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.

Stop Straightening Your Trail Arm: Sidearm Throw Drill

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Feel how your body stays connected while making contact with the ball
  • Understand the proper alignment for your trail arm during the swing
  • Practice single-arm shots to improve your overall control and power

In this quick drill, you'll learn how to connect your trail arm to a sidearm throw, helping to maintain proper posture and body mechanics in your swing. This exercise will help you avoid common mistakes like early extension and standing up during your swing.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.580
(upbeat music)

2
00:00:02.580 --> 00:00:07.280
This is connecting the trail arm only

3
00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:08.800
and the sidearm throw.

4
00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:13.080
So a common pattern is that golfers will tend to stand up

5
00:00:13.080 --> 00:00:15.560
and really straighten that trail arm.

6
00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:17.880
And there's a number of different things in play here.

7
00:00:17.880 --> 00:00:21.680
I could be struggling with my body creating too much power

8
00:00:21.680 --> 00:00:23.980
through early extension or kind of thrusting in

9
00:00:23.980 --> 00:00:25.440
towards the golf ball.

10
00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.440
Or I could feel like my right arm is really straightening

11
00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:31.920
early to apply force or to help get the club

12
00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:33.280
all the way down to the ground.

13
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:35.920
So there's a number of different factors in play.

14
00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:39.320
I find that the sidearm throw is a great way of feeling

15
00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:41.920
the engine and feeling like you're not standing up

16
00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:42.960
on the way through.

17
00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:45.880
But then to add a little bit of a control element,

18
00:00:45.880 --> 00:00:47.640
we're gonna do some single arm only shots.

19
00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:52.640
So the sidearm throw is basically where you put the driver

20
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.040
even with your left foot and then you get in your golf posture

21
00:00:56.040 --> 00:00:59.000
and you do a little sidearm throw underneath the shaft

22
00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:01.840
and you'll feel like your body is kind of bent over

23
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:04.040
almost like you're looking underneath your arm.

24
00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:07.080
Well now what we're gonna do is we're going to try

25
00:01:07.080 --> 00:01:10.480
and make contact with a single arm drill,

26
00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:12.720
a single arm hit with the golf club.

27
00:01:12.720 --> 00:01:14.120
I've got about a seven or eight iron

28
00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:16.040
that's a good place to start with this.

29
00:01:16.040 --> 00:01:17.720
And then I'm gonna use the same setup.

30
00:01:17.720 --> 00:01:20.520
So I've got the driver basically even with my left foot

31
00:01:20.520 --> 00:01:23.120
and now I'm going to bring the club back

32
00:01:24.240 --> 00:01:26.200
and I'm just going to rotate through

33
00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:28.080
keeping my arm in front.

34
00:01:28.080 --> 00:01:31.200
And you'll see that when I make contact with the shot,

35
00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:37.080
it's much more of a body hit

36
00:01:37.080 --> 00:01:40.760
where it just feels like my arm is kind of being brought along

37
00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:43.240
but on a different plane than I might be used to.

38
00:01:43.240 --> 00:01:45.680
I might be used to turning my shoulders very level

39
00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:48.840
in which case I have to throw this down in order to get there.

40
00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:51.320
This is gonna feel like my arm and my body pivot

41
00:01:51.320 --> 00:01:53.720
are working more along the same angle.

42
00:01:53.720 --> 00:01:56.240
Now one thing you wanna be careful about

43
00:01:56.240 --> 00:01:58.880
is check your follow through position

44
00:01:58.880 --> 00:02:02.320
to make sure that the club is still out in front of your body.

45
00:02:02.320 --> 00:02:04.240
What can happen is some golfers

46
00:02:04.240 --> 00:02:06.120
when you've got this in your way,

47
00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:08.440
you'll tend to just kind of throw the arm.

48
00:02:08.440 --> 00:02:10.800
So now my body is facing the golf ball

49
00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:13.600
and you can see that I threw the arm across

50
00:02:13.600 --> 00:02:17.200
and the club finished way past my body over here.

51
00:02:17.200 --> 00:02:19.080
So I wanna avoid that

52
00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:25.000
and make sure that I get into a good body position.

53
00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:28.720
So after I did one where I threw my arm,

54
00:02:28.720 --> 00:02:31.520
I threw my arm a little bit and caught that thin.

55
00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:35.560
So now we'll try to feel like we keep it a little bit more

56
00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:37.800
connected, that was probably the best one of that session.

57
00:02:37.800 --> 00:02:39.600
So since that was the best one,

58
00:02:39.600 --> 00:02:41.320
I'm gonna take that club out of the way

59
00:02:41.320 --> 00:02:42.800
and now I'm gonna look back at the ball

60
00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:45.240
and I'm gonna spend maybe 15, 20 seconds

61
00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:48.240
just kind of dialing in that position.

62
00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:50.600
So that right there is where I wanna try

63
00:02:50.600 --> 00:02:52.360
to get to with my nine to threes

64
00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:54.360
and ultimately go through that position

65
00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:58.000
with my three quarter, 10 to twos and my full swing.

66
00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:01.920
So this is a great way for you to kind of combine

67
00:03:01.920 --> 00:03:04.520
a few of these feels of not early extending

68
00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:06.760
and hitting it more with the body on the way through

69
00:03:06.760 --> 00:03:08.320
into one playable feel.

70
00:03:08.320 --> 00:03:10.080
That playable feel may be something

71
00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:13.400
that you can really use to transfer your range swing

72
00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:14.680
and take it onto the court.

73
00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:17.260
(upbeat music)

74
00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:20.820
(upbeat music)

Have questions?

Ask Mulligan for help
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.

