The Loop

Weekend Tip: Practice against a wall

January 20, 2012

*It's about 20 degrees today in the Northeast, and the forecast is calling for some light snow. So while I'm dreaming of those overseeded fairways at the Humana Challenge in Palm Springs, I decided to thumb through one of my favorite instruction books for some indoor tips. The Golf Digest Book of Drills, by Jim McLean, contains a tip that is especially good, because it addresses both your backswing and through swing. Give it a try this weekend to keep your swing in check while you can't play. And even if you're in a warmer climate, it's a great way to tune up for your next round. *

*Roger Schiffman

Managing Editor

Golf Digest

*__Purpose:__Because the club is out of sight during much of the swing, many players have no sense of where it is positioned in relation to the hands, arms and body. Very often they unknowingly swing the club too much around the body on the backswing and, on the forward swing, heave the club outside the target line and cut across the ball from outside to in. The following drill makes these movements impossible and will improve both your back and through swings.

__Procedure:__Find a wall and, using an old club, stand with your back to it, your heels about two feet away. Make your normal backswing and try to avoid hitting the wall. If the club strikes the

wall on the way back, you are swinging too much around your body. If you strike the wall on the forward swing, it is evidence that you've swung excessively from outside to inside the target line on the downswing.

Ideally, you should cock the club upward when your backswing is about half completed. This will help you avoid hitting the wall at the top. On the downswing, try to swing from inside the target line, making the club swing toward the target. If your club doesn't hit the wall on the follow-through, you'll know you're making progress.

Doing this drill successfully also demands that you be balanced at all times, another benefit that will serve you well when you go back to hitting balls.

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