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BODY / GOLF DIGEST SCHOOLS
PIVOT LIKE A PRO
Two of my favorite drills for a backswing that sings By Tasha Browner Bohlig
it’s true that there are many different backswings at the tour-pro level, but the one common denominator is that no one is doing anything that hurts his or her chance of hitting a solid shot. Many amateurs get their swing off to a poor start and have to make mid-swing adjustments so that they can make reasonable contact with the golf ball. It’s a recipe for inconsistency. We get a ton of sunshine where I teach in Southern California, so one of my go-to drills is using your shadow to train for a better backswing. Before we get to that, here’s a simple way you can groove a better takeaway and make those first few feet of your swing more valuable. Grab an iron in your lead hand while placing your dominant hand on your trail thigh. Now take the club back with one hand, stopping when the shaft is parallel to the ground (right). As you repeatedly do this, feel how your lead leg responds, preventing your body from swaying or sliding away from the target — a common backswing mistake that makes it really tough to get the club back to the ball in a proficient way. If your hand moves up or off your thigh as you take the club back, you’ll know your body is starting to slide instead of pivoting. Now that the start of your swing is fixed, check out my shadow drill on the opposite page. —with ron kaspriske TASHA BROWNER BOHLIG is one of Golf Digest’s Best Teachers in California. She is director of instruction at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana.
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golfdigestme.com
june 2022
