==================================================== Newsletter - Issue 80 Date 12/15/08 ==================================================== ==================================================== TCT Quick Tips - Counter Rotation ==================================================== To counteract constant rotation in the same direction, swing in the opposite direction from time to time to loosen the joints in the lower back. Swing training aids should be used in the opposite direction once in awhile for this purpose. ==================================================== Golf Tip : 9 O'Clock Drill ==================================================== This is one of my personal all time favorite drills. I start out most of my own range or indoor practice sessions with 10 or 15 reps of this drill, it builds a great feel at impact. This drill can be used effectively by both Rotary or One Plane swingers and Classic two plane swingers. In fact, it's a staple for my pitching lesson for the Classic swing students, and it's a basis for the full swing lessons for my Rotary swing students. The bottom line is it's a Rotary - One Plane swing method that's used for shorter shots, for which even the Classic swing does not get to the upward (2nd) plane in the backswing. When doing this correctly, the ball should really hiss off the face and come out with a very penetrating ball flight . If you struggle with a loose, high ball flight, give this drill a try - you'll love the result. In this drill, you visualize your body as a clockface facing outward towards the ball at address. 12 O'Clock is right above your head, 3 O'Clock is straight out to your left, 6 O'Clock is directly below you on the ground, 9 O'Clock is straight back to your right as in the backswing portion of the swing. Getting your hands or arms to a certain position on the clockface is a common teaching method to gauge distances consistently for short golf shots. Here's the 9 O'Clock drill laid it out from a right hand golfers perspective, lefties please make the usual adjustments. In essence, it involves swinging the left arm to the 9 O’Clock position in the backswing and then hitting the ball with full power. In order to hit the ball any distance, you must very aggressively and dynamically load the muscles in your hips and core (coiling) on the way back because making such a short swing doesn't give the time to build up a lot of momentum. The transition from takeaway to downswing occurs rapidly and dynamically, which takes a little getting used to. This forces you to learn how to use your core and other big muscles to generate clubhead speed in a very explosive manner. When doing this drill, it’s very common for the golfer to go past 9 O’Clock, and it takes focus and discipline to reign it in. But in the end, I'm not really concerned with that at all because the feeling of loading up and releasing the stored up energy is the point of the exercise, not the position of the arms - as long as they don't get too far out of line. What usually happens is the golfer ends up swinging to about 10:30 on the backswing, which is perfect for a full swing as far as I'm concerned. Stick to that length in your backswing, bend over just a little more than normal in your stance, and watch your scores drop as your accuracy increases. My job is to convince the student that this is all the length that they'll ever need in their backswing, and they usually buy it because the proof is in the pudding. To the student, it feels incredibly short and compact, which is a good feeling to begin developing since most students tend to be too long and lazy going back. The swing will now have a much quicker pace to it overall and will be more dynamic. Enjoy, Tom