Built For Speed
The philosophy of today’s address position is quite different from the previous era. In the past, kicking in the right knee to prevent a sway and forward pressing the hands to eliminate a flip were used to prevent inconsistencies occurring during the swing. Today’s more “athletic” starting position is designed to encourage maximum freedom of movement and increase clubhead speed. There are no built-in regulators to slow things down. Instead, these hindrances are replaced with a feeling of readiness in all parts of the body that requires the participation of everything from the feet to the head. If you’re interested in maximum clubhead speed, this approach is a must.

Hooked On Fun
Sometimes, a wayward tee shot ends up being a lot of fun. I love tapping into my creativity where I have to hook or slice the ball around stuff (just not too often though). To play intentionally curved shots, keep in mind these simple tips: First, picture the exact shot you want to hit. A good mental picture gears up your muscles for what’s coming. Then, in the case of a hook, create a more rounded, sweeping swing. Roll your right hand over your left through impact to create the hook spin you’re looking for. Notice how, at right, the back of my left hand is turned toward the ground? That’s a good position to emulate.

To hook it, create a more rounded, sweeping swing by rolling your right hand over your left.

Split Grip
If you’re looking to hit high pitches or lob shots, you have to release the hands to get the ball in the air. To become better at releasing the hands, take a few practice swings with the hands a few inches apart. Concentrate on making sure your right hand finishes above your left (as I’m doing here). This position indicates I’ve rolled the hands effectively and have released the clubhead through the ball. A popular misconception is to think that the way to hit it high is to hold the face open. That’s not true! By allowing the hands to release, the clubhead will move faster through the ball for a higher shot with added spin and improved trajectory.

The Split grip drill helps train your hands to release more so you can hit higher chips, pitches and lob shots.

Draw Drill
This drill is great for honing an inside-out swing path and learning to produce a right-to-left shot. Take two tees and set them on a 45-degree angle with the inside tee ahead of the ball and the outside tee outside the ball. Place a club on the ground with the toe facing to the left and the butt pointing at a 45-degree angle toward the ball. The key here is to swing the clubhead through the gate without touching either of the tees. Also, the clubhead should be fully released so it’s still outside the hands, but pointing directly down the target line. Notice how there’s plenty of room between the butt of the club and my body. That’s because I’ve maintained my spine angle through impact.

For most players, the inside part of the gate is the most important and most challenging. If you want to learn to hit all the way through the ball with an inside-out swing path, you must be able to strike the ball without hitting the inside tee.

The key to hitting a solid draw is to swing on an inside-out path while also fully releasing the clubhead.   

See The Draw 
To hit a slight draw, the club must attack the ball from inside the target line. A great way to see the proper swing path is to create a gateway with the use of some well-placed tees. Position the tees so the clubhead will approach the ball from an obvious inside path. The proper path becomes easier to follow with the tees on the ground and may produce the feeling of swinging out to right field. If the swing path is incorrect, it will miss the gateway and may hit one or both of the tees, creating a pull or slice. When the club is tracking properly, the ball will start slightly right of the target line and curve back to the left in the air. 

Using tees to create a gateway for the clubhead is a great drill for eliminating a slice and producing a draw.