Hi Paul
I’m often getting a lot of lower back pain when I play
Any idea what would be causing this?
I often struggle moving my head could this be a reason?
Many thanks
You are most likely doing a reverse pivot which is compressing your spine. In no way does my swing hurt (once you get it). If you are in pain you are doing it wrong.
Thanks for your reply
Doesn’t seem to matter what I try I can not and don’t think I have ever felt that stretch in the area you do I only ever get pain in my lower back no matter how much I try and copy your swing just doesn’t seem to work for me. Basically I feel that I have now got to the point where I give up playing or go back to hitting with my arms again. As much as I like your swing I can not at continue to play with back pain it’s just not fun playing like that or the after affects.
I’m really at my wits end over it and not sure what to do at this point
Even more frustrating is you are on the other side of the world and I have pretty much zero chance of ever being in that area and I’m not sure weather a video lesson can pick up what if any thing I’m doing wrong. Perhaps I’m just a unlucky one with no flexibility who will never get it.
As I keep saying if you are in pain you are doing it wrong. My swing never hurts.
As I suggested, you need us to look at your swing. We have worked on people’s swings all over the world for year. Location does not matter. I bet I am less flexible than you and I can do it.
When the club is parallel to the shaft coming down the face would be vertical. It has not matched the spine yet due to the body tilt (behind the ball). This is kind of tricky to be working on. If you just do the drill of course that would be good. Then work on the right overall fundamentals especially the grip. If the face is open or closed here you would most likely have a faulty grip.
Greetings Paul,
I also noticed in this drill that the tip of the club head is facing exactly straight up and on the downswing, the tip of the club head is again straight up.
This is due to the body tilting in the downswing more than set up. The face does not match the spine angle until it gets closer to the ball. Kind of hard to explain. Just match it the way I am doing it and you will be fine (if you grip is neutral).
Getting the club into what I call “the slot” down swing so far is the most difficult part of this swing. I’ve been an arm swinger since I started playing golf. I’ll add this drill to my practices.
Recently, I lost my ‘new’ swing that I had gained from your teachings. I couldn’t turn my arms off and the worse I struggled to find the sweetspot, the more I dug myself into a whole by overanalysis. Today at the range, I ended simplifying my swing down to: “Get my chest facing away from the target on the backswing and feel like it is facing the target at impact”. I hadn’t seen this swing cue in your triggers but by trying to feel as if my chest is facing the target at impact, I repeatedly hit positions #1 & #2 (knees touching, shaft across neck) and am hitting the ball effortlessly straight again. Just wanted to see if any of your other students had luck with this type of swing thought in turning off their arms and enabling their larger muscles.
Whenever you lose your swing you need to immediately go down to 50%. Get the arms out then speed it back up with legs and hips. Also, check all positions to see if you are not doing one or two. Also, you need to be watching your ball so you know if it is a direction, spin or contact problem. This way you can immediately get to the fix.
Chest to the target could have been down with the belt buckle trigger. I like people thinking lower body for the trigger but if it worked and got you back then do it for a while until you can move it lower.
No other students that I can recall did this in the through swing.
Yes it would help with lag. This is just one that everyone should be doing when doing some practice swings just to get a feel for how the club is swinging and on what path and plane is it swinging on.
Hey Paul, I’ve seen this drill before the difference I notice is the position of the stick .Your position of the stick seem to be halfway between your toes and the ball , I’ve seen others positions it across the toes . Is there a rule of thumb of positioning the stick away from the target line ? Thanks, Your site is Great
I like to put the stick somewhere in between the toes and golf ball just so its not close to hitting the stick or I would step on it and potentially move it. The stick is parallel to the target line.
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21 Responses to “Match The Club To The Stick Drill”
October 28, 2015
DavidCalvertHi Paul
I’m often getting a lot of lower back pain when I play
Any idea what would be causing this?
I often struggle moving my head could this be a reason?
Many thanks
October 28, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
You are most likely doing a reverse pivot which is compressing your spine. In no way does my swing hurt (once you get it). If you are in pain you are doing it wrong.
Bad Back: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-bad-golfing/
You might want to do a swing analysis with my assistant Pete so he can check it.
October 29, 2015
DavidCalvertThanks for your reply
Doesn’t seem to matter what I try I can not and don’t think I have ever felt that stretch in the area you do I only ever get pain in my lower back no matter how much I try and copy your swing just doesn’t seem to work for me. Basically I feel that I have now got to the point where I give up playing or go back to hitting with my arms again. As much as I like your swing I can not at continue to play with back pain it’s just not fun playing like that or the after affects.
