Browse by category
Pete Cowen Towel-Wringing Drill: Steady Your Clubface
Your drill at a glance
Explore more ways to practise in the Golf Practice Made Fun App.
Feel how your hands can work together to steady the clubface. The Pete Cowen Towel-Wringing Drill explores equal and opposite pressure, first with a towel and then around a club’s grip.
These steps draw on Stephen Deane’s Peter Cowen Academy demonstration for Worldwide Golf. Our version uses slow rehearsals without hitting balls. The five-minute session and score out of 18 are our practice format.
Watch the Drill.
Watch on YouTube. Watch the hand action before starting.
Step 1. Feel the Opposition
| Action | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hold the towel | Take a small towel in both hands, close together. |
| Wring gently | Imagine squeezing water out by turning your hands in opposite directions. |
| Match the pressure | Keep the effort equal. You do not need to squeeze as hard as possible. |
Step 2. Add the Club
| Action | What to do |
|---|---|
| Wrap the grip | Place the towel around the grip end of the club. |
| Take your setup | Hold the towel-covered grip in a comfortable address position. |
| Find the same feeling | Apply equal and opposite pressure and notice how the clubface responds. |
Step 3. Rehearse and Reset
| Action | What to do |
|---|---|
| Rehearse slowly | Maintain the opposing pressure during an easy backswing and change of direction. |
| Return and reset | Bring the club back under control, then start again. |
| Complete two sets of nine | Count each slow rehearsal and reset as one attempt. Rest between sets. |
Our practice format: eighteen rehearsals in two sets of nine. Aim for a repeatable routine, rather than a harder squeeze or a bigger swing.
| Score | When to award it |
|---|---|
| 1 point | You keep the opposing pressure even through a controlled rehearsal and reset. |
| 0 points | You lose that feeling, rush the movement or skip the reset. |
Record one total out of 18. Use a missed point to identify what you want to improve on the next attempt.
Leave enough space for the club and keep the towel securely in your hands. These eighteen attempts are rehearsals, with no ball to strike.
George’s Practice Tip.
Give yourself one cue for the whole set: “equal pressure”. If the feeling becomes unclear, pause and return to the towel-only exercise before continuing. After nine attempts, write down what helped you repeat the feeling, then take that one cue into the second set. A simple note gives you something useful to return to next time.
For a separate body-motion rehearsal, try the Pete Cowen Spiral Staircase Drill.
