The towel drill can help us master other parts of the swing in addition to TIMING.

If you missed the Towel Exercise click here

Proper clubhead path on the takeaway and the downswing are also a benefit of connecting the arm swing to the body turn.

During the takeaway, the clubhead can travel outside or inside the correct path, if the arms are allowed to separate from the body. When everything is connected in the backswing the clubhead will come back slightly inside the target line. At the top of the backswing the clubshaft will be parallel to the target line. As long as the towel is under your arms you will swing through these positions without having to think about it.

One of the most difficult parts of the swing to master is the initial movements of the downswing. The tendency is to begin swinging the arms and releasing the clubhead with the hands, before the body can begin to help deliver the clubhead to the ball. This causes the clubhead path to be outside in, usually with an open clubface. The dreaded slice.

Keeping the torso connected to the upper arms at the start of the downswing insures an inside out swing path and a much more powerful swing. When you have the towel under your arms watch the arc of the clubhead as you swing. This is the direction you want to see the clubhead travelling on when there is a ball on the ground and no towel under your arms.

Once the clubhead has struck the ball you want to let the clubhead chase the ball to the target. This means the towel will drop out from your right side.

As you become more comfortable with this drill experiment with different clubs. Practice in front of a full length mirror from different angles to get a vivid picture of what your connected swing should look like. The better picture and stronger feelings you create the less thinking you will have to do when you are on the course. Trying and thinking will not get it done. See it, feel it, do it and enjoy it!

Til next time.