By Brian Mogg Waldorf Astoria Golf Academy, Orlando, Fla. (Top 100 since 2005) With David DeNunzio Photography by Angus Murray 4 DRILLS FOR You can t buy McIlroy s talent, but you can steal his best moves with easy drills that tap every ounce of power in his one-of-a-kind swing RORY-LIKE DISTANCE Rory McIlroy s swing is the one every amateur wants balanced, fluid and packed with eye-popping power. Problem is, you just can t grow out your hair, buy a new Titleist driver and be the next Rors. In fact, there s little chance you can copy his motion move-formove it s too dynamic for even some of McIlroy s competitors to try on for size. But there are bits you can borrow to add noticeable pop to your drives and approach shots. For starters, try the following four drills the next time you re at the practice range. Each is designed to groove Rory s best swing traits into an amateur motion, and to help you repeat these positions in an organized way so that you get away from fleeting improvement and instead develop the consistency and power your swing has been missing. Rory s secrets? Turning with resistance and rotating your hips as fast as possible.
DRILL No. 1: TORSO ROTATION PRACTICE WHAT YOU LL NEED: A tee and your driver. WHAT THE DRILL DOES: Gets you in the habit of making a deep and full shoulder turn on your backswing. Rory turns his shoulders almost 100 degrees as he swings his driver to the top. HOW TO DO IT: Place a tee through one of the buttonholes on your shirt. The tee serves as a visual guide for your swing your goal is to point the tee as far to the right behind the ball as possible. Swing to the top, hold your position, then check where the tee points. The tee makes it easy to see if you re maxing out your turn or not. Push a tee through a buttonhole......then point it as far behind the ball as you can when you turn. ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT Try this while you re waiting for the foursome in front of you to clear the fairway. Drop a ball down, take your regular stance, and then place your driver across your chest as shown. Now, turn back and try to get the butt of the grip behind the ball. If you really want to get a feel for Rory s massive turn, then try to get your left shoulder behind the ball as well. Set up at address......then turn so the grip is behind the ball.
DRILL No. 2: RESISTANCE PRACTICE WHAT YOU LL NEED: A small 2 x 4 or block of wood. WHAT THE DRILL DOES: Keeps your hips stable as you max out your shoulder turn on your backswing. This is the Rory way to create tons of potential energy to release into the back of the ball at impact. HOW TO DO IT: First, make sure you ve performed Drill No. 1 a proper shoulder turn should be your highest priority. Once you have that down, add the resistance element by making backswings with a 2 x 4 under your right foot. Try to push the ball of your right foot firmly into the ground as you turn back. If you do it correctly you ll feel a bit more wound up since the heel-up position makes it difficult to rotate your hips as you rotate your shoulders. Turning is good. Turning while resisting is better. IF YOU DO IT CORRECTLY YOU LL FEEL A BIT MORE WOUND UP. A 2 x 4 silences your hip turn so you can resist more.
DRILL No. 3: SEQUENCE PRACTICE WHAT YOU LL NEED: Two irons WHAT THE DRILL DOES: Helps you feel what all great swingers Rory included sense when they take the club back: that the clubhead initiates all movement. Most amateurs turn their bodies too fast, whipping the club inside and setting up a poor sequence, tempo and contact. HOW TO DO IT: Follow the steps below. What you ll find when you perform this drill is that Lay an iron a few 1 2 inches behind the ball directly on your target line, with the grip end pointing at your target. the slight resistance provided by the club on the ground as you try to push it straight away from the target automatically teaches you to let the weight of the clubhead initiate your swing. Notice how the drill helps me to set the club (wrists fully hinged) before I really start to turn my shoulders. That s what you re after at the start of your swing a lot of club swing and little body motion. Your goal is to push the grip of the club on the ground back with the clubhead. 3 Sling the iron straight back and far enough away from the ball so that you don t hit it on your downswing. 4 Now you have a perfect sequence.
DRILL No. 4: HIP SPEED PRACTICE WHAT YOU LL NEED: Your driver. WHAT THE DRILL DOES: Teaches you Rory s No. 1 power key: clearing the hips fast and furiously from the top. McIlroy s downswing hip action is very similar to that of a young Tiger Woods in that he has an amazing ability to get his hips facing the target at impact. Do this and you ll be certain to unleash the maximum amount of power your swing is capable of generating. HOW TO DO IT: Tee up a ball and take your stance by first placing your feet close together, then dropping your left foot back so that the toes on your left foot are even with your right ankle. Now swing slowly at first because this foot position will cause your hips to turn freer than what you re probably not used to. As you hit balls, focus on rotating your left hip around your left foot as soon as you start your downswing. Your goal is to get your belt buckle pointing at your target at impact. If you notice that you have to swing your arms more aggressively to catch up to your hips through impact then you re doing it right and probably hitting the ball a lot harder. This drill also helps you resist with your hips on your backswing, creating Rory-like torque discussed in Drill No. 2. 1 2 3 Drop your left foot back at address (left toes even with your right ankle). Swing to the top (you should feel a resistance in your hips) Unload into the ball, turning your hips as fast as you can (the left-footback position makes this easy to do).
BONUS: A TRAINING AID FOR SPEED Training aids are great when they provide the correct feeling and accurate feedback. Once such aid is the Synchronizer ($59.97, www. syncyourswing.com), which does an excellent job of helping you exploit the crucial role your left hip plays in generating downswing speed. Al you have to do is place the belt around your waist and set the arm parallel to the ground. If your hips are too slow on your downswing then you ll hit the device with your left forearm as you swing through impact [inset photo]. Clear your hips correctly and you ll have an open path to the ball and beyond. Like any good training aid, the Synchronizer allows you to repeat good sensations immediately after you take it off and swing without any guidance. Closed or even square hips at impact rob you of speed. If your hips are open at impact like Rory s, then you re maxing out your speed.