#2 SWING PATH
To hit fewer bad shots, we need the path of the swinging club to be on or close to the ball-target line at impact – what we would term ‘neutral’. Swing excessively across the ball and you will have to compensate by opening or closing the clubface – a sure recipe for erratic shots. If you have alignment sticks, use them as you copy this exercise; if not, visualise them during your next training session.
Learning curve
To train a neutral path, we must first grasp that swing path works not as a straight line but as a curving arc – an arc that matches the target line only briefly at impact. Here, I’ve used tee pegs to curve an alignment stick into a gentle arc. The arc is a decent representation of the ideal, neutral swing path – the club swings in from inside the ball-target line, matches it momentarily and then exits back to inside the ball-target line. If you can get your swing path to follow the curve of the stick, you’ll develop a solid, neutral swing path.
Backswing: Trace the arc
Take your 9-iron, tee a ball up just inside your arcing alignment stick. If you have sticks, take the second one and grip it against the handle of your golf club, allowing it to extend up against your lead hip. This will quieten your hands through this drill, helping you find that soft, arcing path. Swing back until your hands are at hip height: Feel the toe of your 9-iron traces the curved stick.
Keep the stick in contact with your lead hip.
Throughswing: Stay on the curve
Now swing forward, bunting the ball only 30 yards or so. Power is not the issue here: your focus is solely on getting your clubhead to track the soft curve of the stick from inside to target line (impact and back to the inside). Keep the second stick against your lead hip to avoid getting busy with your hands and wrists. Hit balls like this regularly to remind yourself what a neutral path feels like… and to make sure your full swing follows a similar pattern.