Early in my golf career I had plenty of body rotation but lacked most of the wrist hinging and arm lifting needed in a sound golf swing. Once I understood what had to be done, I looked for some drills or tips that would make these changes take hold as quickly as possible. I received some much-needed help from a simple brick wall. How many times have you been under a tree, against a fence, or any other obstacle that kept you from making your normal swing? What did you do? Was there an opening, another place to move the club back or forward depending on the condition?

Here’s what usually happens, we set up and find a way to make this one, newly designed swing, which avoids the trouble and allows us to advance the ball forward. So if we can find a way to make a successful swing to avoid an obstruction, why not start using obstructions to learn how to make the proper swing.

As an instructor I am always looking for new ways to get students to swing with solid mechanics and I have found that obstacles, when strategically placed, can make the student move the club into the proper positions. The brick wall is just such an obstacle.

The wall contributed largely in the development of my swing, teaching me how to rotate, hinge and lift while keeping everything as smooth as possible. If I didn’t start hinging and lifting the club to the proper positions, my swing wasn’t going anywhere, and as my club and I found out, neither was that brick wall. I had no choice but to make the necessary corrections to avoid the wall. After many repetitions I began to feel the needed changes, then I started to practice and play visualizing the wall behind me while swinging. Twenty-eight years into my obsession with golf and I am still using that image today.

Below I will explain some of the positions I try to reach while driving my swing up that brick wall. Give this a try and maybe it will work for you as well. If you’re not sure about what to do, contact your local PGA Professional and they will be able to help.

Wall Set-Up Photo: 

In this sequence I am swinging a 9 Iron with my heels approximately 12 inches from the wall.  I make a three-quarter back swing, looking for my hands to be shoulder high, wrists fully hinged, forming a 90-degree angle from my left arm and shaft.  I look for the grip end of the club to point towards the line of play or just inside it which puts my swing on-plane (see purple line).  In this position the club head should be no more than 6 inches away from the wall.

Photo #1:  
         
Good solid address position with feet, knees, hips and shoulders running parallel to the line of play, balanced with a slight flex in the knees, arms comfortably extended.

Photo #2:  
         
My body is rotating, shaft parallel to the ground and wall, toe pointing up.

Photo #3:  
         
My body continues to rotate, wrists have hinged  the club up, shaft is 90-degrees to left arm forming an L shape with the butt end of the club pointing at or slightly inside the ball (just like our Wall Set-Up position).

Photo #4:  
         
At the top of the swing I try to get my shoulders rotated approximately 90-degrees, left shoulder under the chin, weight transfers to the inside of my right leg, left arm between right shoulder and neck.