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 Impact Position with the Merry-Go-Round Drill

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Visualize the correct impact position to avoid standing up during your swing
  • Feel how proper body rotation contributes to a solid strike
  • Develop a sense of balance and weight distribution for better control

Learn how to achieve the correct body position at impact with the Merry-Go-Round Drill. This exercise will help you understand the necessary rotation and stability for a powerful swing.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.760
This drill is the merry-go-round drill. The merry-go-round drill is one of my

2
00:00:04.760 --> 00:00:08.160
go-tos whenever I'm trying to help educate a student on where the body

3
00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:15.240
should be at impact. Many golfers fall into a pattern of when they get into

4
00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:19.260
their golf swing, they tend to stand up and not have a whole lot of rotation,

5
00:00:19.260 --> 00:00:19.800
not

6
00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:24.040
have a lot of access to it. So if I was to exaggerate it, they tend to get like

7
00:00:24.040 --> 00:00:30.200
this at impact. So here's setup and then there's impact. There's very little

8
00:00:30.200 --> 00:00:37.540
change. Most tour pros will have some pretty big profound changes. To feel the

9
00:00:37.540 --> 00:00:41.240
changes, instead of just describing all the different body movements, we use

10
00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:41.340
the

11
00:00:41.340 --> 00:00:44.840
merry-go-round drill. So the merry-go-round drill, you're going to take the

12
00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:45.120
club and

13
00:00:45.120 --> 00:00:48.360
place it across your shoulders. If you're right-handed, the club will stick out

14
00:00:48.360 --> 00:00:48.520
to

15
00:00:48.520 --> 00:00:50.880
your right shoulder. If you're left-hand, it'll stick out to your left shoulder

16
00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:51.640
. Then

17
00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:57.880
from here, I'm going to rotate my body until the club would be just about to

18
00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:01.320
hit the golf ball. So from my visual perspective, it looks like it's pointing

19
00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:06.520
right about here. So I'm getting my club into that position, but I haven't

20
00:01:06.520 --> 00:01:06.820
shifted

21
00:01:06.820 --> 00:01:12.000
my upper body forward. I'm staying centered while my lower body gets on to

22
00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:17.520
that lead foot. So I got a little bit of a tilt away from my foot and this body

23
00:01:17.520 --> 00:01:21.960
rotation is pointing the club just inside of my foot kind of like set. Now I'm

24
00:01:21.960 --> 00:01:28.750
going to freeze my body in that position and then I'm going to place my hands

25
00:01:28.750 --> 00:01:28.920
on

26
00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:35.600
the club. And this is roughly going to get me about where my body should be at

27
00:01:35.600 --> 00:01:40.120
impact. Might exaggerate some part because it doesn't quite have as much of

28
00:01:40.120 --> 00:01:45.080
the dynamics, but it gives you a good overall sense of about how much down

29
00:01:45.080 --> 00:01:50.560
rotate side bent, how your chest will be pointing out in front of the golf ball

30
00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:55.720
along the target line, somewhere out in that 30-40 degree range, how your hips

31
00:01:55.720 --> 00:02:01.480
will be pointing even further out along that target line. So if you're used to

32
00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:06.640
standing up, this will help you feel more down. If you're used to not rotating,

33
00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:10.880
this will definitely help you feel more rotated. And if you're used to having

34
00:02:10.880 --> 00:02:11.000
your

35
00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:16.200
upper body ahead of your lower body, this can be used to help feel like your

36
00:02:16.200 --> 00:02:20.080
upper body is a little bit more behind your lower body while it's still in that

37
00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:26.080
rotated position. Once you get used to this body position, then you can start

38
00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:31.440
moving on to release drills. So whether you want to do things like the push

39
00:02:31.440 --> 00:02:31.680
ball

40
00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:34.750
drill where you're just getting used to those arms extending from the merry-go-

41
00:02:34.750 --> 00:02:34.880
round,

42
00:02:34.880 --> 00:02:40.400
the impact fix where you're practicing getting into that merry-go-round body

43
00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:46.920
position from setup just automatically or doing things like 9 to 3 where you're

44
00:02:46.920 --> 00:02:52.410
basically taking the club back to about waist height and then trying to get

45
00:02:52.410 --> 00:02:52.640
back

46
00:02:52.640 --> 00:02:58.240
to that merry-go-round position before your hands get into or make contact with

47
00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:02.240
the golf ball. So if you're trying to work on where your body needs to be at

48
00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:06.440
impact and they have no better drill to work on than using this merry-go-round

49
00:03:06.440 --> 00:03:12.400
drill. Do it both right-handed and left-handed. That'll help give your brain

50
00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:17.560
more information and more spatial awareness of how it can rotate side bend

51
00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:22.280
and stay in place. All key components for controlling low point and the bottom

52
00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:24.720
of your swing.

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.

