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Tyler Ferrell is the only person in the world named to Golf Digest's list of Best Young Teachers in America AND its list of Best Golf Fitness Professionals in America.

Improve Your Release with a Sponge Drill for Better Connection

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Feel the correct connection between your forearms during the swing
  • Identify how elbow and shoulder movement affects clubface control
  • Practice a simple drill to enhance your body pivot and shaft rotation

In this video, you'll learn how to build better connection during your swing using a simple sponge drill. This practice will help you understand the role of your arms and body in achieving a stable release.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.760
This video is building forum connection with a car wash sponge.

2
00:00:04.760 --> 00:00:09.680
So many golfers struggle with the release and a lot of them will come in saying

3
00:00:09.680 --> 00:00:09.800
that

4
00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:13.240
they've got a scoop where they think that their wrists are bending like this

5
00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:13.480
and I'll

6
00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:18.030
show them on video that the wrists are actually staying pretty stable on the

7
00:00:18.030 --> 00:00:19.440
way through.

8
00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:22.720
But what's actually happening is that more of the elbows and the shoulders are

9
00:00:22.720 --> 00:00:23.280
bending.

10
00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:28.110
So they'll get to a open club face position, kind of like this, maybe even a

11
00:00:28.110 --> 00:00:29.200
little outside

12
00:00:29.200 --> 00:00:34.250
in and then those elbows will bend on the way through to help close the face by

13
00:00:34.250 --> 00:00:34.920
letting

14
00:00:34.920 --> 00:00:38.480
the club pass and to prevent from hitting it fat.

15
00:00:38.480 --> 00:00:44.390
So oftentimes what will happen is we'll work on some body pivot stuff and we'll

16
00:00:44.390 --> 00:00:44.840
work on

17
00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:47.720
getting more shaft rotation because those are the two key things that you'll

18
00:00:47.720 --> 00:00:48.140
have to

19
00:00:48.140 --> 00:00:50.360
do to solve that pattern.

20
00:00:50.360 --> 00:00:54.420
But one way to tie it together into a feel and give you kind of a simple drill

21
00:00:54.420 --> 00:00:54.880
that you

22
00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:59.680
can use is to take a car wash sponge and place it between your forearms.

23
00:00:59.680 --> 00:01:02.320
So I've got two different versions here.

24
00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:06.140
One was just a rectangular sponge that I cut in half and then put a rubber band

25
00:01:06.140 --> 00:01:06.620
around

26
00:01:06.620 --> 00:01:10.990
so it would create kind of more of an X shape that I could fit between my fore

27
00:01:10.990 --> 00:01:11.540
arms, kind

28
00:01:11.540 --> 00:01:12.940
of like that.

29
00:01:12.940 --> 00:01:17.000
Or the other one that I like even more is they've got that kind of figure eight

30
00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:17.440
sponge

31
00:01:17.440 --> 00:01:19.360
and I just cut it in half.

32
00:01:19.360 --> 00:01:24.400
But if you have a little bit more broad shoulders you may have to do the whole

33
00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:25.600
sponge instead

34
00:01:25.600 --> 00:01:27.320
of cutting it in half.

35
00:01:27.320 --> 00:01:32.650
I'm not a big fan of the impact ball because the foam itself is way too dense

36
00:01:32.650 --> 00:01:33.600
and so what

37
00:01:33.600 --> 00:01:38.470
it does is it prevents you from squeezing those arms on the way through or

38
00:01:38.470 --> 00:01:39.280
letting the

39
00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:42.080
natural supination and roll happen.

40
00:01:42.080 --> 00:01:46.650
It'll force you because it's firm, it'll force it to rotate around the ball

41
00:01:46.650 --> 00:01:47.760
instead of rotating

42
00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:51.500
through the ball like we would do in the regular swing.

43
00:01:51.500 --> 00:01:58.540
So what I usually recommend is doing these shots, mostly working on release

44
00:01:58.540 --> 00:01:59.560
pattern kind

45
00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:04.330
of nine to three and what most people find is that they feel that in order to

46
00:02:04.330 --> 00:02:05.080
swing with

47
00:02:05.080 --> 00:02:11.240
that between their forearms they have to have more fluid body rotation.

48
00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:16.210
It will, the sponge usually would come out if you were to make a full swing

49
00:02:16.210 --> 00:02:16.960
either at

50
00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:21.710
the top of the swing, it'll drop out depending on your shoulder flexibility but

51
00:02:21.710 --> 00:02:22.320
for most

52
00:02:22.320 --> 00:02:27.710
people it would drop out if you take a full full backswing or on the way

53
00:02:27.710 --> 00:02:28.800
through once

54
00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:34.740
you get past about shaft vertical as the arm works around you would have the

55
00:02:34.740 --> 00:02:35.440
sponge drop

56
00:02:35.440 --> 00:02:37.080
out there.

57
00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:41.320
So I mostly use this working on release style drills.

