Improving your backswing will significantly improve your golf game as much as mastering your putting. It’s a part of the swing that even top professionals work on.
The backswing sequence occurs right after the takeaway and brings your club up until it reaches the top of the swing. A good backswing enables you to hit the ball with balance, power, and accuracy.
Here are 7 top golf swing drills you can use to improve your backswing.
Backswing Golf Drills to Practice
#1: Correct On-Plane Backswing Drill
This drill will help ensure you’re bringing the club back and up on-plane or on the correct club path. The exercise focuses on the backswing portion of your swing. However, it can also help you prevent making club paths that are too steep or inversely too narrow or flat.
- Find a tall wall and stand upright in front of it with the wall behind you. Take your golf stance like you usually would when addressing a ball with buttocks pressed against the wall or close to doing so.
- Begin your takeaway and stop when the club shaft is parallel to the ground. It should also be parallel to the wall behind you. If it points to the wall, your plane is too flat, and if it points away from the wall, your plane is too steep.
- Continue bringing your club up and note where the clubhead would strike the wall if you continued with the swing.
- If your swing is on the plane, the clubhead should strike the wall around the height of your head or slightly higher. If it would strike below that point, then your backswing is too flat. If it’s way over your head, then the swing is too vertical or too steep.
Resources: How to Score in the 70’s Golf Training Plan
#2: Correct Club Position Backswing Drill
This drill enables you to check if your hands and club are correctly positioned as you bring the club up during your backswing. You can determine if you’re bringing the club too far back outside, too far back inside, or perfectly.
- Hold the club generally with your left hand at the top of the grip and slide down the right hand until it holds the club on the shaft.
- Take the club back as you would in a normal swing but halt when your right hand reaches the height of your chest. Ensure you kept your left arm perfectly straight all through.
- Note where the butt end of your club is pointing. It should be pointing towards the ball at a perfectly straight line angle. In this position, your body should be between your target and your hands, which should disappear behind your chest.
- Your hands should be right in the middle of your chest. Avoid rotating or rolling your wrists, as this can take the club off the plane and pointing away from the ball.
#3: Correct Upper Body Rotation Drill
Use this simple drill to ensure your shoulders turn correctly during the completion of the backswing. Making a total shoulder turn correctly can help you generate power.
- Take a standard golf stand, and then place a club across your shoulders. Ensure the butt end of the club points towards your intended target.
- Start making your normal backswing and feel if your shoulders reach a 90 degrees turn. At this point, the butt end of the club should point towards the ball.
- Your hips should not turn by more than 20 degrees, and your legs should remain stable. A weight shift should occur, allowing your body weight to move to the instep of your right foot.
- Excessive knee or leg action plus a lot of hip rotation during your backswing will cause instability and a considerable loss of power for the downswing.
#4: Swing Path Drill
This drill will help you assess and correct your swing path or plane during the backswing. It will help ensure you’re not swinging the club on too steep or too flat a plane.
- Perform a normal backswing and stop at the top position.
- While still holding it at the top, allow the club to drop and note where it lands.
- If the club misses your shoulder as it drops, that means you’re swinging on too flat a plane in what is called a ‘laid off’ position.
- If the club hits you near your neck and more towards the top of your shoulder, then you’re swinging the club on a path that is too steep.
- Ideally, it should land at the edge of your shoulder bone. This tells you you’re swinging on an excellent path and plane.
#5: Head against the Wall Drill
A good swing requires that you keep your spine angle intact from address through the backswing to impact. This drill will help maintain a consistent spine angle to keep the club in the plane.
- At address, imagine your head leaning against a wall or use a pillow and lean your head against an actual wall.
- Cross your arms over your chest or use a golf club and rehearse the backswing while maintaining contact between your head and the wall.
- Focusing on this helps set your spine angle. It prevents you from moving your head during the backswing or peeking prematurely.
- Moving or lowering your head during the backswing affects your consistency. It makes it challenging to groove a consistent angle and club path for every swing.
#6: Over Swing Alignment Stick or Video Drill
Over swings occur when you go over and beyond what is required of your backswing. Instead of the shaft being parallel to the ground, it points downwards. An alignment stick or recording can help fix this.
- Attach an alignment stick to the butt of your golf club and ensure it extends out a couple of feet.
- The stick will extend past your front side at the address. Perform your backswing and stop where you’re hoping to complete the backswing.
- Ensure you can see the alignment stick in your peripheral vision. When you lose sight of the stick, you should know your backswing has gone too far and adjust.
- Alternatively, you can record yourself or ask a friend to take a video while you make the backswing and see the overswing happening.
- As you see it happening, you can train yourself to stop before the club points to the ground.
#7: Tray of Drinks Drill
Ensuring your right hand is positioned at the right angle at the top of your backswing gives you a solid position to begin the downswing and head into impact. A good mental picture to position your right hand at the top is to imagine you’re holding a tray of drinks.
- Begin by setting up as you usually would for a shot and pretend you’re holding a golf club.
- Bring the club up in your regular takeaway and backswing, stopping when you reach the top.
- Separate your left hand from the right and let it fall down, noticing the right hands’ position as it hangs in the air.
- In an ideal position, your right elbow and wrist should be bent a little over 90 degrees. Your right hand should also be pointing upwards. Your right elbow should be below the level of your right shoulder.