Training Aids

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The Orange Whip

Technique – The Foundation Drills

TORSO TWIST

• Assume an upright and vertical setup position with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly flexed. Visualize a basketball player about to shoot a free throw.

 

• Extend arms outward at stomach level, holding the Whip in the fingers with palms facing skyward. From this position, a slight tilting of the hips would put you in a traditional golf stance. But, this drill is done in the upright position.

 

• Begin rotating (turning) your upper body back and forth, using the balls of your feet to center your balance and initiate each rotation to the other side. Rotate in a smooth, continuous motion from your right side to the left side, back and forth, allowing your hips to pivot freely while shifting weight from one side to the other in conjunction with your upper body. The objective is to maintain the relationship of upper body, extended arms and hands that was established in the setup. Try and rotate at the same tempo as your golf swing and maintain that pace the entire drill.
Drill Enhancement

Tip #1: To combat the habit of using the upper body to initiate momentum during the Torso Twist, hold the Orange Whip lightly in your fingers. Footwork should be the main focus when doing this drill.

Tip #2: Once you feel comfortable with the drill, try it with your eyes closed. This will amplify the sensation of your balance and footwork during the drill. It’s best to use this technique only after you can comfortably stay balanced with eyes open.

HINGING FOREARM ROTATION

• Assume a proper and athletic set-up position with a slight forward tilt from the hips. Keep back straight, tilt just enough so your chin is above the end of your toes.

 

• With the arms hanging naturally, wrap the fingers of one hand over the product sticker just below the grip; this will make the Orange Whip more manageable for one hand. Grip pressure should be light, similar to the ideal grip pressure for a golf shot…just firm enough to maintain control and the lighter the better.

• Begin the drill by pushing (swinging) your arm in front of your body. The counterweight will be hindered by your hip, therefore promoting the rotation of the forearm. As the motion develops, allow the torso to twist with the swinging whip. Please watch the video to see a demonstration of this motion.

• The wrists should hinge to accommodate the weight of the swinging whip. Allow your “free” hand to swing naturally with your body movement. Find and maintain a repeating, smooth rhythm coordinating your arm movement, weight transfer and torso rotation. Focus on your footwork and the balls of your feet as they initiate and coordinate the transfer of weight and center your balance.

• The hinging wrist will develop naturally if you are patient. The goal is to improve the harmony of motion in the sequential movements of the lower body, torso, and the hands and arms. This is commonly referred to as “Kinematic sequence or synchronization of motion” in golf instruction.

Drill Enhancement

Tip #1: To find the most balanced and effortless way to rotate the forearms and hinge the wrists. Begin with small, pendulum like movements and gradually increase the length of the motion. The weight of the Orange ball, counterbalanced by the weight at the grip end will help keep the shaft on plane.

 

Tip #2: One way to help visualize this motion is to picture (or mimic) a tennis player’s backhand and forehand ground stroke motion.

FULL SWING DRILL

• Assume a proper athletic & balanced setup position. Allow the Orange ball to hover a few inches above the ground.

• Begin slowly swinging the whip back and forth in a continuous, pendulum-like motion. Maintain the proper “one-piece” connection throughout and allow for the natural hinging of the wrists as the length of the motion increases.

• Allow the gathering momentum to take over and extend the length of the swing. Centrifugal force will carry you through to a fully rotated and balanced swing motion. Practice a smooth, consistent rhythm throughout the drill and always “finish” each swing in balance.

• Continue the back & forth, full swing motion without interruption for approximately one minute, or until you feel uncomfortable and/or fatigued. Try not to impart any force or manipulation of the whip during the drill. Allow it to move along the swing arc naturally and focus on your balance.

 

Too often golfers engage in swing drills in a rush to finish and pay little attention to the dynamics that can help them on the golf course. This simple drill can help you improve in many areas and quickly if you focus on the right things for a few short minutes.

 

Drill Enhancement

Tip #1: To help reduce the habit of manipulating the golf club during your swing, grip the Whip as lightly as possible and maintain that exact grip pressure for the entire length of the drill. Sounds easy, but it’s harder than most anticipate. You can evaluate your grip pressure and it will improve.

 

Tip #2: Once you feel comfortable with the drill, try it with your eyes closed. This will amplify the effects and benefits of the Whip. It’s best to use this technique after you can first maintain good balance during the drill with your eyes open.

