Golf Drills with a Golf Towel
In this post we take you through some excellent golf drills with a golf towel. So next time your on the golf range, simply remove that towel from your bag and use it in the following ways to improve your game. We suggest you bookmark this page so you can refer to it every time you need it.
Drill1: Swing, gripping the towel like a club
Swinging a towel like a golf club is a brilliant way to train efficient movement. Because it hangs limp, you cannot fake the creation of speed; it can only be achieved by moving your body in the correct sequence.
Swing back to the top… but wait to feel the lagging towel land on your trail shoulder before starting the downswing. This is a good tip to help you stop throwing the club down with your shoulders, hands and arms.
In the downswing you want to create as much whip or snap in the towel. Hands and arms alone can’t do it; the only way is through unwinding from the ground up, the most effective sequence for speed, and creating lag in the towel.
Drill 2: Strike a lofted iron correctly
Fold your towel into thirds and set it on the ground a grip-length behind the ball
Hit 10 shots, making sure the ball stays that grip length in front of the towel each time. Because the towel creates a slight, raised obstacle behind the ball, you will instinctively retrain your attack to avoid it. that will give your strike more of a downward, squeezing quality. Look for a ball-turf connection and a more driven, powerful flight.
Don’t try this drill with a club longer than a 6- or 7-iron, as the shallower angle of approach can cause you to hit the towel even when your swing is fine.
Drill 3: Strike a Driver correctly
You need to strike the ball with a driver on an upward path. Placing a towel in front, helps you mentally adjust your swing to do this.
Take your folded towel and this time set it on the ground a grip-length hole side of the ball.
Strike the ball, miss the towel. Perhaps the most damaging driver swing trait is the over-the-top move that sets up a steep, downward attack angle; but with the towel there to catch the clubhead on any descending blow, your brain is forced into working out a more sweeping, upward solution
Drill 4: Improve your lower half stability
It’s common to see amateur golfer’s bodies follow the club in the swing, leading to weak positions. Some simple work with your towel will encourage the correct movements for a more co-ordinated, powerful swing.
Fold the towel and place it under your right foot (if right handed), left foot (if left handed)
Swing back with the towel in place. Note how, with your weight set along the inside of your trail foot, your trail leg and hip support the backswing much better. There is no ‘popping out’ of the trail hip; it rotates rather than sways. This helps you reach this top- of-the-backswing position, with your upper body stacked powerfully over your lower half.
Drill 5: Keep your body connected when pitching
It’s not new… but it still works! Hitting shots with a towel trapped under your armpits is better for shorter swings because it promotes a very rotary motion that restricts arm travel, but it remains a great way to coordinate your armswing and body rotation.
Fold the towel into one long band. Place it across your chest and use your upper arms to pin it to your sides. Take your regular grip.
This drill serves as a wake-up call to your core, which often becomes passive while the hands and arms do all the work. Get your upper body to rotate more willingly and you’ll hone a more reliable and consistent action through a truer arc, a more neutral clubface and a smoother rhythm.
Drill 6: Towel under your left arm
As you can see from the image, Rory is a big fan of this drill. So if it works for him, its got to be worth a try!
“It helps keep the left arm connected to the chest on the backswing,” says Rory’s coach. “This also helps the chest rotate. If the chest stops and the left arm separates, the towel will fall out.”
Lastly a great video
This is a great video showing a drill for a full length swing using a towel. We think its great.
You can look at more content from Alistair Davis and even book an online lesson by clicking here.
So there you have it, some 7 golf drills with a golf towel, that you can easily replicate on the range to improve your swing. All you need to do now is remember the towel!
Lastly, you should have a golf towel. But even if you have, is it Amazons number 1 golf towel, we reviewed these in our post on golf equipment which you can read here.