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DRILL OVERVIEW
Hit It High and Long Drill: Turn Through and Finish Tall
Your drill at a glance
This drill is from the Golf Practice Made Fun App.
Letting your body turn and grow taller through the follow-through can help you keep the swing moving instead of staying crouched or stopping at the ball. A comfortable extension feel gives the arms room to continue and provides a clear finish checkpoint. Rehearse it slowly, then notice whether short shots feel freer and your contact stays solid. Height and distance also depend on the strike, clubface, speed and club choice, so use the finish as a practice cue rather than a promise of longer shots.
My brother Carl Watts, an ex-European Tour professional, has often encouraged me to use the follow-through as a simple practice focus. This drill gives you several feels to explore, one at a time.
Step 1. Watch the follow-through feels
Watch the demonstration and notice how the golfer becomes taller as the body turns through. Pay attention to when the movement happens: the aim is to continue through the shot, rather than stand up early on the way down.
Step 2. Explore a tall, balanced finish
Choose a short iron or wedge and begin with slow rehearsals. Make a small backswing, turn through and allow the body to become taller as the club continues. Keep the arms relaxed and finish steadily on the lead side. Your lead side is the left for a right-handed golfer, or the right for a left-handed golfer.
1. The high-hips feel
Imagine a horizontal line at your belt height at address. In the later through-swing, notice the belt becoming higher as the legs and body extend. The demonstration uses a four-inch comparison as an exaggerated feel. You do not need to measure or achieve a fixed rise. Look for a comfortable change after the strike, without thrusting towards the ball during the downswing.
2. The chest-up feel
Let the chest become more upright as you turn through. Use a gentle chest-up feel rather than deliberately making a deep backbend or arching the lower back. Keep the movement within a comfortable range.
3. The hips-through feel
Let the belt buckle turn towards the target as you finish. The hips may look more forward and upward in this example, but the useful cue is a continuing turn with comfortable extension. Avoid forcing the pelvis towards the ball or leaning dramatically backwards.
4. The lead-leg feel
Notice the lead leg becoming longer as you finish. Keep a soft knee and steady balance. This is an observation about the through-swing, rather than a stretch you need to force or an instruction to lock the knee.
5. The upward-push feel
The video discusses a jumping feel and shows professional examples. For this practice round, keep it simple: feel a gentle upward push while turning into a balanced finish. You do not need to jump off the ground. More upward movement is not automatically better.
| Practice sequence | What to do |
|---|---|
| Pick one feel | Start with “turn through and finish tall” rather than combining all five cues. |
| Rehearse slowly | Make a small swing and allow extension as the body turns through. |
| Add a short shot | Use an easy hip-height swing, then let the club continue naturally. |
| Check contact and balance | Keep or soften the cue according to the strike and how steadily you finish. |
What to watch for
| What you notice | What to try |
|---|---|
| Standing up before the strike | Reduce the swing size. Let the taller finish develop through the shot rather than forcing it early. |
| Thrusting the hips towards the ball | Focus on turning towards the target instead of pushing the pelvis forward. |
| A deep lower-back arch | Use a smaller, comfortable chest-up feel. |
| Locked lead knee | Keep the joint soft as the leg lengthens. |
| Jumping or losing balance | Lower the pace and keep the upward feel gentle. |
| Thin or heavy contact | Soften the cue and return to short shots. A finish position alone cannot diagnose the strike. |
Step 3. Complete your round
What to do
Play 18 short shots in two sets of nine. Before each shot, make a gentle rehearsal of your chosen finish feel. Then play an easy shot, turn through and notice the contact and balance.
No-ball option: complete 18 slow through-swing rehearsals in two sets of nine. One full rehearsal, finishing steadily and returning to rest, is one tick. Choose either shots or rehearsals for your round so the counting stays clear.
| Score | When to award it |
|---|---|
| 1 point | You complete the shot, routine or movement described above. |
| 0 points | You do not complete the attempt. |
George’s Conclusion
I like a finish cue because it gives you something clear to notice after the strike. Start with one small feel, keep turning and finish steadily. Judge the experiment by your contact and ball flight, rather than how high you can lift your hips or how far you can arch backwards.
Explore the Holy Grail Follow-Through Drill, try the Sam Snead Fancy Footwork Drill, or browse more long game drills.
MAKE THE NEXT BUCKET COUNT
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