Have you ever given much thought to how maintaining a constant radius between your chest and hands during your golf swing was important? I have followed Troy Vayanos at Hitting It Solid for years because he offers some excellent tips and swing advice to which I can relate. He breaks down complex topics into something that we amateur players can easily digest. And swing radius in my golf swing is another perfect example.
Before offering my views, here is a video by Troy that offers some fantastic advice to many amateur players.
My experience of watching many amateur higher handicap players is that they lose their radius during their golf swing. They bend their elbows to such an extent that it is almost impossible to replicate any consistent swings. One time they hit fat, another thin and once in a while on the club face. Losing their radius is a main factor to their limited success.
What I like best about Troy’s video is that I can practice maintaining my radius during my swing without using a golf club. While watching TV, I can pick up a shoe lace and work on my whole body rotation by keeping my hands in the proper position. I see many side benefits to this drill and plan to use it during my off-season.
I have to admit that I understood what swing radius was, but the above video has helped explain this topic in a manner that I can repeat with confidence. Troy’s explanation produces a simple, sustainable, and effective drill that can be used by every golfer regardless of their handicap. Thanks Troy.
If you are not a follower of Troy Vayanos at Hitting it Solid, I suggest that you rectify that today.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
For me, hitting fat or thin was more a function of sway than swing radius. But I get your point. I just gave the string drill (right hand) a quick try and it felt like it restricted my radius rather than help me keep it long. I’d have to go to a range to see what that does to my swing. My tendency is to allow my left arm to bend, so I compensate by having trained myself to extend before I get to the top. But the string drill didn’t even allow me the normal, before extension distance. I’ll have to watch it again and see if I erred in some way. That doesn’t make sense to me.
I also want to look around at the pro’s swing again and see how their left knees move in the back-swing. The knee has to either bend forward by raising your heel or bend in to allow more turn. Bending it forward is how I’m seeing it in the instructions I’ve watched (they love the idea of smashing down with your heal to start the down-swing), but I seem to have more trouble with that verses allowing it to bend in which doesn’t bring the heel up, but shifts weight/balance onto the inside edge of the foot instead of the toe. I’m trying to figure out of there is a real benefit to pursuing the one I feel less comfortable doing or if it’s more about how our individual bodies operate. It seems to me that I’ve seen plenty of pro’s do it the way I prefer but I want to double check that. Maybe I’m not executing it just right yet. I don’t know. When I hit the ball with it, it’s either fantastic, or terrible. Of course, I’m hitting almost all full swings with it so it could also be I’ve just not worked with it long enough yet to find consistency.
That’s also great illustration why I shouldn’t wait to work it in myself, I should just go see the pro. eliminate the confusion. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’ve got a new club coming on Thursday, a Cobra One length 3 hybrid (I had to try one), that I want to take to the range and while I’m there, I’ll check out the pro’s and see if one of them seems like the right guy to work with. I have loads of options on that score so I can afford to do a little shopping at least.
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Kevin
I think it is important to keep in mind that as we age, we have a tendency to rotate less with our shoulders and back, hence the tighter string at the top of our take away. If you have the opportunity, which we very little up were I live, seeking out a pro that can help with some troubling challenges is definitely the way to go. Shop around, I am sure there is a teacher that will suit your needs.
Cheers Jim
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