Try this before our session.
Ben Hogan once swung with his elbows pinned to his body on live television. It looks like a party trick, but you can hit real golf shots this way, and it forces your arms to move with your turn instead of running away from it. That connection is the whole classic swing in one feel.
Your Drill Card
The Ben Hogan Connection Drill
Focus
Arm and Body Connection
Club
Short Iron
Reps
10 to 15 Swings
Why it works
With your elbows pinned to your body, your arms cannot run away from your turn. The club can only move as fast as your body moves it, which is exactly the point. A few swings like this and the independent arm swing behind most bad strikes simply stops being available to you.
The drill, step by step
1
Take a short iron and set up as normal, then choke down an inch or two.
2
Press your upper arms lightly into your chest so both elbows sit close to your sides. Hold that pressure the whole way through.
3
Swing back with your body turn rather than your arms. If your arms lift, you have lost the connection.
4
Turn through and strike the ball with your elbows still attached, letting your trail elbow drop in front of your trail hip.
5
Finish short, with your chest facing the target and your arms still on your body.
Coaching cues from Christo
- Hogan pictured his arms tied to his torso. That is the feel you are after.
- It will feel cramped and the ball will fly lower and shorter. That is normal.
- Start at half size. If you cannot hold the connection, make the swing smaller, not harder.
- Your body does the work. The moment your arms take over, the connection is gone.