I’m really at my wits end over it and not sure what to do at this point
Even more frustrating is you are on the other side of the world and I have pretty much zero chance of ever being in that area and I’m not sure weather a video lesson can pick up what if any thing I’m doing wrong. Perhaps I’m just a unlucky one with no flexibility who will never get it.
October 29, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
As I keep saying if you are in pain you are doing it wrong. My swing never hurts.
As I suggested, you need us to look at your swing. We have worked on people’s swings all over the world for year. Location does not matter. I bet I am less flexible than you and I can do it.
October 29, 2015
DavidCalvertOk well maybe we can try a Skype lesson?
I’m in Melbourne Australia so not sure how we work with the time difference
October 28, 2015
Jannie den HartogHi Paul,
Should the tilt of the golfblade in the downswing like the spineangle as in the backswing or stays a little bit open??
October 29, 2015
Paul WilsonJannie,
When the club is parallel to the shaft coming down the face would be vertical. It has not matched the spine yet due to the body tilt (behind the ball). This is kind of tricky to be working on. If you just do the drill of course that would be good. Then work on the right overall fundamentals especially the grip. If the face is open or closed here you would most likely have a faulty grip.
October 28, 2015
KennthBovaGreetings Paul,
I also noticed in this drill that the tip of the club head is facing exactly straight up and on the downswing, the tip of the club head is again straight up.
October 29, 2015
Paul WilsonKen,
This is due to the body tilting in the downswing more than set up. The face does not match the spine angle until it gets closer to the ball. Kind of hard to explain. Just match it the way I am doing it and you will be fine (if you grip is neutral).
December 18, 2015
LenKoblenzHi Paul,
Absolutely marvelous tip for us “over the toppers.” Turns still one more light on.
Thanks,
Len
December 19, 2015
Paul WilsonLen,
Glad you liked it. Thanks.
November 8, 2018
DennisImhoffGetting the club into what I call “the slot” down swing so far is the most difficult part of this swing. I’ve been an arm swinger since I started playing golf. I’ll add this drill to my practices.
November 9, 2018
Paul WilsonDennis,
Yes, it’s a good little drill to be doing any time you are doing some swings.
November 8, 2018
DrewIsaacmanPaul, This is a good checkpoint. Thanks.
Recently, I lost my ‘new’ swing that I had gained from your teachings. I couldn’t turn my arms off and the worse I struggled to find the sweetspot, the more I dug myself into a whole by overanalysis. Today at the range, I ended simplifying my swing down to: “Get my chest facing away from the target on the backswing and feel like it is facing the target at impact”. I hadn’t seen this swing cue in your triggers but by trying to feel as if my chest is facing the target at impact, I repeatedly hit positions #1 & #2 (knees touching, shaft across neck) and am hitting the ball effortlessly straight again. Just wanted to see if any of your other students had luck with this type of swing thought in turning off their arms and enabling their larger muscles.
November 9, 2018
Paul WilsonDrew,
Whenever you lose your swing you need to immediately go down to 50%. Get the arms out then speed it back up with legs and hips. Also, check all positions to see if you are not doing one or two. Also, you need to be watching your ball so you know if it is a direction, spin or contact problem. This way you can immediately get to the fix.
Chest to the target could have been down with the belt buckle trigger. I like people thinking lower body for the trigger but if it worked and got you back then do it for a while until you can move it lower.
No other students that I can recall did this in the through swing.
November 9, 2018
GerryBarnaWhen I do this I often hit the ground behind the ball especially with my driver and longer clubs. What is reason for this.?
November 9, 2018
Paul WilsonGerry,
You have too much weight on your back foot at impact.
Drop Kick: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-drop-kick/
Fat: https://ignitiongolf.com/fat-shots-cure/
November 10, 2018
JimBenjaminPaul,
I think this drill also helps the player work on their lag. If you sense that position properly you have set yourself up for a powerful strike.
Jim
November 11, 2018
Paul WilsonJim,
Yes it would help with lag. This is just one that everyone should be doing when doing some practice swings just to get a feel for how the club is swinging and on what path and plane is it swinging on.
June 10, 2021
JohnWallHey Paul, I’ve seen this drill before the difference I notice is the position of the stick .Your position of the stick seem to be halfway between your toes and the ball , I’ve seen others positions it across the toes . Is there a rule of thumb of positioning the stick away from the target line ? Thanks, Your site is Great
June 17, 2021
Paul WilsonI like to put the stick somewhere in between the toes and golf ball just so its not close to hitting the stick or I would step on it and potentially move it. The stick is parallel to the target line.