Kyle Voska Golf

PGA Professional shares tips and advice on golf

Stay In Your Posture By Practicing The Clap Drill

THE CLAP DRILL

Maintaining your posture during your swing is one of the keys to being a consistent ball-striker.  One goal of the golf swing is to return the shaft to the same angle you had at setup.  If you can return the shaft on the same angle you had at your address position, you’ll be more consistent.  Most golfers tend to lose their posture during their swing, some on the backswing and some on the downswing.  Losing your posture makes the shaft come down at a steeper angle which creates more mishits.  A different way of saying the same thing is the shaft at impact is more vertical than the shaft was at the address position.

Here’s a drill that simplifies the downswing and emphasizes staying in your posture.  I call it the clap drill.  How it works:

  1. Take your address position without a club with your hands touching and facing each other
  2. Leaving your left arm hanging down from your shoulders, take a full turn back with your right arm.  Turn enough to allow your arms to make a straight line
  3. Now that you’ve made a complete turn, return your right arm down and clap hands with your left arm
  4. Try to keep your body in the same position using just your arms
  5. Leave both hands there sensing how you stayed in your posture

If you error in your swing, most likely your right hand will come down above your left in this drill.  And, if you slice the ball, your right hand will be open (palm facing up) when clapping the left hand.  Practice clapping your hands without moving your body and you’ll see how it will improve your golf swing.

Once you’ve mastered the ability to clap hands in this drill you can take it a step further:

  1. After you’ve clapped hands, go ahead and finish your swing with your arms and body
  2. The hard part is not rotating your body or standing up before clapping hands.  Be patient and wait for the clap.  This will ensure you’ve maintained your posture.

Practicing this drill really simplifies the golf swing and emphasizes the importance of maintaining your posture.   Thanks for reading and good luck!

April 26, 2010 Posted by | Golf Tips | , , , | Leave a Comment

   

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