I was practicing the other day and every shot I hit felt a little thin. I knew my low point was off and I just wasn’t compressing the ball like I should have. So I went looking for a compression drill and stumbled upon this one from Kerrod Gray which I had never seen before.
Clubhead speed does not equal ball speed. In the video, he demonstrates swinging an 8 iron faster with his low point behind the ball. It went about 100 yards, compared to 160 for his normal 8-iron with the proper low score. This drill helps you step into your lead side to compress the ball.
How it works
- Hold an alignment stick in front of you with both hands, tip toward your lead side.
- Do a backswing. Tilt the ear and extend upwards.
- Begin the downswing by moving your leading shoulder over your lead foot with the club pointing toward the ground.
- Open up, release the alignment stick to the ground and finish high with your arms long.
Because it’s worth your time
- Low point control: Moving into your lead side puts the bottom of your swing in front of the ball.
- Compression: Hitting the ball first and the turf later is what produces the speed of the ball.
- Extension: Learn to finish long and high instead of folding after impact.
.mgs-kr{container-type:inline-size;container-name:mgskr;margin:32px 0 !important;font-family:var(–kr-body,inherit)}.mgs-kr *{box-sizing:border-box !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr .mgs-kr .mgs-kr . !important;color:#121212 !important;padding:14px 14px 12px !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__eyebrow{display:flex !important;align-items:center !important;gap:8px !important;font:700 11px/1 var(–“Ariallow Condensed,”Kr-Display Narrow”, Arial, sans-serif) !important;letter spacing:.14em !important;text transformation:uppercase !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__bar{width:24px !important;height:8px !important;background:#F5C400 !important;flex:none !important}.mgs-mgsghead-mgs:mgs-kr_mgsk-mgs-kr: 0 0 !important;font:700 19px/1 var(–kr-display,”Barlow Condensed”,”Arial Narrow”,Arial,sans-serif) !important;text-transform:uppercase !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__grid{display:grid !important;grid-template:-column-sgap:-columnn-template !important;margin-top:10px !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__card{display:grid !important;grid-template-columns:96px 1fr !important;background:#fff !important;color:heir !important;text-decoration:none !important;min-height;borderkrgrgs !important:8. .mgs-kr__card:focus-visible{outline:3px solid #121212 !important;outline-offset:2px !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__img{position:relative !important;overflow:hidden !important;display:block !important;flex:none !pximportant;width;8min !important;height:auto !important;margin:0 !important;padding:0 !important;border-radius:0 !important;background-color:#D9D4C7 !important;background-size:cover !important;background-position:center !important;background-repeat:no-repeat !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr .mgs-padding:_mgs-padding: !important;display:flex !important;flex-direction:column !important;gap:3px !important;min-width:0 !important;justify-content:center !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__tag{font-size:10px !important;font-weight:600 !important;letter-spacing:uppercase; !important;color:#4A4A45 !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__title{margin:0 !important;font:700 17px/1.05 var(–kr-display,”Barlow Condensed”,”Arial Narrow”, Arial,sans-serif) !important;text-transform:overflow-mrportant:overflow-mrportant ! .mgs-kr__hook{margin:0 !important;font-size:13px !important;line-height:1.3 !important;color:#4A4A45 !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__cta{display:none !important} /* Wide layout: three cards in a row. Key to the column width of the article, not to the screen. */ @container mgskr (min-width: 620px){.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__img{width:100% !important;min-height:0 !important;aspect-ratio:5/3 !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__wrap {2padding !important:26pxr.pxmgskr .mgs-kr__eyebrow{font-size:14px !important}. .mgs-kr__heading{font-size:34px !important;margin-top:8px !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__grid{grid-template-pepx:2,1:fr important !important;margin-top:20px !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__card{display:flex !important;flex-direction:column !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__body{padding:16px 18px 18px !important;gap:8px !important:flex-starify:1content !important:flex-starify:1content !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__tag{font-size:12px !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__title{font-size:26px !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__hook{font-size:15px !important} .mgs-kr__cta{display:inline-block !important;align-self:flex-end !important;margin-top:auto !important;background:#F5C400 !important;padding:6px 12px !important;font-size:14px !important;font-weight:600 !important}} } /* Container browsers do not support width of the browser. (container-type:inline-size){ @media (min-width:760px){.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__img{width:100% !important;min-height:0 !important;aspect-ratio:5/3 !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__template:-grid:-100% !important; !important;gap:20px !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr___card{display:flex !important;flex-direction:column !important}.