MyGolfSpy Drill Of The Week: Stop Hitting Thin With This Alignment Stick Drill

I was practicing the other day and every shot I hit felt a little thin. I knew my low point was off and I just wasn't compressing the ball the way I should. So I went looking for a compression drill and stumbled on this one from Kerrod Gray which I'd never seen before.

Clubhead speed doesn't equal ball speed. In the video, he demonstrates that by swinging an 8-iron faster with his low point behind the ball. It went about 100 yards, compared with 160 for his normal 8-iron with the proper low point. This drill helps you move into your lead side so you compress the ball.

How it works

1. Hold an alignment stick in front of you with both hands, pointy end toward your lead side.
2. Make a backswing. Tilt your ear and extend up at the top.
3. Start the downswing by moving your lead shoulder down over your lead foot with the stick aiming at the ground.
4. Open up, release the alignment stick into the ground and finish tall with your arms long.

Why it's worth your time

• Low-point control: Moving into your lead side puts the bottom of your swing in front of the ball.
• Compression: Hitting the ball first and the turf after is what produces ball speed.
• Extension: You learn to finish long and tall instead of folding after impact.

My take

The drill doesn't work great on a mat. The stick won't go into the ground so you lose some of the feedback. Even when I do a good job with the drill itself, my alignment stick doesn't always stand up in the ground as cleanly as Kerrod's does. The good news is I'm not throwing the club up and away which would mean I was doing the opposite of compressing. Even if it's not as pretty as it looks in the image above, you can tell when you're making the right movement.

I also like this drill because it takes the focus off the club. It's good for the brain. The drill simplifies a movement I think golfers often overcomplicate.

Mistakes to watch for

The most common mistake here is staying on your back foot and spinning hard to create force. It feels powerful but it keeps your low point behind the ball and you won't get compression. The other one is folding after impact. If your arms bunch up or chicken-wing, you're losing the extension this drill is trying to build so keep them long through the finish.

Take it to the course

Hit a few small shots with the same feel, finishing tall and stable on your lead leg. Give it a try this week and see what you think.