How do I know if I’m swaying off the ball?

Think you are swaying off the ball? Use this simple drill to show if you are drifting off the ball…

For accurate and powerful ball striking we need to control both the arc of the swing, and its low point. Sway laterally during the backswing and both are compromised. It’s not always easy to self-diagnose a sway, but here is a great and very simple drill that will show you immediately if you are drifting off the ball. All you need is a 7-iron and a couple of balls.

Seeing Double

Take your 7-iron and address the ball, ensuring it is just forward of centre in your stance. But place a second ball just behind the first so, as you look down, the clubhead is framed between them. Place your attention on your eyes and note how each is centred in its socket as you look down at the balls. Hover the club above the balls.

Eyes Stay Centred

Keep lateral movement to a minimum and you will feel that, at the top, you are still viewing the balls through the centres of both sockets. Work on this until it becomes natural; it will help you rotate around a xed point, allowing you to create a pivot that holds your swing in position.

Corners Corneas

Now make your backswing. But as you do so, keep your attention on your eyes and how they are looking down at the ball. You will immediately become aware of a sway because instead of seeing the balls through the centres of both sockets, you will increasingly be viewing them through the corners.