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__cta{display:inline-block !important;align-self:flex-end !important;margin-top:0pximportant :00000000000000000000 12px !important} } } .mgs-kr .mgs-kr__tag,.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__hook,.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__cta{font-family: inherit !important} .mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__cta a.mgs-kr__card:link,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__card:visitato,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__card:hover,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__card:focus,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr:2{2:_2#1:1:2#active !important;text-decoration:none !important;border:0 !important;box-shadow:none !important;background-image:none !important;outline-offset:2px} .mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__card *{text-decoration:none !important;border:0 !important;box-shadow:none :flo:noneimportant ! .mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__card *:not (.mgs-kr__img){background-image:none !important} .mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__card .mgs-kr__title{color:#121212 !important} .mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__card .mgs-kr__tag,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__card .mgs-kr__hook{color:#4A4A45 !important} .mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__card .mgs-kr__cta{color:#121212}krmg .mgs-kr__heading,.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__title{font-style:normal !important;letter-spacing:0 !important} @media (hover:hover){.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__card:hover .mgs-kr__ration:{underlinedecoration !important;text-decoration-color:#F5C400 !important;text-decoration-thickness:3px !important;text-underline-offset:3px !important}} .mgs-kr .mgs-kr__title,.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__hook,.mgs-grkr !important;text-indent:0 !important} .mgs-kr .mgs-kr__img img{position:absolute !important;top:0 !important;left:0 !important;width:100% !important;height:100% !important;max-width:none !important;object-fit:covered !important;margin;border:0 !important;margin:0 !important; !important;border-radius:0 !important;box-shadow:none !important;filter:none !important} .mgs-kr.mgs-kr–noimg .mgs-kr__img{display:none !important} .mgs-kr.mgs-kr–noimg a.mgs-kr.mgs-kr–noimg a.mgs-kr.mgs-kr–noimg a.mgs-kr.mgs-kr–noimg !important;min-height:0 !important} .mgs-kr.mgs-kr–noimg a.mgs-kr__card .mgs-kr__body{border-top:4px solid #F5C400 !important;padding-top:12px !important;justify-content:flex-start !kr important} .mgs-kr__nl{display:flex !important;justify-content:center !important;margin:18px 0 2px !important} .mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__nlbtn,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:-link,.mg a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:visited,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:hover,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:focus,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:1,0 mimportant !{displaywidth:block:0! !important;box-size:border-box !important;background:#F5C400 !important;color:#121212 !important;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center !important;font-family:heir !important;font-weight:700 !important;font-size:15px !important:normal;letter-spacing ! !important;text-transform:none !important;padding:14px 18px !important;border:0 !important;border-radius:0 !important;box-shadow:none !important;margin:0 !important} .mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:hover{background:#E6B800}kr.mgs-important a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:focus-visible{outline:3px solid #121212 !important;outline-offset:2px !important} @container mgskr (min-width: 620px){.mgs-kr .mgs-kr__nl{margin:24px !-important} 0 a.mgs-kr__nlbtn,.mgs-kr__nlbtn a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:link,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:visitat,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:hover,.rg a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:focus,.mgs-kr a.mgs-kr__nlbtn:active{display:inline-block !important;width:auto !important;max-width:100% !important;font-size:17px !important;padding:15px 34px !important}}
My take
The drill does not work well on a stove. The stick won’t go to the ground, so you lose some of the feedback. Even when I do a good job with the drill itself, my alignment rod doesn’t always stay in the ground as cleanly as the Kerrod. The good news is that I didn’t throw the club and far, which would mean that I did the opposite of compression. Although it’s not as good as it looks in the image above, you can tell when you’re making the right move.
I also like this drill because it takes the focus off the club. It’s good for the brain. The drill simplifies a movement I think golfers are often overcomplicated.
Mistakes to watch out for
The most common mistake here is to stay on the foot and spinning hard to create strength. Feel powerful but keep your point low behind the ball and you will have no compression. The other is folded after the impact. If your arms get stretched out or chicken wings, you lose the extension that this drill is trying to build, so hold on to the finish.
Take the course
Take a few small shots with the same feel, finish high and steady on your lead leg. Try it this week and see what you think.
The place MyGolfSpy Drill Of The Week: Stop Hitting Thin With This Alignment Stick Drill appeared first MyGolfSpy.
