One-Handed Practice Swing Grooves Downward Strike - Golf Tip (Video) - by Pete Styles
One-Handed Practice Swing Grooves Downward Strike - Golf Tip (Video) - by Pete Styles

A couple of years ago I was on a break between lessons and I took a phone call. I had just answered the phone as you normally do and I just absent mindedly walked onto my mat, picked a club up and started hitting some shots while I was on the phone. So I’ve got the phone here started hitting a few shots – I surprised myself – I noticed I was quite good. I was knocking these little wedgies out there 50 yards and knocking them quite accurately towards the flag and what I was surprised myself is I was getting a really good strike on the ball. So I was able to hit the ball with a decent strike just with one hand. So this got me thinking a little bit. I did a bit of digging around. I did a bit of investigating and worked out why. It was actually because swinging with one hand was keeping my wrist angle – keeping my down cocking wrist angle in a really good position. I was holding the golf club for a beautiful strike angle, but not flicking and scooping because flicking and scooping takes a little bit of effort, a little bit of power. So when I’ve only got one hand in on the job this actually really keeps my right hand in a good position for impact. So now it’s part of my regular warming up or practice routine. It’s just to drop one hand in my pocket or behind my back and just swing with one hand.

And I really feel that particularly for the shorter club it’s actually quite a good beneficial practice aid to get some good strikes. You’ll generally feel you’ve got a stronger or you’ve got a weaker arm. For me my right hand is always my strongest, so I practice with that generally, but actually if I work on doing it with my left hand it does strengthen my left hand; it does help my left hand hold the golf club in a good position and I can set the club back to my right hand behind me – left hand holding the club, get a good left wrist angle here and pull down with the left wrist, and as long as I focus on pulling my left wrist towards the target on the ball, the club head stays nicely cocked behind and then as I release through I do get a good strike on the ball. So swing it with one hand here for good practice and then swap it over to the right hand, swing it back, create the lag and hit down. I’ve got a little wedge here, I’ve got a flag about 50 yards away – strike down on the ball, knock it in there; though a bit short but dead on line with a really good contact. So just go ahead and start practicing little one handed swings, good warming up routine and a great way of striking the ball better. 2014-01-20

A couple of years ago I was on a break between lessons and I took a phone call. I had just answered the phone as you normally do and I just absent mindedly walked onto my mat, picked a club up and started hitting some shots while I was on the phone. So I’ve got the phone here started hitting a few shots – I surprised myself – I noticed I was quite good. I was knocking these little wedgies out there 50 yards and knocking them quite accurately towards the flag and what I was surprised myself is I was getting a really good strike on the ball. So I was able to hit the ball with a decent strike just with one hand. So this got me thinking a little bit. I did a bit of digging around. I did a bit of investigating and worked out why. It was actually because swinging with one hand was keeping my wrist angle – keeping my down cocking wrist angle in a really good position. I was holding the golf club for a beautiful strike angle, but not flicking and scooping because flicking and scooping takes a little bit of effort, a little bit of power. So when I’ve only got one hand in on the job this actually really keeps my right hand in a good position for impact. So now it’s part of my regular warming up or practice routine. It’s just to drop one hand in my pocket or behind my back and just swing with one hand.

And I really feel that particularly for the shorter club it’s actually quite a good beneficial practice aid to get some good strikes. You’ll generally feel you’ve got a stronger or you’ve got a weaker arm. For me my right hand is always my strongest, so I practice with that generally, but actually if I work on doing it with my left hand it does strengthen my left hand; it does help my left hand hold the golf club in a good position and I can set the club back to my right hand behind me – left hand holding the club, get a good left wrist angle here and pull down with the left wrist, and as long as I focus on pulling my left wrist towards the target on the ball, the club head stays nicely cocked behind and then as I release through I do get a good strike on the ball. So swing it with one hand here for good practice and then swap it over to the right hand, swing it back, create the lag and hit down. I’ve got a little wedge here, I’ve got a flag about 50 yards away – strike down on the ball, knock it in there; though a bit short but dead on line with a really good contact. So just go ahead and start practicing little one handed swings, good warming up routine and a great way of striking the ball better.