Improve Your Impact Position with the Merry-Go-Round Drill

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Visualize the correct impact position to avoid standing up during your swing
  • Feel how proper body rotation contributes to a solid strike
  • Develop a sense of balance and weight distribution for better control

Learn how to achieve the correct body position at impact with the Merry-Go-Round Drill. This exercise will help you understand the necessary rotation and stability for a powerful swing.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.760
This drill is the merry-go-round drill. The merry-go-round drill is one of my

2
00:00:04.760 --> 00:00:08.160
go-tos whenever I'm trying to help educate a student on where the body

3
00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:15.240
should be at impact. Many golfers fall into a pattern of when they get into

4
00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:19.260
their golf swing, they tend to stand up and not have a whole lot of rotation,

5
00:00:19.260 --> 00:00:19.800
not

6
00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:24.040
have a lot of access to it. So if I was to exaggerate it, they tend to get like

7
00:00:24.040 --> 00:00:30.200
this at impact. So here's setup and then there's impact. There's very little

8
00:00:30.200 --> 00:00:37.540
change. Most tour pros will have some pretty big profound changes. To feel the

9
00:00:37.540 --> 00:00:41.240
changes, instead of just describing all the different body movements, we use

10
00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:41.340
the

11
00:00:41.340 --> 00:00:44.840
merry-go-round drill. So the merry-go-round drill, you're going to take the

12
00:00:44.840 --> 00:00:45.120
club and

13
00:00:45.120 --> 00:00:48.360
place it across your shoulders. If you're right-handed, the club will stick out

14
00:00:48.360 --> 00:00:48.520
to

15
00:00:48.520 --> 00:00:50.880
your right shoulder. If you're left-hand, it'll stick out to your left shoulder

16
00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:51.640
. Then

17
00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:57.880
from here, I'm going to rotate my body until the club would be just about to

18
00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:01.320
hit the golf ball. So from my visual perspective, it looks like it's pointing

19
00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:06.520
right about here. So I'm getting my club into that position, but I haven't

20
00:01:06.520 --> 00:01:06.820
shifted

21
00:01:06.820 --> 00:01:12.000
my upper body forward. I'm staying centered while my lower body gets on to

22
00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:17.520
that lead foot. So I got a little bit of a tilt away from my foot and this body

23
00:01:17.520 --> 00:01:21.960
rotation is pointing the club just inside of my foot kind of like set. Now I'm

24
00:01:21.960 --> 00:01:28.750
going to freeze my body in that position and then I'm going to place my hands

25
00:01:28.750 --> 00:01:28.920
on

26
00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:35.600
the club. And this is roughly going to get me about where my body should be at

27
00:01:35.600 --> 00:01:40.120
impact. Might exaggerate some part because it doesn't quite have as much of

28
00:01:40.120 --> 00:01:45.080
the dynamics, but it gives you a good overall sense of about how much down

29
00:01:45.080 --> 00:01:50.560
rotate side bent, how your chest will be pointing out in front of the golf ball

30
00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:55.720
along the target line, somewhere out in that 30-40 degree range, how your hips

31
00:01:55.720 --> 00:02:01.480
will be pointing even further out along that target line. So if you're used to

32
00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:06.640
standing up, this will help you feel more down. If you're used to not rotating,

33
00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:10.880
this will definitely help you feel more rotated. And if you're used to having

34
00:02:10.880 --> 00:02:11.000
your

35
00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:16.200
upper body ahead of your lower body, this can be used to help feel like your

36
00:02:16.200 --> 00:02:20.080
upper body is a little bit more behind your lower body while it's still in that

37
00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:26.080
rotated position. Once you get used to this body position, then you can start

38
00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:31.440
moving on to release drills. So whether you want to do things like the push

39
00:02:31.440 --> 00:02:31.680
ball

40
00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:34.750
drill where you're just getting used to those arms extending from the merry-go-

41
00:02:34.750 --> 00:02:34.880
round,

42
00:02:34.880 --> 00:02:40.400
the impact fix where you're practicing getting into that merry-go-round body

43
00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:46.920
position from setup just automatically or doing things like 9 to 3 where you're

44
00:02:46.920 --> 00:02:52.410
basically taking the club back to about waist height and then trying to get

45
00:02:52.410 --> 00:02:52.640
back

46
00:02:52.640 --> 00:02:58.240
to that merry-go-round position before your hands get into or make contact with

47
00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:02.240
the golf ball. So if you're trying to work on where your body needs to be at

48
00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:06.440
impact and they have no better drill to work on than using this merry-go-round

49
00:03:06.440 --> 00:03:12.400
drill. Do it both right-handed and left-handed. That'll help give your brain

50
00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:17.560
more information and more spatial awareness of how it can rotate side bend

51
00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:22.280
and stay in place. All key components for controlling low point and the bottom

52
00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:24.720
of your swing.

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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