The Belt Loop Drill: Connected Sequence
| Target Fault | Focus Area | Equipment | Reps | Feel Cue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getting stuck | Connection | Alignment stick, golf club, trousers with belt loops | Slow-motion rehearsals first, then half-speed shots into a net before full swings | Arms, hands and clubhead drop down in front of the stick first, then everything turns through together. |
Why This Drill Works (Kinetic Mechanics)
Getting stuck happens when the hips spin open from the top before the arms have dropped, leaving the trail elbow and the club trapped behind the body, so the swing is saved with a block or a flipped hook. The stick through the back belt loops shows the pelvis turn: in the backswing it should point behind you, proving the trail hip turned back rather than the body tilting, and in transition the arms, hands and clubhead must drop in front of it before the body rotates. That order keeps the arms in front of the turn so body and club arrive at impact together.
How to Perform the Drill
Reps: Slow-motion rehearsals first, then half-speed shots into a net before full swings. Rehearse slowly before adding full swing speed.
The Setup: Slide an alignment stick through the belt loops at the back of your trousers, centered so it extends behind you evenly on both sides.
Backswing: Create coil instead of tilting. Turn your right hip back behind you so you feel pressure in your right pocket; the stick should point behind you, not sideways.
Transition: Resist spinning your hips early as you start down. Feel your arms, hands and the clubhead drop down in front of the stick before your body rotates through.
Execution: Keep your spine angle and your right elbow in front of the stick during the first move down, so you don't get stuck or hit the stick with the club.
Follow-through: Once your arms are in position in front of you, turn everything through together to finish the swing.
What Good Feels Like
Arms, hands and clubhead drop down in front of the stick first, then everything turns through together.
- At the top the stick points behind you, with pressure in your right pocket.
- The club drops in front of the stick without touching it in transition.
- Arms and body turn through together, with no blocks or flipped hooks.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Tilting in the backswing instead of turning the right hip back behind you.
- Spinning the hips open from the top before the arms drop in front of the stick.
- Letting the right elbow get behind the stick on the way down and hitting the stick with the club.
Swing Faults & Ball Flights Addressed
Comprehensive Guides Featuring This Drill
A hook happens because your clubface is closed relative to your swing path at impact. Fix it by neutralizing a too-strong grip, stopping your hands from rolling the face shut through impact, and correcting an excessive in-to-out path or a trail arm that gets stuck behind your body in the downswing.
You get stuck when your lower body outraces your arms in the downswing, trapping the club too far behind you and forcing a block or a flippy snap hook. Fix it by syncing arm speed to your pivot, keeping the trail elbow in front of your torso, and squaring the clubface earlier so you can rotate through without stalling.
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