# Feet Together Drill



## Sweep (Jan 26, 2019)

I am sure some of the experts and proâ€™s on here will be familiar with the feet together drill. Often hailed as the best golf drill ever. Itâ€™s worth a google.
Having had lessons last season the pro had me hitting halfway back, halfway through shots with a 7 iron which was OK but TBH I wasnâ€™t really getting it. I found the feet together drill online and asked the pro if this would help in the same way. He said it would, that it was just like railing back the half shot and it would groove the feel I needed to hit good iron shots.
I ingrained the feet together drill into my practice routine and after a lot of practice got quite good at it. When using this drill I, like most, find that the ball goes maybe 80% to 90% of the distance but much, much straighter. To the point that I was considering sacrificing distance and using it on the course.
The problem I have is that when I progress to what I consider a full swing, my distance goes up but dispersion also rockets and my strike quality decreases badly.
So I return to the drill to try to find some quality and indeed solace.
Just recently instead of using the drill to warm up and then move straight to full shots, I started to slowly progress from feet together to moving my feet apart in increments until my accuracy begins to sufferer at which point I go back. Using this, I have found, in practice at least, that I can get my regular 7 iron distance but with the straightness of the drill if I have my feet say 12â€ apart. I find this allows me to add in a little leg action, gaining distance without loss of accuracy.
Whatâ€™s not to like? Well, the swing doesnâ€™t look like a full swing and it feels overly compact. The finish is very much cut off, punchy, like Tommy Fleetwood (no bad thing).
Like most of us, I have had a lot of false dawns trying all kinds of different moves, but with this at least I know the various aspects are correct. The ball is in the middle of my stance - which solves my eternal problem of the ball creeping forward, the drill makes you turn which we know is right, my strike quality is hugely improved. 
I apologise for the long post but my question is, would I be right to continue to develop this as my swing? Would I be right to abandon my â€œfull swingâ€ and put my time and effort into grooving this as an iron swing? Will it work in reality, out on the course, on real grass off poor lies? Or is it really just a drill that I should use to groove a feel that I should somehow incorporate into what I would consider a full, proper swing with a wider stance?


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## Homer (Jan 26, 2019)

No


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## bobmac (Jan 26, 2019)

In your lessons, why did your pro ask you to use half swings, was it because your backswing was too long or just to improve dispersion?
Secondly, have you tried the half backswing and a full follow through?


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## Sweep (Jan 26, 2019)

bobmac said:



			In your lessons, why did your pro ask you to use half swings, was it because your backswing was too long or just to improve dispersion?
Secondly, have you tried the half backswing and a full follow through?
		
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Hi Bob, I turned up with a number of faults that had crept in over the years. I think starting with the half swing was really a back to basics move, to show me and ingrain the right feel through impact. He had to bring my ball position back a few inches as it had crept forward to near my front foot. Ridiculous I know, but I think it had just crept forward without me noticing and it feels much more comfortable further forward. He was keen to achieve downward strike numbers on Trackman which we did.
Having the ball back in the centre of my stance improved my strike enormously but it really felt I had no room. At first everything went to the right and he told me that was to be expected and it would improve and he was right. Again, making the transition from half swing to full proved very hard. Because of the lack of room I couldnâ€™t get through the ball to finish on my trail toe and I was just struggling with it. I found the feet together drill much easier than the half swing with much better results. It just seems to cure everything. Which is why I am hoping I can build a swing from it.
We didnâ€™t try the half back, full through.
Maybe I have just got better with practice but after the feet together drill and when I widen my stance to say 12â€, I can swing back a lot further than the half swing and the through swing is longer too, just not to full finish. If I do it right I can post on my lead foot. Itâ€™s just when I move to a full swing with a wider stance everything goes awry.


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## Sweep (Jan 26, 2019)

Just thinking about it, when I use the feet together drill and widen my stance to only 12â€, it feels I have loads of room to swing. As soon as I widen my stance to full swing, it feels like I have no room and I have to make a conscious effort to prevent the ball going right.


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## bobmac (Jan 26, 2019)

With the ball position sneaking forward, you probably started a little sway forward to reach the ball so the feet together drill will help you feel the turn better.
As your pro has seen your swing, keep practicing the drills he's given you and don't leave it too long between lessons in case you go too far the other way


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## Sweep (Jan 26, 2019)

bobmac said:



			With the ball position sneaking forward, you probably started a little sway forward to reach the ball so the feet together drill will help you feel the turn better.
As your pro has seen your swing, keep practicing the drills he's given you and don't leave it too long between lessons in case you go too far the other way
		
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Thanks Bob. Do you think there is any mileage in widening my stance in increments over time until I get to the full swing whilst retaining the feel of the feet together drill, or would I be wasting my time?


