Ah, here we are, the achilles heal of my game, the driver. I have been doing that drill on the range, and what would you know I failed the acid test… Spectacularly… like I was a club head width too close from the ball. So corrected that, but I still just can’t swing without straining (just can’t shut up the green monster in my head screaming “Hulk! Smash!”), and I really struggle to hit up on the ball. My best ball speed on a straight shot is at 160mph, but carries barely 250y, good for a windy day but not if I want to send it on a par 5. Let’s not talk about dispersion, let’s just say I’m not comfortable hitting that club on a narrow fairway… I’ll send you a video (haven’t made great use of my eagle subscription again this year…)…

Shawn – Tried this drill this AM at the range. I didn’t have a single bad drive. largest miss was maybe 20 yards off the IP. This drill right away cleared up my distance to ball that I didn’t know was an issue. Its great with irons, and I am already incorporating it into my pre-shot routine. awesome awesome!

After hearing Shawn’s excitement of using the drill on the golf course, I was inspired to give it a try. Hit every approach shot (3i – gw), a couple of 3/4 pitches, and even a bunker shot using this drill. The good shots (ca. 65%) were absolutely amazing (bliss on a stick, as Shawn says), as good as I ever hit it (both fades and draws). The less good shots suffered from poor contact (generally low on the face or towards the toe) but were playable. I didn’t understand what the drill was for (I see below that it is to reinforce the ‘collect and release’ feel) but for me, it detached me from my tendency to get lost in backswing thoughts. I found it much easier to remain focussed on a task and just heave, turn, and swing through to a target. This was so good and so easy, I fear it won’t be reproducible … time will tell.

Shawn two questions 1) When I set up now rather than close the face some then setup w/ forward shaft lean, I start with a very loose grip, then set up the stance with the face how I want it plus how much forward shaft lean I want with braced tilt for basically a straight shot then firm up the grip based on how I want to to get behind the ball and feel like I can compress the ball.Is that Ok? 2) Depending on the day, I might set up square, open some or closed some and/or open or close the club face some. When the shots are not basically straight is there a sequence you would suggest for straightening the shot as to opening or closing the club face or set-up? It is pretty clear in your videos that Sav and Mu set up differently from you and each other. I can only assume that you worked with each of them to get their preferred ball flights consistent.

Sorry, these questions would probably be more appropriate elsewhere.

Shawn, the one thing I don’t hear is what wedge you’re using – because different wedges have different rollouts. Does that make sense?
Thanks,

Great drill Shawn and fantastic execution of it by you and Sav! After some practice my swing never looked so good 🙂 Need to practice the longer woods though. As our course does not require much shots with those clubs, they are the weak part of my game… When going back to a “normal” swing, I had a better feel for maintaining space for my trail arm/elbow, getting a better lag :).

Shawn, I sent in a video several weeks ago for you to review. In your critique you mentioned no hip turn and my knee points straight out. I’ve tried very hard to make my knee go inward on the back swing. To do this I have to force my knee inward. It won’t go in naturally. Can you give me help on this so I can get hip rotation? Thanks

Great drill, gives me a much better turn and levitation at the top. I’m combining it with your new favorite drill. After confirming the task at the top I drop the club down as in the favorite drill then back up and through to the target. My shots are more solid with much better compression. What is the best approach to ingrain the new feel. 2 or 3 reps of the drill and then a normal shot and just keep repeating?

Hey Shawn, I’ve been going back to the grass cutting task as my go to task but I don’t really feel that position of collecting and releasing like in this video. How can I get that feel while still using the grass cutting as my task?

It’s interesting, in that ‘pre-deploy’ or ‘acid test’ position, it feels like I would have to smother the ball or smash it into the ground in order to ‘hit’ the ball….which, I think is EXACTLY what is wrong with my brain. It is so easy for me to get focused on hitting the ball and everything bad that comes with that thought. Now, I’ll say, this is most pronounced with the driver. I feel like with my other clubs, I have gotten myself to a spot where I am focused on throwing and sending the ball to the target and am hitting the ball better than I ever have.

So, what other videos can I look at to really drive this home for me with a driver vs. say even a fairway wood? I routinely hit my 4 wood 250 carry, can fade or draw it on command thinking about sending the ball to the target. However, driver…I just feel like my brain is wired incorrectly. Do I just keep at it with this drill?

Hi Shawn,
I just had a reverse shoulder replacement 2 1/2 months ago and the surgeon said I could play golf now. Today I played and Henson drill my shots that looked consistent and beautiful.
I don’t get any distance like I use too shoot but I am happy I am out on the course.

This drill is awesome.

thanks
long time student George.

ps I hurt my shoulder by falling spread eagle on a raised side walk. Ugh

I get a little mixed up with feelings of what I’m sending to the target. Am I sending my hands, the shaft or the clubhead to the target in my acid test?

Also, what would be great to combine with this drill, is the extremes. Like you have always taught us, the human brain learns faster when given extremes. So acid test with extreme closed face and the swing. Then same with extreme open face and swing. And then find the happy medium. Same with the trajectories. High, low, middle.

Hi, Shawn. I’ve watched a few of the release videos. For me, I first noticed the “club releasing me” with a 3 wood at the range — it came as a bit of surprise at the time — I suppose that clubhead just heavy enough to get the wrists to flip over without me thinking about it.

I don’t think I am consciously aware of that kind of release with irons or (funnily enough) driver — maybe the driver head a little too heavy and therefore slower to come around like the 3 wood head. (I use a Swing Caddie, so I get the idea of releasing beyond the ball. And clearly the release applies to all full swings with all clubs.)

My question: how conscious should one be of the wrist release in a regular swing? (In practice, we might want to focus on a given feature, but usually not in a “for real” swing.) Right now, I find that if I want to draw my 3 wood, it really helps to be aware of / have part of my focus be on the wrist release. And yesterday, with driver, (power?) fade setup, putting on a conscious wrist release to that stroke turned the result into a draw shape (tho all to left). But being so conscious of this one part of a swing seems to be flirting with manipulation, which of course is not part of WIG approach. Thanks.

1- Got it…throw the whole club. And the release? out to the target also then? Do you release more down into the ground for irons and more up into the air for driver?
2- yes, Goldie locks is so amazing. It’s helped me get an awareness of my clubface like no other method. and it’s terrific for putting pace. it’s so accurate. I look like a genius on the greens when I remember to goldilocks the pace.

I think you said that Sav is hitting a seven iron? Shawn hitting a nine iron? What was Mu hitting??