Power and accuracy are bedfellows of a good backswing rotation

By Michael Kinloch
If you are struggling for distance or hitting consistently wayward shots, poor rotation could be the cause. This is often triggered in the backswing where many amateurs move away laterally, almost as if they are sliding off the ball.

Check out my latest video for Golf Digest Middle East and we’ll have you moving away from the ball and returning to a powerful impact position in no time. Scroll down afterwards to learn more about the new Toptracer range at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club – just another tool to help you improve your game and enjoy your practice more.

Toptracer Range
At the Peter Cowen Academy at Dubai Creek, we are now fortunate to have Toptracer range at our disposal, the same ball-tracking technology used to track the shots of the world’s best players on TV.

With the help of cameras mounted around the range and 21-inch monitors in each hitting bay, the technology offers amateurs some very useful data during practice sessions. It’s not uncommon to see players improve their ball speed by five miles per hour based on a stronger and more full turn away from the ball, a data point Toptracer monitors on every shot. That’s immensely gratifying for the player and us as teachers, as are the Toptracer Range games and modes suited for all ages and skill levels. The system is amazingly accurate and great fun to use. In virtual golf, you can take on friends over a selection of world-famous courses, challenge them to nearest the pin competitions or longest drive challenges. Serious golfers can use the practice module to hone their skills, keep track of their distances and upload data to their Toptracer profile. It will really add a fun dimension to practicing at the Creek”.

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Michael Kinloch is Head Professional at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s Peter Cowen Academy Dubai. For more information, visit dubaigolf.com

The post Combine Dubai Creek’s new Toptracer Range with this rotation drill for more power and accuracy appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

One that I use frequently creates a good feel and movement for the backswing. It is done by taking your golf posture and holding the club overhand with the top hand and underhand with the bottom hand. The hands are about shoulder-width apart. The club will hang under the shoulders with the shaft parallel to the target line.

The feeling you want from this start position is that the chest and arms move the club away together, each hand staying opposite their respective chest and shoulder. This feeling continues as the body spirals the club up and around to the top of the backswing. My preference in the swing is to maintain good width on the backswing so this is the feel I am looking for as I complete the movement with the lead shoulder under the chin. I want to feel that at the top of the movement I have maintained the space between the shaft and my chest that I had in the start position.

When done correctly, this gives a great feeling of how the body moves the club to the top of the swing and how the rear shoulder and arm should feel when it gets there. The shoulder should be sat down and loaded at the top of the swing. Really concentrate on how this move feels as you perform it, then try to mimic the sensation when you make a golf swing. Avoid lifting and pinching the shoulder as you practice the movement as this will move the arm and club into a poor position.

The more correct repetitions you make of the movement, the easier it will be to carry that sensation into a golf shot and out on to the course for lower scores.

Michael Kinloch is Head Professional at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s Peter Cowen Academy Dubai.

The post Here’s a motion drill you can practice indoors appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.