58
00:02:41.320 --> 00:02:46.590
Okay so in demonstrating you place the sponge between your forearms it will

59
00:02:46.590 --> 00:02:47.520
more or less

60
00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:54.360
keep your forearms pretty quiet and then just doing some little nine to three

61
00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:55.160
swings this

62
00:02:55.160 --> 00:03:01.570
will force you to keep that connection between your arms and you'll find that

63
00:03:01.570 --> 00:03:02.760
they go right

64
00:03:02.760 --> 00:03:06.720
unless you have a little bit more of the motorcycle.

65
00:03:06.720 --> 00:03:13.470
So again that was a pretty good one there and you'll see that I controlled most

66
00:03:13.470 --> 00:03:13.880
of that

67
00:03:13.880 --> 00:03:18.040
hit with the body then the goal would be to duplicate it add length to the

68
00:03:18.040 --> 00:03:18.880
movement,

69
00:03:18.880 --> 00:03:23.040
add speed to the movement but this is a great little training aid that you can

70
00:03:23.040 --> 00:03:23.680
keep in your

71
00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:29.300
bag you can work it into full swings if your shoulders have pretty good

72
00:03:29.300 --> 00:03:30.720
flexibility.

73
00:03:30.720 --> 00:03:36.660
I've also got one version where I've got it a lanyard kind of you know hole

74
00:03:36.660 --> 00:03:37.560
punt or drilled

75
00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:41.120
through the middle so that I don't have to keep letting go and picking it up in

76
00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:41.400
case

77
00:03:41.400 --> 00:03:49.620
I lose it, similar to the training aid that Martin Kimer or sorry Henrik St

78
00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:51.920
enson was using

79
00:03:51.920 --> 00:03:57.560
but you can take pretty close to full swings with the sponge.

80
00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:02.360
It will limit a bit what happens in the follow through because you won't be

81
00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:03.320
able to let that

82
00:04:03.320 --> 00:04:05.240
arm go at the top.

83
00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:10.370
So try this if you find that you have either a stall of your body on the way

84
00:04:10.370 --> 00:04:11.280
through or

85
00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:15.630
your arms bend on the way through both are signs that your your arms and your

86
00:04:15.630 --> 00:04:16.240
body aren't

87
00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:19.760
quite connected and using a car wash sponge helps connect them.

88
00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:37.560
[BLANK_AUDIO]

89
00:04:57.560 --> 00:05:05.560
[BLANK_AUDIO]
Related topics
This video hasn't been assigned to any topics yet. Browse all topics in the sidebar.
Tyler Ferrell is the only person in the world named to Golf Digest's list of Best Young Teachers in America AND its list of Best Golf Fitness Professionals in America.

Improve Your Release with a Sponge Drill for Better Connection

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Feel the correct connection between your forearms during the swing
  • Identify how elbow and shoulder movement affects clubface control
  • Practice a simple drill to enhance your body pivot and shaft rotation

In this video, you'll learn how to build better connection during your swing using a simple sponge drill. This practice will help you understand the role of your arms and body in achieving a stable release.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.760
This video is building forum connection with a car wash sponge.

2
00:00:04.760 --> 00:00:09.680
So many golfers struggle with the release and a lot of them will come in saying

3
00:00:09.680 --> 00:00:09.800
that

4
00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:13.240
they've got a scoop where they think that their wrists are bending like this

5
00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:13.480
and I'll

6
00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:18.030
show them on video that the wrists are actually staying pretty stable on the

7
00:00:18.030 --> 00:00:19.440
way through.

8
00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:22.720
But what's actually happening is that more of the elbows and the shoulders are

9
00:00:22.720 --> 00:00:23.280
bending.

10
00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:28.110
So they'll get to a open club face position, kind of like this, maybe even a

11
00:00:28.110 --> 00:00:29.200
little outside

12
00:00:29.200 --> 00:00:34.250
in and then those elbows will bend on the way through to help close the face by

13
00:00:34.250 --> 00:00:34.920
letting

14
00:00:34.920 --> 00:00:38.480
the club pass and to prevent from hitting it fat.

15
00:00:38.480 --> 00:00:44.390
So oftentimes what will happen is we'll work on some body pivot stuff and we'll

16
00:00:44.390 --> 00:00:44.840
work on

17
00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:47.720
getting more shaft rotation because those are the two key things that you'll

18
00:00:47.720 --> 00:00:48.140
have to

19
00:00:48.140 --> 00:00:50.360
do to solve that pattern.

20
00:00:50.360 --> 00:00:54.420
But one way to tie it together into a feel and give you kind of a simple drill

21
00:00:54.420 --> 00:00:54.880
that you

22
00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:59.680
can use is to take a car wash sponge and place it between your forearms.

23
00:00:59.680 --> 00:01:02.320
So I've got two different versions here.

24
00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:06.140
One was just a rectangular sponge that I cut in half and then put a rubber band

25
00:01:06.140 --> 00:01:06.620
around

26
00:01:06.620 --> 00:01:10.990
so it would create kind of more of an X shape that I could fit between my fore

27
00:01:10.990 --> 00:01:11.540
arms, kind

28
00:01:11.540 --> 00:01:12.940
of like that.