 

Tip #3: It’s common that golfers struggle to take their “range swing” with them out on the course. The same is true of their “Whip swing”. Here are some ways to use our Full Swing Drill to help find your “Whip swing” on the golf course.

 

Use the three fundamental learning devices – visual (see), auditory (hear) and kinesthetic (feel) to create a mental and physical connection to the whip motion you can summon while playing. Focus on the one that suits how you best learn – so if you are a primary visual person then you should “see it.”

 

See It: Create a mental image of your swing arc while using the whip. Closing your eyes during the drill and visualize the path of the whip throughout the swing. You can also swing in front of mirror, or take video footage of yourself swinging the Whip for later review. Now when you can’t find your Whip swing on the course, call upon the visual memories you so wisely practiced while engaged in the Full Swing Drill.

 

Hear It: Listen to sound of the whip as it moves along the swing arc. Here again it can be good to close your eyes and focus only on the sounds and rhythm of the motion. Also, do the drill while listening to music, preferably a song or songs you enjoy. You can later call upon these sounds and auditory memories on the golf course to help you find your Whip swing.

 

Feel It: While swinging, focus on the physical sensation of the swing arc. Once again, closing our eyes is a fantastic way to focus on just the feel of the whip during the swing motion. Feel your balance, your grip pressure and how your body moves all along the swing path. If you do this for a few minutes each time you work with the whip, you will be amazed how much easier it will be to find and maintain your Whip swing on the golf course.

The Elbow Tac-Tic

Improve Your Game! THE ELBOW TAC-TIC Educates the Elbow Works fast. You feel and hear it instantly. Fits all. Left or right arm, large or small. Increases swing arc width for more POWER, ACCURACY and DISTANCE. Corrects LEAD ARM BREAK, the most common problem with your swing arm. Keeps lead arm fully EXTENDED increasing the width of your swing arc. On trailing arm, it creates an inside path to the ball for more consistency. THE ELBOW TAC-TIC was designed to give the same type of feedback to a player who breaks down at the elbow. When you watch the more powerful and consistent players on tour, it is evident that they keep their lead arm fully extended during the back  swing and throughout the impact position. Simply put, the wider the arc of the arm swing, the more power generated through the club head. Many players have tried to keep their lead arm extended during their swing, but fail because they cannot feel the arc, unaware of a break down at the elbow. When a player swings with the ELBOW TAC-TIC on the lead arm, they are made aware of a break down in the elbow by the sound of a “click”. By practicing with the ELBOW TAC-TIC, a player is given the feedback necessary to help them keep their lead arm extended.Another very useful application of the ELBOW TAC-TIC is to use it on the right arm. Many players misunderstand the proper position of the right arm throughout the golf swing. Many golfers actually try to keep their right arm close to the body during the back swing, narrowing their swing arc end, limiting their power, distance and accuracy. With the ELBOW TAC-TIC on the left arm, a player should hear the click just after the midway back point, reaching the top of the back swing. The ELBOW TAC-TIC used on either arm (right or left handed players, use on the lead arm) will educate a player as to what an extended arm feels like thus enabling the player to achieve great results.

 

Wrist Tac-Tic

It’s been written and said by all the great teachers and players that the “moment of truth” in golf is at “impact”. Great players all look slightly different from each other, when they swing the club, but at impact they look incredibly similar to one another. At impact, their lead wrist is flat, allowing them to deliver the clubhead squarely and powerfully with a great deal of consistency. Impact is where better players and less accomplished players can look very different from each other. Often less accomplished players break down at impact, cupping their lead wrist, losing power early and decreasing their accuracy. When a player releases the club properly through impact while wearing the WRIST Tac-Tic, there is no “click”. The Tac-Tic “clicks” when a player breaks down, by cupping their lead wrist at impact. The greatest advantage in using the WRIST Tac-Tic is its application is not limited to impact during the full swing, but also can be used while practicing, putting, chipping and pitching. This includes a DVD. New it lists for $29.95.  It has been used a few times for instruction.

 

Pendulum Putting Rod

The Pendulum Putting Rod creates a connection between the putter and the pivot point of a great stroke–the sternum.

Steady Head

The Steady Head is an easy-to-use golf training aid, which teaches you to maintain a steady head and keep your head down during your golf swing. Your short game will become more consistent and bladed or fat shots will be greatly reduced.  It’s fun to use and it works!