Alright, so I hit the range today, and the big focus was on that pesky right shoulder in the downswing. For ages, I’ve had this tendency, like a lot of folks, to let that right shoulder get aggressive, come over the top, and basically ruin everything. You know the shot – that weak slice or the pull hook if I try to save it. Awful stuff.
My Starting Point: The Usual Mess
I started off just hitting a few balls, trying to see where I was at without thinking too much. And yep, there it was. My videos on my phone confirmed it: right shoulder high, spinning out, club path way out-to-in. It’s a classic problem, right? I felt like I was chopping wood more than swinging a golf club. My divots, when I even took one, were pointing left. Frustrating, because I know what I’m supposed to do, but making my body do it is a whole other story.
The Plan: Deliberate Practice
So, I decided today was the day to really hammer this down. I wasn’t going to just bash balls. I needed a plan. My main thought was: keep that right shoulder feeling like it’s staying back and moving down, not out towards the ball. Sounds simple, but it’s a real fight against instinct.
Here’s what I did:
- Exaggerated Slow Swings: First, I took a bunch of super slow-motion practice swings. Like, painfully slow. I was trying to feel my right shoulder working under my chin, almost like it was trying to trace a line down towards my right pocket for as long as possible. It felt incredibly weird, like I was going to hit the ball a mile to the right, or even whiff it.
- The “Headcover Under Arm” Drill (Sort Of): I didn’t actually use a headcover because I sometimes find that too restrictive, but I focused on keeping my right elbow feeling more connected to my side on the way down. The idea was that if the elbow stays in, the shoulder is less likely to lunge out. I kept that feeling in mind.
- Focus on the Ground: I tried to feel like my right shoulder was pointing more towards the ground for longer through impact. This was a big one. Instead of it rotating level or even upwards too soon, I imagined it staying tilted down.
- Reduced Swing Length and Speed: I wasn’t trying to hit it far. I started with 50-60% swings with a 7-iron. The goal was purely to get the sensation right. If I swung too hard, the old habits just took over immediately.
The Grind and the Small Wins
Honestly, the first 20 minutes were rough. Lots of thins, a few chunks. My brain was screaming at me that this felt wrong, that I had no power. But I stuck with it. I told myself, “Trust the process, feel the change.”
Then, something started to click. I hit one shot where I really felt that right shoulder stay down and back. The ball took off with a totally different flight – much straighter, with a little draw even. The contact felt solid, compressed. It wasn’t a rocket, but it was pure.
That one good shot was all the encouragement I needed. I kept focusing on that feeling.
I’d hit a few, then do a few slow-motion rehearsals. If I hit a bad one, I’d step back, slow down, and try to recapture the feeling.
I found that if I thought about my right lat muscle engaging and pulling down and through, that helped keep the shoulder from spinning out. It’s like the shoulder was a passenger, not the driver, of the downswing rotation, if that makes any sense.
What I Learned and Where I’m At
By the end of the session, I wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. But the good shots were becoming more frequent. The feeling of the right shoulder staying “passive” and “under” for longer was starting to feel a tiny bit more natural. It’s like my body was finally getting the message.
The biggest takeaway for me was the need for exaggeration. What felt like my right shoulder was almost scraping the ground was probably just getting it into a decent position. Our feels aren’t always real, you know?
It also made me realize how much this one move connects to other good things. When the right shoulder stays down:
- My posture stays more intact.
- It’s easier to get the club approaching from the inside.
- My sequence feels better; the arms don’t outrace the body.
So yeah, that was my practice today. It’s a journey, this golf thing. This right shoulder down move is definitely something I need to keep drilling. It’s not a quick fix, but I saw enough progress to know I’m on the right track. More reps, more patience, and hopefully, more of those pure shots!