29
00:01:12.940 --> 00:01:17.000
Or the other one that I like even more is they've got that kind of figure eight

30
00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:17.440
sponge

31
00:01:17.440 --> 00:01:19.360
and I just cut it in half.

32
00:01:19.360 --> 00:01:24.400
But if you have a little bit more broad shoulders you may have to do the whole

33
00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:25.600
sponge instead

34
00:01:25.600 --> 00:01:27.320
of cutting it in half.

35
00:01:27.320 --> 00:01:32.650
I'm not a big fan of the impact ball because the foam itself is way too dense

36
00:01:32.650 --> 00:01:33.600
and so what

37
00:01:33.600 --> 00:01:38.470
it does is it prevents you from squeezing those arms on the way through or

38
00:01:38.470 --> 00:01:39.280
letting the

39
00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:42.080
natural supination and roll happen.

40
00:01:42.080 --> 00:01:46.650
It'll force you because it's firm, it'll force it to rotate around the ball

41
00:01:46.650 --> 00:01:47.760
instead of rotating

42
00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:51.500
through the ball like we would do in the regular swing.

43
00:01:51.500 --> 00:01:58.540
So what I usually recommend is doing these shots, mostly working on release

44
00:01:58.540 --> 00:01:59.560
pattern kind

45
00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:04.330
of nine to three and what most people find is that they feel that in order to

46
00:02:04.330 --> 00:02:05.080
swing with

47
00:02:05.080 --> 00:02:11.240
that between their forearms they have to have more fluid body rotation.

48
00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:16.210
It will, the sponge usually would come out if you were to make a full swing

49
00:02:16.210 --> 00:02:16.960
either at

50
00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:21.710
the top of the swing, it'll drop out depending on your shoulder flexibility but

51
00:02:21.710 --> 00:02:22.320
for most

52
00:02:22.320 --> 00:02:27.710
people it would drop out if you take a full full backswing or on the way

53
00:02:27.710 --> 00:02:28.800
through once

54
00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:34.740
you get past about shaft vertical as the arm works around you would have the

55
00:02:34.740 --> 00:02:35.440
sponge drop

56
00:02:35.440 --> 00:02:37.080
out there.

57
00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:41.320
So I mostly use this working on release style drills.

58
00:02:41.320 --> 00:02:46.590
Okay so in demonstrating you place the sponge between your forearms it will

59
00:02:46.590 --> 00:02:47.520
more or less

60
00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:54.360
keep your forearms pretty quiet and then just doing some little nine to three

61
00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:55.160
swings this

62
00:02:55.160 --> 00:03:01.570
will force you to keep that connection between your arms and you'll find that

63
00:03:01.570 --> 00:03:02.760
they go right

64
00:03:02.760 --> 00:03:06.720
unless you have a little bit more of the motorcycle.

65
00:03:06.720 --> 00:03:13.470
So again that was a pretty good one there and you'll see that I controlled most

66
00:03:13.470 --> 00:03:13.880
of that

67
00:03:13.880 --> 00:03:18.040
hit with the body then the goal would be to duplicate it add length to the

68
00:03:18.040 --> 00:03:18.880
movement,

69
00:03:18.880 --> 00:03:23.040
add speed to the movement but this is a great little training aid that you can

70
00:03:23.040 --> 00:03:23.680
keep in your

71
00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:29.300
bag you can work it into full swings if your shoulders have pretty good

72
00:03:29.300 --> 00:03:30.720
flexibility.

73
00:03:30.720 --> 00:03:36.660
I've also got one version where I've got it a lanyard kind of you know hole

74
00:03:36.660 --> 00:03:37.560
punt or drilled

75
00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:41.120
through the middle so that I don't have to keep letting go and picking it up in

76
00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:41.400
case

77
00:03:41.400 --> 00:03:49.620
I lose it, similar to the training aid that Martin Kimer or sorry Henrik St

78
00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:51.920
enson was using

79
00:03:51.920 --> 00:03:57.560
but you can take pretty close to full swings with the sponge.

80
00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:02.360
It will limit a bit what happens in the follow through because you won't be

81
00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:03.320
able to let that

82
00:04:03.320 --> 00:04:05.240
arm go at the top.

83
00:04:05.240 --> 00:04:10.370
So try this if you find that you have either a stall of your body on the way

84
00:04:10.370 --> 00:04:11.280
through or

85
00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:15.630
your arms bend on the way through both are signs that your your arms and your

86
00:04:15.630 --> 00:04:16.240
body aren't

87
00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:19.760
quite connected and using a car wash sponge helps connect them.

88
00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:37.560
[BLANK_AUDIO]

89
00:04:57.560 --> 00:05:05.560
[BLANK_AUDIO]
Related topics
This video hasn't been assigned to any topics yet. Browse all topics in the sidebar.