Why This Drill Holds The Key To Better Ball-Striking...

Golfers in general and amateurs in particular are plagued by all manner of swing faults. In the video and article below, PGA pro Dan Grieve shares a brilliant drill that might just offer you a solution to your problem. 

So this is one of my favourite drills and it's called the split-grip drill. And the reason I like it so much is because it covers so many areas in the swing that so many golfers struggle with.

For example, it works if you struggle with an inside takeaway you get a bit long at the top. It also helps if you get over the top in the downswing or struggle to turn onto the ball. This one drill will give you a great feel for all those areas in the swing. 

To do it, place your left hand at the top of the grip and then put right hand as close to the bottom as you can get it. Next, get into your set-up position and then hold the club in the air about a foot above the ground where your ball would be. 

When you take the club away, you'll notice it isn't whipping away inside and behind you. Instead, the the split grip is going to give you that lovely feeling of the clubhead being outside the hands - that's the first benefit. 

Continuing to the top, because of the gap between your hands, it's not natural for the left arm to fold and break down, which is one of the most common faults I see in amateurs. With this drill, when you swing back and feel the stretch through your left arm, it really pulls you wide and gives you a great feeling for that stable and solid position at the top of the backswing. Once there, slide your hand back into position so you can further hone this feel and make it easier to take out onto the course.

Onto the downswing and we know a lot of golfers have a tendency to cut across the ball. However, the split grip really encourages the club to naturally shallow and attack the ball more from the inside. Over time, this will help neutralise your out-to-in path and really improve your ball-striking. 

And finally, for players that struggle with early extension, the drill will force you to open up with the body and turn through the shot, rather than standing up and flicking. It will feel weird at first but you'll soon realise you're able to square the face up by rotating your body properly, which is going to make you a far more consistent golfer. 

This video was shot on location at Infinitum Golf Resort in Spain.