Eric Cogorno's Driver Drill: Square Face, Head Back

Eric Cogorno presents what he calls his favorite driver lesson—the one he practiced for years growing up. The principle: learn to close the clubface through the free rotation of the arms, keeping your head and back shoulder low, so that the clubhead can come from the inside and from below.

Eric Cogorno · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

What the lesson shows

To drive well—high, far, and consistently—Eric Cogorno reminds us that The club head should come from the inside and from below, as with Rory McIlroy. But if the clubface is open when coming from the inside, the ball goes far to the right: the brain will only accept a swing from the inside if you know close the face by rotating the arms freely. Hence the first step: front arm alone, half-swings, letting the clubhead extend slightly past the heel in the impact zone, with the grip held fairly far from the body and the clubhead swinging back naturally.

Next, add the back arm using the same sensations, with almost no body movement. Step three: a club placed on the ground serves as a reference point to help you feel arms extending from the inside toward the outside. Finally, we add the torso rotation, and the club returns to the plane. The non-negotiable point: Keep your head behind the ball and your back shoulder low.. A club placed above the ball on a driving range bucket indicates that the clubhead is coming down from above and from the outside.

The Exercise, Step by Step

1. Start in your usual stance, with only your front arm extended, and make half-swings, letting the club break through.
2. Let your forearm rotate freely through the swing zone: the clubhead extends slightly past the heel, and the clubhead remains behind the ball.
3. Add the back arm and experience the same sensation, with almost no body movement.
4. Place a club on the ground, pointing toward “4 o’clock,” and feel your arms extend from the inside toward “10 o’clock.”.
5. Add a twist of the torso as you rise and then toward the target: the club returns to the plane.
6. Place a stick above the ball, resting on a bucket, at about the height of a grip, to penalize a club that comes in from the outside.
7. First, swing gently toward a target on the right, then pick up speed while maintaining the same feel.

Key Takeaways

Mistakes to Avoid

• Move your head toward the target while rotating your arms.
• Bring your back shoulder through the ball.
• Perform the rotation by leaning forward with your upper body.
• Keep the shaft straight and pointing toward the line instead of letting the club snap back.
• Swing from the inside with an open clubface: the ball will fly far to the right.
• Let the clubhead come down from above and from the outside: poor contact, low shots, pulls, and fades.

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Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Eric Cogorno). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons, without hosting them.