Two-time PGA Tour winner Nick Dunlap was just lately seen utilizing a ball-striking drill that may enable you to hit crisp irons.
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The way in which execs play golf is fully completely different than the way in which weekend warriors do. A number of the photographs they pull off will not be even within the realm of chance for leisure gamers. At instances, it could seem they’re taking part in a completely completely different sport.
That doesn’t imply we are able to’t be taught from them, although. In actual fact, there are many easy issues the professionals do this we as amateurs can mimic to make us higher golfers. The secret is understanding what to search for and easy methods to interpret it.
Nick Dunlap gave us one such instance at this week’s Sony Open.
Whereas grinding on the vary early within the week, the PGA Tour’s social accounts snagged video of the reigning Rookie of the 12 months engaged on a easy ball-striking drill. And whereas Dunlap may hit photographs every week that we are able to solely dream about, the drill he was utilizing has loads of utility for the typical Joe.
Dunlap’s ball-striking drill
As you possibly can see within the video above, Dunlap has positioned a ball beneath the skin portion of his path foot. The setup may look odd, however it has a few key advantages.
Initially, by inserting a ball below the skin a part of his path foot, it encourages the correct shift of stress throughout the downswing.
One of many key strikes we see nice ball strikers make (particularly with the irons) is the “rolling” of their path foot towards the goal throughout the downswing. Whenever you start your transition from the highest, it’s necessary that you simply shift your stress towards your lead aspect.
The place a number of amateurs go mistaken is shifting that stress towards their toes as a substitute. This will trigger early extension and ship the swing path approach to the skin, which everyone knows just isn’t conducive to correct ball placing. By inserting a ball beneath the skin portion of your foot, it encourages that preliminary stress shift within the appropriate path.
GOLF Prime 100 Trainer Jason Baile shared an analogous drill with GOLF Journal a pair years in the past, which you’ll be able to learn right here. In that drill, he locations a water bottle contained in the path foot and encourages his college students to knock it over throughout transition.
“The gist is to show and shift, getting nearly all of your weight over your entrance foot by the point you strike the ball,” Baile mentioned. “Your purpose is to shift weight from the highest by ‘banking’ your again foot inward.”
The identical precept is at work in Dunlap’s drill. By “rolling” your path foot towards the goal throughout transition, it makes certain that your stress and weight are attending to the right place at influence.
For those who’re struggling along with your iron ball placing, give this drill a shot. When you get the cling of it, you’ll be hitting your irons as pure as ever.
