end of the day I'm a weekend golfer without a ton of time to practice and always be 100% sharp on my timing in the swing. However, while many weekend golfers can get away with being a little off on days without too much fuss, my swing speed at ~110mph turns those days that I'm off into a total nightmare. So basically we decided to change the release pattern to keep the club face more stable through impact.

 

While I'm of course happy to go into detail about what we changed, that's not really the point. What IS the point, in the context of this thread, is how I was able to take some practice swings with the completely new feel he was showing me (which the first time you do it basically feels like you're trying to hit about a 150yd slice), and then think about how I'd go about throwing a club down the range if I were to do it that way. By viewing the new pattern through the lens of my athletic "club throwing" intent, I was able to real progress in implementing the feel in an extremely short period of time.

 

Sure the first 10-15 reps during the lesson produced all sorts of wonky results, but after just a little range time I was able to go out and play 2 days after my lesson. I was a bit worried that I was testing things too quickly and the first couple holes were frankly a bit tough (first driver of the day was a double-crossed hook OB). After that I settled down though and really found the feel. By the end of the round I had hit 11/14 fairways en route to 4 birdies and a 77 (which honestly was higher than it should have been given how amazingly I drove the ball--though with a triple on the second hole I guess that's to be somewhat forgiven...) When I told coach about my results he thought I was kidding, as he thought it would probably take a month or two before I'd be able to keep the ball in play given how drastic a change we had made.

 

So yes in summary the club throwing intent helps. Dramatically. Maybe not in making your swing perfect or beautiful or even good. But there is no doubt in my mind that it was that intent that allowed me to take a completely new move and turn it into something resembling a playable golf swing with WAY less time and effort than I would have imagined possible.

 

 

(Of course all the usual disclaimers apply--I've only played one round so far with the new swing, next time out could be a disaster, etc. etc. etc.)

[Cwing]

for those who cant quite get to this feeling there are a bunch of other drills by other teachers which have very similar intents although are explained a little differently. Here are some examples. with some of these you just need to filter out the pre-amble.

 

Monte's no turn cast drill, fire right hand fast.

 

With Be Better Golf,

 

Bobby Lopez, stay onsides and get rid of the club

 

Malaska Pivot,

Malaska (bit of fun?)

 

Lee Deitrick, step drill and throw the ball.

 

Tony Luczak, throw down the line, flamingo drill.

 

Aimee, swish past ball

 

 

 

the important thing for me, is to not to over complicate things, not to think about positions, but to have a natural motion and for me the step drill

 

Nice

[Rasser75]

Just wanted to post an update here to update with my progress.

 

 

(Of course all the usual disclaimers apply--I've only played one round so far with the new swing, next time out could be a disaster, etc. etc. etc.)

 

@GMR, thanks for this thread!

 

I have always been figthing my tendency to hit at the ball. Getting steep, yank the club, etc...

 

Having the fell/image of throwing the club, makes me swing through the ball. I had some very good session doing this! Much better rythm and tempo in the swing. Lag, shallow club, comes much more natural.

 

For me, this has been a very important building block in my progress of getting a more smooth natural swing. It also work for the short game. I just imagine tossing the club instead of hitting at it, and.... whoop. Clean contact, nice trajectory, etc...

[GMR]

Glad to hear it's been helpful. Certainly not a cure-all for a bad swing, but I think the feel really frees you up to make the most out of whatever swing you have. Also completely agree that it's as helpful (if not moreso) in the short game with chips and pitches. Glad to hear others have had some success!

[CrickorCreek]

Was shoveling and salting sidewalk last week and almost tripped over an old 9 iron I have laying around the yard. Proceeded to pick it up and take a few swings in the snow. Grip was cold and hands must have had a Lil salt in them. Took a nice long swing and the club went flying out of hands down imaginary target line w a sweet trajectory. Unfortunately the target line went thru a neighbors house. Club was twirling in air for what feels like an eternity headed straight for the solar panels on roof of house all the way across the street. I’m bracing for the crash and wreckage when the club disappears over the house. Freaking cleared it. Club had to go 80 yards. Was scary and Hilarious and gave me that beautiful feeling of releasing the club. Took that feeling to sim last weekend and hit the ball great. Truly is a great drill.

