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One of My Favorite Drills for Better Backswing and Downswing Positions
This is one of my favorite drills because it checks a lot of boxes at once. It helps with setup. It helps with backswing structure. And it makes the downswing much easier to repeat.
The key position here is arm parallel — both in the backswing and the downswing.
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The drill starts by standing up out of the shot first. That gives the player a chance to reset:
shoulders square
posture in a better spot
hips hinged properly
body organized before the club even moves
From there, the player takes the club back and pauses at arm parallel in the backswing. That checkpoint matters.At that moment:
the hands should be roughly in the middle of the chest
the club should be pointed just inside the golf ball
That’s a strong position. And it’s one that gives you a much better chance of coming back down in sync. The reason this drill works so well is simple: good backswing positions make good downswing positions easier.
If the club is organized at arm parallel going back, it becomes much easier for the hands to return to a similar spot on the way down. And when that happens, squaring the face and striking the ball cleanly gets a whole lot easier.
This is a simple drill, but it’s a powerful one.
Pause it.
Check it.
Then finish the swing.
If you struggle with structure in the backswing or feel like the club is never in the same place twice, this is a great place to start.
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Thanks for reading!
—Ralph Bauer
About Ralph Bauer
Ralph Bauer has coached on the PGA Tour since 2009. He’s worked at all four majors, the Olympics, and has helped two of his players win major championships. His students have earned over $400 million in PGA Tour earnings. He’s coached on five continents and at every level of the game—and he co-created the Tour Read system to make green reading easier for every golfer.
Let me know if you have any questions—I’d love to hear how it’s working for you.
