The Drill To Avoid Being Stuck!!

Being 'stuck' is quite the buzz word at the moment. It simply means that the club stays behind the body for too long leading into impact resulting in 'push' shots to the right or 'hook' shots to the left (Opposite for a left hander). This issue mainly affects more advanced players as they will tend to consciously flatten their downswing so they can strike more from the inside of the ball.

To overcome being 'stuck', it will come from mastering two areas. These being sequencing the lower and upper half correctly and having the path steeper on the downswing. One of the best drills to implement in fixing this problem area is one where you swing to the top of your swing and then pause. On the downswing you then resume your swing by having the right shoulder come forward a little so that the club is now more out in front of you. This will then allow your upper and lower half to work together on the downswing.

Of course when I say to move your right shoulder forward, this is only because for someone who is really 'stuck', you want them to feel the exact opposite to how they normally swing. Also when attempting to move the right shoulder forward, I still want you to use the lower half first. Once you have completed this drill a number of times, place the swing on camera and see the changes. Most people who are really 'stuck' tend to move their arms behind their body straight away on the downswing. Therefore any kind of improvement where this is occurring less, will let you know that what you're doing is working!

Another element to help you even further, is placing an alignment stick directly behind the ball on roughly a 45 degree angle. This can be your reference on the downswing to ensure that the club stays above this stick. Lastly once this is starting to come together, just ensure you rotate the body through the ball. This will further help you in changing your path as you want the direction of the club to move toward the left.

If you'd like any help in overcoming the 'stuck' position, just contact myself at David Waters Golf located at Emerald Lakes Golf Coaching Centre.