Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a new GOLF.com series in which we’re sharing improvements, learnings and takeaways from amateur golfers just like you — including some of the speed bumps and challenges they faced along the way.
As someone who started taking golf lessons earlier this year, I’ve grown accustomed to being told that the swing should resemble a coil motion, which helps remind me to rotate all the way back and through.
Imagine wringing out a towel, where you rotate one side from the top and the other side from the bottom in the opposite direction, hoping to squeeze out as much water out as possible. This is how the golf swing should feel.
Problem is, too many amateurs (myself included!) often speed things up, meaning they don’t turn all the way through either on their backswing or follow-through.
But if you’re not rotating all the way, you’re losing clubhead speed, which means you’re sacrificing distance — and no golfer wants that.
To practice that coil motion, instructor Nick Novak says a simple drill can help.
Try this coil drill to increase clubhead speed
In the video above, Novak shares how easy this coil drill can be. All it takes is two clubs and some space to maneuver, making sure you fully rotate all the way through your swing.
“All we’re going to do is lay a club down on the ground, with the grip facing towards where the ball is,” Novak says. “You’re going to put your trail foot up against [the shaft] as you setup. Then you’re going to take another club, and put the grip on your lead side across your shoulders.
“Line up one grip with the other grip to your eye. So you’re just going to rotate until the top grip lines up over the bottom grip.”
The image below shows what a completed coil drill should look like.
By practicing this coil motion, you’ll be able to stand tall with good golf posture, allowing yourself more opportunities to gain clubhead speed.
“It’s just going to make it really simple to rotate your torso in a really effective manner, allowing you to coil and hit some really good iron shots and to pick up some clubhead speed,” Novak says.
