Three Drills to Build Ground-Up Speed in Your Golf Swing

Many golfers lose power because their downswing starts with their hands and arms instead of the ground, according to coaches Jackson Koert and Kolby Tullier, who used a set of resistance-band drills in a recent training session with PGA Tour player Rafael Campos and Ty Gingerich, who is preparing for DP World Tour Q-School.

What is the fault the drills are meant to fix?

The coaches said most players never make a swing that loads into the ground and lets the lower body lead the downswing. Instead, the hands and shoulders fire first, which caps how much speed a player can generate no matter how much they turn.

What are the three drills?

The first, assisted-and-resisted rotation, loops a strap around the shoulders while the arms stay crossed over the chest. A partner pulls one way to help the player load into the trail leg, then pulls the opposite way so the player has to brake against it at the top of the backswing, building a stretch that can be held before starting down.

The second, sequence isolation, has a partner hold the other end of a band and pull the player into the transition so the lead hip has to move first, rather than the hands or shoulders. A player can test this alone by having a partner pull them toward the target as they start down and checking whether the hip or the hands move first.

The third, called the electric fence, involves holding a foam roller or alignment stick just in front of the hips during slow-motion downswings. The player must turn the lead hip around and back to create room to swing without hitting the roller; catching it signals the player is sliding or spinning out early.

The coaches said none of the three drills require a Tour-level setup and can be practiced with a resistance band and a partner at any driving range.