All great golf swings share at least one trait: They stay as close as possible to being on plane. For many weekend warriors, that’s a challenge — but this simple drill can help.
All you need is a club, a ball and two tees. Set up normally, then place one tee in the ground about a foot behind the ball. Next, stick the other tee into the butt end of your grip so it’s jutting out a couple inches.
As you start your backswing, stop when your lead arm is parallel to the ground. (Instructors call this position P3.) The tee in the grip should point directly at the tee in the ground. If the butt of the grip points outside the tee (far side), then you’ll know the club is too shallow. If it points inside the tee (near side), it’s too steep.
Train yourself to point the butt of the grip to that target spot behind the ball every time you reach P3. When it does, you’ll know you’re on plane and in perfect position to put a solid strike on the ball.
Dr. Alison Curdt is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and is the director of instruction at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley, Calif