Improve Your Backswing with Club Setting Drills

Setting the club is the second major piece of a sound backswing. Once you’ve started the club away correctly, you need to organize the arms, shoulders, and club so they work together on the way to the top. This drill circuit trains that blend. It helps you create a better shoulder plane, a more functional right arm position, and enough right shoulder mobility to stay in posture as the club sets. If you tend to lift the arms, get narrow, or lose your body angles in the backswing, these drills give you a simple way to rehearse the correct motion before you hit shots.

How the Drill Works

This circuit is built around two main pieces: your shoulder turn and your trail-arm motion. First, you learn the shape of the backswing with a club placed across your shoulders. Then you add the trail arm movement Tyler refers to as the “Jazzy Jeff” move—a feeling of the right arm working up and out, almost like you’re giving someone a high five.

The shoulder-plane portion gives you a visual for how your upper body should turn. With the club across your shoulders, make a full backswing pivot and notice where the shaft points. You want it to feel as though it points somewhere down toward the golf ball. That helps you turn on an inclined plane instead of spinning too level or standing up out of posture.

Next, isolate the trail arm. The right arm should not simply fold behind you. It should work more in front of your body while also elevating. That “up and out” motion helps the club set without getting trapped too far behind you.

From there, you combine the two pieces. You make the shoulder turn, then add the trail-arm motion, and finally blend them with your hands on the club. The goal is to feel a backswing that is wider, more organized, and easier to repeat.

Step-by-Step

Rehearse the shoulder plane. Place a club across your shoulders and cross your arms over it. Make a full backswing turn. As you turn, feel the club across your shoulders point down toward the ball line rather than staying too flat.
Check that you stay in posture. During the turn, keep your spine angle relatively steady. You should feel your chest turning over the ball rather than lifting up away from it.
Practice the trail-arm motion. Without a club in your hands, move your right arm up and out in front of you, like you’re giving a high five. Repeat this several times so the motion feels natural.
Combine the turn and the arm move. Go back to the shoulder-plane rehearsal, then add the right arm motion. Turn your shoulders, then let the right arm work up and out. Hold the position briefly and notice how the arms and torso match up.
Add the lead arm. From that rehearsed position, bring your left arm across your chest into a more complete backswing structure. You should notice a feeling of more width than if you simply picked the club up with your hands.
Assess your right shoulder mobility. Pay attention to whether your right shoulder can rotate enough to support this motion. If it can’t, you may feel the shoulder pull back too much or the arm run out of room early.
Blend it with the club in your hands. Make a few mini rehearsals where you start the backswing, then feel the “Jazzy Jeff” move. After that, grip the club normally and make a backswing that combines the shoulder plane and trail-arm motion in one continuous move.
Hit a shot after the rehearsal. Don’t just repeat swings mindlessly. Rehearse the motion, then step in and hit a ball while the feel is still fresh.

What You Should Feel

When you do this drill well, the backswing should feel more connected and less handsy. Your shoulders are turning on an angle, your trail arm is organizing in front of you, and the club is setting without forcing it.

Here are the key sensations and checkpoints:

The club across your shoulders points down toward the ball at the top of your shoulder turn.
Your chest stays inclined instead of standing up or flattening out.
Your right arm works up and out, not behind you.
Your left arm feels more across your chest once the right side is organized.
The backswing feels wider, especially compared to a narrow lift with the hands.
Your right shoulder feels free to rotate so you can stay in posture while setting the club.

If the motion is correct, the top of the swing should feel structured rather than crowded. You won’t feel like the club is stuck behind you or that your arms have disconnected from your pivot.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Turning too level. If the shoulder plane gets too flat, the club across your shoulders will not point down toward the ball.
Standing up in the backswing. Losing posture makes it much harder to set the club properly.
Letting the right arm fold behind you. This often narrows the backswing and puts the club too far behind the body.
Over-focusing on the arms. The arm motion matters, but it has to match the shoulder turn.
Skipping the mobility check. Limited right shoulder rotation can make a good backswing feel impossible unless you account for it.
Rushing straight into full swings. The value of the drill comes from rehearsal first, then applying it to a shot.
Beating balls without feedback. Random repetition is not the same as purposeful learning.

How This Fits Your Swing

Club setting sits right in the middle of the backswing. Your takeaway starts the motion, but this phase organizes everything so you can arrive at the top in a strong position. If you set the club well, the transition becomes much easier because the club, arms, and body are already working together.

This is especially important if you struggle with common backswing faults such as:

An overly inside arm path
A narrow or collapsed top position
Losing posture during the backswing
A disconnected transition

Think of this drill circuit as a bridge between the takeaway and the top of the swing. It teaches you how to turn correctly, how to position the trail arm, and how to blend those motions into a backswing that can support solid contact and better sequencing. Instead of guessing with full swings, you give your brain clear reference points. That leads to more productive practice and a backswing you can actually repeat on the course.