Why has the towel drill been such a popular drill for a long time? You still see people doing it from time to time.  Well, there's a lot of merit to the towel drill.  The mechanism behind it is the fact that it keeps your arms connected to your body. People who tend to over swing or get the arms too far away early in the swing are prime candidates for this drill. However, it has been proven that the arms actually come off your chest more at the top of the swing and that the connection of the arms to the body is more dynamic than just plastering your arms to your body. Those of you know that this drill is probably the most uncomfortable drill at first.  Let's take a look further as to what really happens in the golf swing.

during the first stage of the backswing from address to about hands waist high is the only area where the arms should stay more connected to the body.  after this point, as the club works toward the top of the swing is where your arm starts working more upward.  Some of the PGA players who get their hands really high is a great example e.g., Justing Thomas, Dustin Johnson.  Although it's in the beginning of the swing where there's some pinning of the lead arm toward the bottom of your chest, it then starts working up your chest as it creates leverage up against your body and spine, those hand and arms need to get really high after that.  Remember, the steepening of the hands is what creates a shallower path in the downswing not the other way around.  Keeping your arms stuck to your body all throughout the swing will create a too flat of an arm swing and actually get you steeper!

Try this! take something other than a towel, like a glove or piece of paper, put it under your lead armpit.  Keep it tucked as you take it back to about halfway in the backswing.  Then, as you swing your arms up in the air, try to get your arms up high and don't worry about letting the glove fall out, in fact try to let it fly out.  Try this while hitting balls and see what happens.  You'll be surprised.  Also, don't forget that you should not compromise your spine angle by lifting your head!

I appreciate you reading my blogs.  If you find my articles helpful. Feel free to call to get more information on lessons.  You should also look at my smartphone lesson options as they really help too!

When people first call me to set up a lesson, the most frequent question I get is, "So how long do you think it will be before I get good?" Everyone is looking for that quick fix whether it be through a youtube video, book, magazine or private lesson. However, depending on your needs and your level, real change in your swing that is true and correct is hard.  Let me say that again and read this carefully, "Real change in your swing that is true and correct is hard." To further clarify, real change that alters the way your swing looks and feels to how a correct golf swing is supposed to look and feel is a lot harder than you think, especially if you have a lot of issues starting off. If you have major issues with your swing, it will almost be impossible to figure out the correct swing on your own. Yes, little tips here and there may help, but at most they will be short lived.  

With all the instructional literature, golf aids and lessons, you would think that there would be a lot more people who are good at golf. But here is the reality, most of the people you play with are probably not that good at golf.  What defines not good?  Well that's everyone's opinion, but the Legendary Ben Hogan believed every average golfer had the ability to break 80. I also am a believer that most golfer's who with the correct fundamentals can break 80. So if you're not consistently shooting in the single digits, you're not that good. To be honest, most of that just has to do with a correct functioning swing which enables you to be consistent tee to green as well as the short game.

According to the USGA's handicap distribution, only 13% of registered players with official handicaps are capable of breaking 80 on a good day!  A couple things to note, this is of all the REGISTERED players who have an official handicap, and this does NOT include recreational golfers who do not have official handicaps!

So what do I mean by real change that is true and correct.  If you're making the right changes in your golf swing, they must be true according to what current research on the kinematic sequence of the golf swing has found. the correct changes that an instructional program or tip provides must make sure that the changes you're making align with the research.  Another more practical way to to see if you are making those changes is if your professional instructor shows you how your swing has progressed into the movement patterns of the best players in the world.  Yes, there are slight variations, but according to 3D motion and vector plate data, almost all successful PGA swings follow the same movement patterns.

Again, are the changes you're working on really changing the way your swing looks?  Are you still early extending?  Are you still falling off balance?  Are you still casting? Are you still over-swinging? Are you still coming in steep? Are you looking closer and closer to a model swing?  The changes you're making should reflect that.  If you're not, whatever it is that you're doing is just messing up your swing even more.  You're going to find yourself having wasted a lot of time and still frustrated with this game.

If you've got bad habits, changing your swing into the correct motion is often very difficult. Many students who come to me never believe that changes I make them go through because they do not FEEL right.  However, they are amazed when I compare their before and after swings and how it translates into straighter and farther shots.  Butch Harmon states when making swing changes, "Feel is different than real." Don't waste your time trying to find a quick solution to your swing faults, they will never work in the long run. Invest some time into some quality lessons to get real change.  You will definitely enjoy this game a lot more.

To begin I recommend you build you swing from pitch shot with a short iron and gradually build up your swing.  The secret here is in the follow through. As you are taking your pitch type swings, you need to make sure that your left elbow is folding against your lead hip on the follow through. If you're doing it right your hip will be also working toward your lead side on the follow through.  If your hip is spinning out around you  in a counter clockwise fashion, you are doing it wrong.  If you find that your left elbow is locking up through impact and the follow through you're doing it wrong. In fact there's going to be more of a slight sway into your lead side as your elbow folds into your lead hip. 

​Another good way to feel this motion is to imagine holding a dumb bell with lead arm and doing bicep curls with the dumb bell angled over your lead leg. As you lift the dumb bell, work you lead leg into extension like you're picking it up with the extension of your lead leg.  Try to apply that feeling with the follow through of your golf swing, it will work wonders.