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A Freer Swing for Better Golf Speed
Your practice at a glance
Long gameCategory
Freer swing + releaseBenefit
About 40 minutesPractice time
18 per drillShots / rehearsals
Club + ballsEquipment
These golf drills are from the Golf Practice Made Fun App.
A freer swing lets you explore speed while keeping contact and direction in view.
These three drills focus on a flowing release, softer arms and a controlled split-hand rehearsal. Begin with Lightning Hands, borrow the relaxed feel from Loose Arms and finish with Rory’s no-ball hand-speed exercise. Work through one drill at a time at a pace you can control, resetting between attempts and adding speed only when the movement remains comfortable and balanced.
Drill 1. Lightning Hands: Feel the Release Through the Ball
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Choose one club and begin without a ball in clear space. Make a comfortable half swing. As your hands approach your trail thigh on the downswing, let the club release through the ball area and continue towards your lead thigh. |
| 2 | Add a few balls at an easy pace and notice the strike and starting line. Keep the release flowing rather than trying to force the clubface to turn faster. Slow down if the face or direction becomes difficult to control. |
| 3 | Play eighteen half-swing shots in two sets of nine with the same club and release cue. Reset before each ball and finish in balance. Add speed gradually only while the strike and starting direction remain controlled. |
See the full Lightning Hands Drill and thigh-to-thigh release demonstration →
Drill 2. Loose Arms: Borrow an Easier Swinging Feel
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Make three slow backswings without a ball, allowing your lead arm to bend comfortably. Let the club travel behind your shoulders only as far as feels easy. You do not need to make the shaft touch your neck. |
| 2 | Put the club down and gently toss a ball underarm towards a nearby target in clear space. Notice the easy arm movement, then pick up the club and make two small practice swings with the same relaxed feeling. |
| 3 | Choose a comfortable short-shot distance, around fifty to one hundred yards or shorter, and play eighteen shots in two sets of nine. Before each ball, rehearse a small swing with the cue “soft arms”, then use your normal setup and finish in balance. |
Explore the full Loose Arms Golf Drill and relaxed-arm rehearsal →
Drill 3. Rory McIlroy Hand Speed: Rehearse with Split Hands
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Begin without a ball in clear space. Keep your lead hand near the top of the grip and move your trail hand down to create a comfortable gap, with both hands securely on the rubber grip. Take your normal stance with relaxed knees and comfortable forward tilt. |
| 2 | Make a slow backswing and feel space in your arms without stretching to a maximum position. Bring your hands down in front of your legs, then decelerate smoothly to a controlled pause with the club clear of the ground. Keep this as a no-ball rehearsal. |
| 3 | Reset and repeat for eighteen controlled repetitions, resting after six and twelve. Keep the pace slow enough to control the pause without a violent stop. After finishing, return to your normal grip for regular swings or shots. |
Watch the full Rory McIlroy Hand Speed Drill and split-hand demonstration →
