Progression Training
As we all know working on your game with the shorter clubs versus the longer clubs is two different things. It’s always easier to get things going on the range, especially when you get into the rhythm of things with the shorter clubs where the swings just come more naturally. But what happens when you have to work up through your bag and hit the longer clubs that make the swing feel more complex?
One of the best ways I know to work on your game as you move through the bag is by using “progression” training where you start with a basic skill then add in more complexity as you master the previous step. This training style will help you to easily incorporate your short club swing into your long club swing, as well as, keep you from getting frustrated as you work your way up through your bag…
My progression training will help you to master three things:
1) Path and/or Face Control
2) Impact Quality
3) Full Swing Sequence Training
Chip, Pitch, Punch (Path And/Or Face Control)
The simplest way to begin any practice time is to start with small chip, pitches, and punch shots focusing on hitting the ball as “straight” as you can. This drill from 20 to 80 yards will help you establish the best way for you to learn to control your face and your path. Whenever you hit these shots, the key is to make them go as straight as possible, if they do curve, make sure it’s minimal and always curving the same way. This way you will learn what it takes to hit the ball where you want it to go directionally. If you cannot do this with smaller swings then you will not be able to do this with the longer swings. Start slow and work your way up to your longer clubs.
Tee, Fluff, Ground, Tight Lie (Impact Quality)
Once you have mastered face to path control it is now time to work on coupling impact quality on top of hitting the ball in the direction you choose. As we know, hitting the ball off-center can positively or negatively influence your face to path relationship and this can cause shots that move the opposite way that you intended or more exaggerated curvature to your normal shot shape.
If you are having issues with impact quality, I would suggest employing this progression drill: First place the ball on the tee and hit a few shots focusing on hitting the center of the blade, once you can do this work your way up to fluffy lies doing the same thing. This drill helps clear your mind and will free up your swing because you are not trying “to get the ball into the air.” Once you can hit the ball in the center of the blade off the fluff, work your way back to the ground with a perfect lie, then move on to tight lies like you’d find on the golf course. Obviously impact quality will get harder as you move from the easier and more perched up lie to the tighter lies, but remember if you struggle with impact quality go back to the previous drill and get the ball “on the face” again and try again.
Mirror, Stop Action, Slow Motion, Slow Motion With Speed (Full Sequence Training)
While working up to the full swing the most important thing is to make a high number of correct repetitions, not just a bunch of golf swings! This method below will help you to make your time on the practice tee more effective.
First, use a mirror to audit your current move versus the new one so you can see and eventually feel the difference. Then, move on to stop-action drills where you take the swing to the position you are working on and stop – audit the new position to make sure it’s correct – then hit the ball from there. The next step is to bring in slow-motion swings without stopping so you can make the new swing feel more like a normal golf swing. From there, do the same drill but add speed each time you have a successful outcome. If you fail, go back to the previous drill and start over until you can work your way back up to full speed swings with a short iron. This process will also work for transferring your iron swing up through your bag to the full driver. If you will work on these progression drills that I described, I promise you will find that controlling your face to path and impact quality will help immensely as you work your way up through the bag using the mirror and slow-motion swings, etc.
