We define a real swing as one in which the clubhead swings freely, fluidly, and fast through the impact area.  All good players swing the clubhead this way, even though their body positions and swing mechanics may be very different from one another.  Now I’m going to show you a simple swinging drill that will help you develop a real swing.  We call it the “Tick-Tock, Tick-Talk” Drill.  Before I explain the drill, there are three things that I would like you to do differently.

First, hold the club, don’t strangle it.  Most average golfers hold the club as tight as their forearm muscles will squeeze thinking they will have more power and control.  In fact the exact opposite is true.  (Take a lesson with our Teaching Professionals at Real Swing Golf and they will be able to fully explain why this is so.)  In order to achieve maximum power and control, you must have a real swing i.e. the clubhead must be swinging freely, fluidly, and fast through the impact area.  If you are squeezing the club too tight, the clubhead cannot swing freely.  When holding the club, enclose your fingers around it so that you feel that the skin of your hands and fingers makes full contact with the rubber of the grip but presses against it very lightly.  (Caution!  If your grips are old and worn, get them replaced!  Also, remember that skin and rubber (and, if you wear one, the leather of your glove) work by friction to keep the club from slipping through your fingers.  If you hold the club so lightly that the skin does not contact the rubber, there’s no friction and your hands will soon be free to wave your golf club “bye bye” as it flies onto the driving range or through your neighbor’s window!)

Second, stand more erect in your stance and lift your clubhead so that it will miss the ground by about six inches or so when you swing.  You don’t want to be concerned about whether you are swinging in exactly the right place:  You’re just trying to get a feel for swinging the clubhead freely, fluidly, and fast.

Third, concentrate on what you are doing with the clubhead.  Ignore all mechanical rules such as “head still,” “arm straight,” etc.  Allow your body to move and flow naturally with the swing of the club.

Now, maintain a light grip pressure and swing the clubhead fluidly and continuously back and forth as if it were a clock pendulum.  Swing the club a little more than half way back and half way through (see photos 1 and 2). Keep your hands and wrists relaxed and let the weight and momentum of the swinging clubhead hinge your wrists.  Try to maintain a smooth and even rhythm – ‘tick…tock… tick…tock.’  Do this for about a minute.  This part of the drill helps you get a feel for the first two “F’s” – freely and fluidly.

Photographer: Tim Debolt

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In the next part of the drill – “Tick-Talk” – we accomplish the third “F” – fast through the impact area.  Keep the clubhead swinging continuously but swing the club a little bit further back than you did in the ‘tick-tock” part of the drill. (see photo 3)  Allow the club to finish making its swing backwards.  Then, as the swing starts forward, smoothly accelerate the clubhead so that you hear the club “talk” – “wwhhooooossssh” –  through the impact area. That’s why the second part of the drill is called tick-“talk.”

Unfortunately, when most golfers try to swing fast, they usually make a sudden, lunging, tension filled effort, thereby destroying the “freely” and the “fluidly” of “freely, fluidly, and fast.”  To avoid this, think of your clubhead as if it were a little kid on a swing.  When the child starts to swing forward you put your hand on her back and smoothly and aggressively (without sudden, muscular effort) give her a push.  She would swing forward with the natural momentum of the swing anyway but you’re just adding a little more speed when she swings forward.  It doesn’t require a lot of muscular effort.  If done properly with relaxed hands and arms, the clubhead should feel “heavy,” like it’s trying to pull away from you as it “talks” through the impact area.  Your hands will naturally firm up a little bit in response to this pulling sensation but be sure not to tighten them.  The speed and pulling force of the swinging clubhead will pull you into a good follow through position with your weight fully on your left leg (right leg for lefties).  (see photo 4)  From there, swing all the way back (photo 3) – “tick” – and then swing forward again and make it “talk.”  Do this for about a minute.  Then go back to “tick-tock” for a minute then “tick-talk” for a minute and so on.

Photographer: Tim Debolt

Click on the picture to enlarge, click on Ü back to return to this page.

Do this drill for about 5 minutes (although take breaks if you get tired) every day or every other day.  Try to feel the same sensations as you hit balls at the driving range.  Your ball striking may be a little erratic at first as you get used to the real swing but when you swing this way and catch the ball right on the sweet spot you will be pleasantly surprised with how powerful and accurate your shots are.

To contact Real Swing Golf for bookings, questions or suggestions:

                                Email:  info@realswinggolf.com

                                Telephone: (403) 246-2882 or (403) 830-1717

                                Fax: (403) 289-7265