[GMR]

Was shoveling and salting sidewalk last week and almost tripped over an old 9 iron I have laying around the yard. Proceeded to pick it up and take a few swings in the snow. Grip was cold and hands must have had a Lil salt in them. Took a nice long swing and the club went flying out of hands down imaginary target line w a sweet trajectory. Unfortunately the target line went thru a neighbors house. Club was twirling in air for what feels like an eternity headed straight for the solar panels on roof of house all the way across the street. I'm bracing for the crash and wreckage when the club disappears over the house. Freaking cleared it. Club had to go 80 yards. Was scary and Hilarious and gave me that beautiful feeling of releasing the club. Took that feeling to sim last weekend and hit the ball great. Truly is a great drill.

Something is telling me I should have included a disclaimer... :cheesy:

[Night train]

I enjoy a lot of Alex's videos

 

[Paul Verizer]

I throw my clubs all the time. Usually up a tree or in the nearest bin. I'm still rubbish at golf but have become a great climber and lunch is usually free

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to dig up some "club-throwing" gold on this thread. Good on ya!

[Birdie Mac]

Interesting topic. I've never tried this on purpose, but I get why it works. I'll have to give it a try. A few years ago I was playing a course in Destin, FL in the rain and took a hefty swing with a 7i. The club slipped out of my hands, and I was trying to follow the ball and the club. My club flew left into a grove of palmettos, and I never found it despite looking twice. My ball, however, ended up just in front of the green. One of my best iron shots of the day, and it was a complete accident.

[WILDTHING]

If you look at the 'Wisdom In Golf ' forum , most of what has been discussed in this thread (ie, throwing clubs to target) has been debated in great detail under the sub-category 'Focus'.

 

https://wisdomingolf...net/forum/focus

 

Have a look and you will find posters who have have learnt and practiced Shawn Clements golf swing philosophies for over 10 years and can answer most questions or guide you to the correct Clement videos (if you are interested).

 

Throwing clubs can help time your release and locate your low point but it won't help you square the clubface through impact . You need another 'external cue' to help gel together the 'throwing to target' plus 'squaring clubface' intent.

 

My method for set-up and 'external cue' used for swinging to target (plus squaring the face) is as follows:

 

See below Shawn Clement video.

 

To do the above I first do something called the 'perpetual motion drill ' (PMD) so I can 'cut the grass' on an arc just inside the 'ball -target' line (using an intermediate target) . When I do the PMD , I feel as if I am throwing the centre of the clubface to the target and I can see where the blur of the clubhead/clubface is bottoming and squaring out as it swathes through the grass. I then make a judgement of where the ball needs to be in my swing path to match my intent (picture of trajectory to target) and 'move the machine' (see the video above which explains that phrase better).

 

To help square the face through impact , I also visualise cutting through a mental picture of a dandelion stem with the bottom edge of the clubface (like a grass cutting tool). The dandelion stem is just in front of the ball for irons (that is a personal preference).

 

The PMD drill is explained in the video below, but all I've added is the feeling of throwing the clubface to the target (cutting dandelions too ) as I do these practice swings.

 

 

To feel that I have the correct momentum to reach my target (ie. distance control , especially for mid/short irons) , I do several PMD swings using 'Goldilocks' method until I get a sense of the swing feel I need - see video below.

 

 

Have fun.

[chickenpotpie]

Thanks for posting this....I had never heard of this concept until now. I purposely stay away from the instruction forum so I don’t potentially get hit with a ban stick.

 

This offseason I finally resolved to fix my OTT move. To do that, I’ve had to deconstruct my swing where I’m taking the club away on plane, dropping inside and then not releasing early (which I used to have to do all the time, and got pretty good at). I’ve been struggling with the release part, except if I swing really really slow, where a ball might go 30 yards. The first time I tried this mental throwing technique with my left hand or right hand only (indoors on a camera, didn’t actually throw the club), I saw that I could do this! As the OP said, you have to come inside, under the plane with some lag or else you will stick the club in the ground. I can feel now what I need to do. The trick is putting it together and untraining my body from how I used to release the club. But at least I have a training aid to help get the feel now.