Stop Straightening Your Trail Arm: Sidearm Throw Drill

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Feel how your body stays connected while making contact with the ball
  • Understand the proper alignment for your trail arm during the swing
  • Practice single-arm shots to improve your overall control and power

In this quick drill, you'll learn how to connect your trail arm to a sidearm throw, helping to maintain proper posture and body mechanics in your swing. This exercise will help you avoid common mistakes like early extension and standing up during your swing.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.580
(upbeat music)

2
00:00:02.580 --> 00:00:07.280
This is connecting the trail arm only

3
00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:08.800
and the sidearm throw.

4
00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:13.080
So a common pattern is that golfers will tend to stand up

5
00:00:13.080 --> 00:00:15.560
and really straighten that trail arm.

6
00:00:15.560 --> 00:00:17.880
And there's a number of different things in play here.

7
00:00:17.880 --> 00:00:21.680
I could be struggling with my body creating too much power

8
00:00:21.680 --> 00:00:23.980
through early extension or kind of thrusting in

9
00:00:23.980 --> 00:00:25.440
towards the golf ball.

10
00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.440
Or I could feel like my right arm is really straightening

11
00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:31.920
early to apply force or to help get the club

12
00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:33.280
all the way down to the ground.

13
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:35.920
So there's a number of different factors in play.

14
00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:39.320
I find that the sidearm throw is a great way of feeling

15
00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:41.920
the engine and feeling like you're not standing up

16
00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:42.960
on the way through.

17
00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:45.880
But then to add a little bit of a control element,

18
00:00:45.880 --> 00:00:47.640
we're gonna do some single arm only shots.

19
00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:52.640
So the sidearm throw is basically where you put the driver

20
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.040
even with your left foot and then you get in your golf posture

21
00:00:56.040 --> 00:00:59.000
and you do a little sidearm throw underneath the shaft

22
00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:01.840
and you'll feel like your body is kind of bent over

23
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:04.040
almost like you're looking underneath your arm.

24
00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:07.080
Well now what we're gonna do is we're going to try

25
00:01:07.080 --> 00:01:10.480
and make contact with a single arm drill,

26
00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:12.720
a single arm hit with the golf club.

27
00:01:12.720 --> 00:01:14.120
I've got about a seven or eight iron

28
00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:16.040
that's a good place to start with this.

29
00:01:16.040 --> 00:01:17.720
And then I'm gonna use the same setup.

30
00:01:17.720 --> 00:01:20.520
So I've got the driver basically even with my left foot

31
00:01:20.520 --> 00:01:23.120
and now I'm going to bring the club back

32
00:01:24.240 --> 00:01:26.200
and I'm just going to rotate through

33
00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:28.080
keeping my arm in front.

34
00:01:28.080 --> 00:01:31.200
And you'll see that when I make contact with the shot,

35
00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:37.080
it's much more of a body hit

36
00:01:37.080 --> 00:01:40.760
where it just feels like my arm is kind of being brought along

37
00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:43.240
but on a different plane than I might be used to.

38
00:01:43.240 --> 00:01:45.680
I might be used to turning my shoulders very level

39
00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:48.840
in which case I have to throw this down in order to get there.

40
00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:51.320
This is gonna feel like my arm and my body pivot

41
00:01:51.320 --> 00:01:53.720
are working more along the same angle.

42
00:01:53.720 --> 00:01:56.240
Now one thing you wanna be careful about

43
00:01:56.240 --> 00:01:58.880
is check your follow through position

44
00:01:58.880 --> 00:02:02.320
to make sure that the club is still out in front of your body.

45
00:02:02.320 --> 00:02:04.240
What can happen is some golfers

46
00:02:04.240 --> 00:02:06.120
when you've got this in your way,

47
00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:08.440
you'll tend to just kind of throw the arm.

48
00:02:08.440 --> 00:02:10.800
So now my body is facing the golf ball

49
00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:13.600
and you can see that I threw the arm across

50
00:02:13.600 --> 00:02:17.200
and the club finished way past my body over here.

51
00:02:17.200 --> 00:02:19.080
So I wanna avoid that

52
00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:25.000
and make sure that I get into a good body position.

53
00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:28.720
So after I did one where I threw my arm,

54
00:02:28.720 --> 00:02:31.520
I threw my arm a little bit and caught that thin.

55
00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:35.560
So now we'll try to feel like we keep it a little bit more

56
00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:37.800
connected, that was probably the best one of that session.

57
00:02:37.800 --> 00:02:39.600
So since that was the best one,

58
00:02:39.600 --> 00:02:41.320
I'm gonna take that club out of the way

59
00:02:41.320 --> 00:02:42.800
and now I'm gonna look back at the ball

60
00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:45.240
and I'm gonna spend maybe 15, 20 seconds

61
00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:48.240
just kind of dialing in that position.

62
00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:50.600
So that right there is where I wanna try

63
00:02:50.600 --> 00:02:52.360
to get to with my nine to threes

64
00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:54.360
and ultimately go through that position

65
00:02:54.360 --> 00:02:58.000
with my three quarter, 10 to twos and my full swing.

66
00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:01.920
So this is a great way for you to kind of combine

67
00:03:01.920 --> 00:03:04.520
a few of these feels of not early extending

68
00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:06.760
and hitting it more with the body on the way through

69
00:03:06.760 --> 00:03:08.320
into one playable feel.

70
00:03:08.320 --> 00:03:10.080
That playable feel may be something

71
00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:13.400
that you can really use to transfer your range swing

72
00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:14.680
and take it onto the court.

73
00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:17.260
(upbeat music)

74
00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:20.820
(upbeat music)

Have questions about this video?

Ask Mulligan for personalized guidance on technique, drills, or how to apply what you've learned.

Ask Mulligan
Related topics
This video hasn't been assigned to any topics yet. Browse all topics in the sidebar.
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