The Right Hand Drill

I have been working on a lot of the drills from Greg Willis's site because I think they are very helpful. I have seen them mentioned many times here on this site. In case, you have never seen them:



http://mysite.verizon.net/gregjwillis/GolfLessons.htm

I have a question on the Right Hand Drill, if any of you have used it:

1. During the driving range lesson, is the drill that the hands should only release in an up and down fashion at impact?

2. After the right hand drill has been mastered, is this still the proper/correct way to hit a full shot, i.e. with the right hand always in this cupped position?

3. Can this do any harm to your swing?

I would appreciate any advice on this drill that anyone can offer...

Thanks!

Chessbum.....

I hope Greg posts a reply to your questions. I think this is a great drill, and I've been spending more and more time on it. Since my full swing hits tend to go all over the place, I was astonished to find that using this drill my golf balls indeed flew with "ungodly accuracy," to use Greg's term. At the driving range, using an 8 iron and practicing the right hand drill, I was bouncing them up and just about hitting the 100 yard flag every time. Amazing.

Your first question is interesting. As I understand the drill, the answer is yes, the release is "vertical" and not a swatting move. As I watch Greg's video on his web site, I see that to make this happen, he has to keep his right elbow tucked in and, of course, he has to turn his hips ahead of the club head to keep the cupped position of the right wrist.

I believe the answer to your second question is yes, too, or else the drill would be pointless. The impact position in the drill is the impact position you want, but it's exaggerated a bit. I wrote to Greg about this and he replied that the idea is to internalize the feel of this impact position so that you'll return to it with a full swing. I haven't achieved this yet. I believe that's because the full swing is faster, and the faster the club head moves, the harder it is to keep the hips and hands ahead of it, but I probably just haven't done the drill enough yet.

Maybe Greg could comment on the best way to transition from the drill to the full swing. Possibly by gradually extending the back swing, without losing the impact position...

__________________
Todd
Philadelphia, PA
USA

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing. ~Phyllis Diller

I have tried this drill, and cannot, for the live of me, create a cup (at address) in the right wrist to the extent that Greg does. I can cup it during my back swing and when I do, I seem to get more power, but at address, No.

Relax the right arm...allow it to fold inward to the waist a little and that will get the right wrist cupped.

1. Yes, hands exagerate the up and down action. The arms and shoulders will swing around the torso, but keep the hips very quiet for the purpose of the drill. This isolates this simple action that allows you to concentrate on just the hands and get the feel of impact being very very solid (if you were ever a swatter, it will be like a bell going off, "wow! I never felt that b4").

2. After you get the feel of impact in this position, the full swing be have this incorporated into it. You will be closer to this correct position then before and should see marked improvment in accuracy. Distance will come when you allow the lower hips to rotate more and more through before impact. Swatters never allow their hips to fully rotate though because theit hands have always raced to hit the ball first and the hips HAD to stay back else a masive hook. So it was through their trial and error approach that engraned in a no-hip rotation followthough. Keeping this cuppoed position at impact allows the hips to fully rotate through, and once you hit the ball, let you swing finish high and relaxed. Your personal swing plane and angle of attack will dictate what it looks like after impact.

3. I am not sure what you mean by harm. If you mean that it will hurt your consistancy? At first it might because you will be doing something new. Allow time to re-engrave/groove it before thinking results in a score on the course. If you mean harm by pain in the swing? You might feel new aches in new places, like th lowe back because if you are gettin gyour hips around more, there are new feelings you will feel there. The wrists may also feel new aches, but in any case overdoing any new move will result in new pains. Take all new swings easy no matter what you may be feeling (good or bad). Time heals, and all pains will go away ready to be rebuilt after the next workout session.

I hope these answer your questions, they were good ones.

__________________
I'm a golfaholic, no question about that. Counseling wouldn't help me. They'd have to put me in prison, and then I'd talk the warden into building a hole or two and teach him how to play. ~Lee Trevino

Why finish high? What does this do? If I am finishing with my arms just over chest level does it indicate a problem?

It indicates a possible flat plane if you finish low. Finishing high is not a must though. Having the hands somewere above the head is all you really need.

Here's another thing. If you finish low you may be unconsciously decelerating the club through impact. When you go for a high finish you are more likely to swing in a manner that will carry your hands higher than your chest. Since you want to be accelerating all the way through impact, this is a good thing.

Here's what I have found. If I think about trying for a high finish, I may pull my head up too soon and top the ball. If I think about driving through the ball I'm more likely to strike it well and my arms end up high without any conscious effort on my part.

But I'm sure there are some who hit the ball just fine without a high finish. If I remember correctly, Arnold Palmer never had a high finish. I seem to remember him finishing with his arms around chest height and the club pointing up at about 45*, in the general direction of the target. It was very distinctive.

__________________
Todd
Philadelphia, PA
USA

The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing. ~Phyllis Diller

Look at Justin Leonard's swing for a low finish.....

Does the elbow stay "attached" to the hip throughout the swing? What am I doing wrong? Also, the shoulder turn, should that remain level? I always feel like I am lifting the forward shoulder during the turn, (or maybe it's my back shoulder dropping)-- this is causing some delofting of the club and I am hitting it very high but not getting the forward momentum for distance. It seems that I know have to take a 5i to hit 150 yards, but I probably hit it 150 yards above ground too.. Help, any drill here would be appreciated.

P.S. I used to be able to hit that distance with a smooth 7i when I first started. Too many swing thoughts, make them stop!

Thanks!

Far too many thoughts going on.

Think TURN AND SWISH and you won't go far wrong.
You could even try saying it to yourself every time you swing to keep the same tempo going.