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## bobmac (Jan 26, 2019)

Sweep said:



			Thanks Bob. Do you think there is any mileage in *widening my stance in increments over time *until I get to the full swing whilst retaining the feel of the feet together drill, or would I be wasting my time?
		
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Absolutely, just be patient


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## Sweep (Jan 26, 2019)

bobmac said:



			Absolutely, just be patient
		
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Great. Thanks for your advice Bob. It is much appreciated.


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## AMcC (Jan 27, 2019)

A method you could apply to your practice drills would be quantifying your practice.  For example you could record how many shots out of 20 land inside a set target circle with your feet close together making 14 out of 20 your progression point.  Widen your feet by a set amount and if you get more than 14 out of 20 inside the target move on to the next width of feet apart and so on until you are at normal stance.  If you are failing at any level you can move your feet back closer together or make target wider.  It gives you something to show your progress.
This method is recommended by Adam Young in his Practice Manual.  He compares it to computer gaming where you learn the basic skills on level 1 and as you get better at them you move on to level 2 and so on.
Best of luck


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## Sweep (Jan 27, 2019)

AMcC said:



			A method you could apply to your practice drills would be quantifying your practice.  For example you could record how many shots out of 20 land inside a set target circle with your feet close together making 14 out of 20 your progression point.  Widen your feet by a set amount and if you get more than 14 out of 20 inside the target move on to the next width of feet apart and so on until you are at normal stance.  If you are failing at any level you can move your feet back closer together or make target wider.  It gives you something to show your progress.
This method is recommended by Adam Young in his Practice Manual.  He compares it to computer gaming where you learn the basic skills on level 1 and as you get better at them you move on to level 2 and so on.
Best of luck
		
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Thatâ€™s a great suggestion. Thanks! I will search out Adam Youngâ€™s book.
I practiced yesterday and compared this method with my â€œoldâ€ full swing and the narrower stance method is so much straighter. It takes a while but once I am in full flow itâ€™s as long and far straighter than my previous full swing. It seems so simple, just turning through, and it takes out all the other thoughts of striking down on the ball, wrist cock, downswing starting move, head behind the ball etc etc.
So, itâ€™s just a case of ingraining it now. I just hope it keeps working and I can take it to the course.


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## garyinderry (Jan 27, 2019)

Can you transfer your weight with the feet together drill?


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## AMcC (Jan 27, 2019)

Sweep said:



			Thatâ€™s a great suggestion. Thanks! I will search out Adam Youngâ€™s book.
		
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The book gets quite heavy in places but is a good read.  Once you know where to look for stuff it is easy enough to jump in and out


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## Hoganman1 (Jan 27, 2019)

Great post. I used to do this in every practice session, but for reasons I cannot explain, haven't been doing it. I'm going to start doing it again. Some ball striking issues have crept into my swing and I'm betting this drill will help tremendously. Thanks for reminding me.


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## Sweep (Jan 27, 2019)

garyinderry said:



			Can you transfer your weight with the feet together drill?
		
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The feet together drill is all about turn through impact. Your lower body movement is very much restricted when you have your feet and knees touching. Your hips move but your legs hardly do. Itâ€™s all about how far you can swing back and through in this position. The more you use it and over quite a short period of time you will be surprised how far you can turn and itâ€™s very surprising how far you can hit the ball - usually 80% to 90% of normal distance with a 7 iron and it goes very straight. It demonstrates the correct feeling of turning through the ball and what a good strike feels like and this, I am sure, will be a â€œlight bulb momentâ€ for many.
Once I got good at the feet together drill I started to widen my stance incrementally and then, yes you can transfer your weight, even if your feet are only 12â€ apart. Then I started to get full distance. I am sure the improved strike helps in this respect.

I was very surprised how much dispersion increases as I widened my stance further and hopefully I can rectify this in time. It may only be me, but even if you are happy with your iron shots I would certainly recommend narrowing your stance to around 12â€ and hit a few shots and see what it does for your dispertion.


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## garyinderry (Jan 27, 2019)

Will give this drill another whirl during the week. 

We go to the range every Wednesday night over winter.


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