You may recall a recent video I did in response to a question from Peter Williams from Melbourne, Australia (Simple Drill to Practice "Up The Tree"). Peter was having difficulty in getting into the catcher's mitt and up the tree in the Forward Upswing. One of our regular commentators, Robert Fleck, chimed in with some really helpful advice. He asked Peter if he had difficulty throwing things over his forward shoulder and recommended that he try the Towel Drill I covered in a video last year. Since that video is temporarily offline, I thought I would reprise the drill today.
But before I do, there are a couple of things that we should discuss that are directly related to the swing. First, remember that any forward movement of your upper body as you begin your forward upswing is likely to open your shoulders, pushing the club head into an outside-in swing path. This rotation of your upper body causes the club face to close and you'll end up with a pull. Some people may be tempted to correct this situation by trying to under-release their hands and arms but this will more than likely lead to a low slice. Better to get the swing mechanics straightened out in the first place!
You need to keep your forward arm over the toe line in the BUS, initiate the bump and then accelerate through your forward upswing to a proper T-Finish. A great drill to help you get the feel of this is the Towel Drill. Check out the end of today's lesson to see how it's done.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge!
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