Full Swing & TempoIntermediateFixes: Getting Stuck

Why 99% of Golfers instantly improve with this One Move !

Curated PGA Drill by Scott Stiles

Focus Area

Connection

Rep Guidance

3 sets of 10 slow rehearsal reps

Equipment

Golf club, alignment stick (optional)

Skill Level

Intermediate

Video walkthrough by Scott StilesWatch on YouTube ↗

Why This Drill Works (Kinetic Mechanics)

Getting stuck starts when the trail elbow drifts behind the torso in the takeaway and the arms stop moving with the chest. Hooking the lead hand under the trail arm removes independent arm motion so the takeaway has to come from torso rotation, and keeping the trail tricep in front of the chest in the downswing preserves that arm-body connection while the body rotates. With the arms staying in front of the turn instead of trapped behind it, the club is delivered by rotation and the strike compresses instead of requiring a block or a flip to save it.

How to Perform the Drill

Follow these step-by-step instructions. Rehearse slowly to build proper motor patterns before adding full swing speed.

  1. 1

    Step 1

    Drill 1 - Hooked Lead Hand Takeaway (6:14-7:21): hook your lead hand underneath your trail arm so the two arms are locked together.

  2. 2

    Step 2

    From that hooked position, make your takeaway using chest and torso rotation only, so the club moves back because the body turns and not because the arms swing.

  3. 3

    Step 3

    Feel that the trail elbow cannot drift behind you: if it starts to work behind the torso, the hooked lead hand will pull and give you the feedback.

  4. 4

    Step 4

    Rehearse several slow takeaways to halfway back, checking the arms and chest have stayed as one unit before returning to normal swings.

  5. 5

    Step 5

    Drill 2 - Trail Tricep In Front Of The Chest (8:19-9:42): from the top, start down feeling the trail tricep stay in front of your chest rather than dropping in behind it.

  6. 6

    Step 6

    Keep that tricep-in-front relationship while the body rotates through the ball, so the arms travel with the turn instead of getting left behind.

  7. 7

    Step 7

    Make slow rehearsals first, then hit shots keeping the same feel, looking for a more compressed strike as the arms and body arrive together.

What Good Feels Like

Focus on smooth tempo and maintaining body connection through impact. Your body and club should move as a single synchronized unit.

Common Mistake to Avoid

Rushing transition before completing backswing or lunging upper body forward towards ball at impact. Keep movement controlled.

Swing Faults & Ball Flights Addressed

Getting StuckTrail Elbow Behind The BodyDisconnected TakeawayLoss of connectionBlocked ShotsPoor Compression

Comprehensive Guides Featuring This Drill

How to Stop Getting Stuck 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.

Not sure this is your real fault?

Upload one swing video and our AI will identify whether getting stuck is actually what's costing you strokes, using physics-backed metrics and a practice plan matched to what it finds. Your first analysis is free.

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