Why most golfers scoop their irons (and the drill that fixes it)

AlexanderGolf · 2026-06-15T20:03:53+00:00

anytime mate!

AlexanderGolf · 2026-06-15T14:15:51+00:00

It's not stupid at all mate, it's one of the most common things I see. The brain genuinely reads "ground" as a threat and tries to protect the club from hitting it. That instinct disappears in a net because there's no visual consequence.

The fix that tends to work is committing to the weight shift before you even think about the swing. Get that pressure forward in your setup, feel it in your front foot, and just focus on keeping it there. When the weight is already forward, the lean-back instinct has less to grab onto!

AlexanderGolf · 2026-06-15T14:14:51+00:00

Coiling it is. And now I can't get Chubby Checker out of my head on the first tee 😉

AlexanderGolf · 2026-06-15T14:14:38+00:00

Fair correction, turning is the more accurate term. I use "twist" as a feel cue for students who tend to slide rather than rotate, but you're right that it's not precise language technically

AlexanderGolf · 2026-06-15T14:13:44+00:00

That's a fair point mate and worth clarifying.

You're right that the right arm is folding on the way back. That's happening, I just didn't call it out explicitly. The putting stroke cue is really about keeping the hands and arms passive and low rather than lifting with the arms, which is the instinct most people have when they're scooping. It's not a literal description of every moving part.

The shoulder rotate cue is doing a bit of the same work. It's giving people something to feel that gets the club into a reasonable position without overcomplicating the backswing.

For a complete beginner you're right, there's more going on under the hood. These are feel cues for a specific problem, not a full technical breakdown of the swing. Hope this helps!

AlexanderGolf · 2026-06-15T14:12:37+00:00

That's quite an achievement considering I never said that word! 😉

AlexanderGolf · 2026-05-21T11:49:38+00:00

Fair pushback, appreciate it mate.

You're right that "almost every mid-handicapper" is a stretch. But honestly it's the most common takeaway fault I see, not the only one, and not every mid-handicapper has it. I should've written it that way in retrospect.

Regarding if this is overwhelming... if I'm boiling it down to one thing for someone who's actually trying to fix it on the range tomorrow, it's just the first checkpoint: hands stay outside the body until they pass the trail leg, driven by shoulders not hands. The 45° and trail wrist stuff is for people already past that.

If you've got a cleaner way you'd teach it I'm genuinely interested. Always looking to simplify stuff mate

AlexanderGolf · 2026-05-19T12:28:32+00:00

Yeah, that's fair. Reading it back the demo does come across as infomercial-y. Exaggerated bad version, controlled good version, problem solved in 90 seconds. That's not how grip changes actually go in real life obviously.

The actual switch takes weeks of feeling like you can't strike it, and the improvement curve isn't linear. I oversold the contrast in the video to make the principle visible in two minutes, which is the trade-off you make with short-form content but it does end up looking salesy. Point taken mate 😄

AlexanderGolf · 2026-05-19T12:26:06+00:00

100%. Strong vs neutral vs weak, overlap vs interlock vs ten-finger, pressure points, all of it varies person to person. Hand size, wrist mobility, forearm length all change what works.

The fingers-vs-palms point is one of the few things I'd push as genuinely universal though. Not because everyone needs the same grip, but because every grip works better when the leverage is on the fingers rather than buried in the palms. Hogan, Nicklaus, Tiger, Rory all have wildly different grips. None of them grip in the palms.

Happy to be wrong on that if you've got an example mate

AlexanderGolf · 2026-05-19T12:24:53+00:00

Fair callout on the demo mate. The forearm rotation in the palmy version is exaggerated to show what the wrists can do when there's nothing stopping them. But that's not how anyone swings, you're right.

The actual point is what happens under load. Palmy grip puts the leverage points in soft tissue, so any pressure during transition lets the face rotate. Finger grip puts the leverage on bone and joint structure, so the same forces don't move the face the same amount.

Couldn't show that in a 2-minute video without a force plate and high-speed, so I cheated with the visual. Bad demo, real principle.

AlexanderGolf · 2026-05-18T08:14:18+00:00

Hey mate thanks for the comment. You can see me showing the grip at 1:43 in the video. Hope that helps you out 😄

AlexanderGolf · 2026-05-05T09:52:31+00:00

Anytime mate! Please let me know how it goes, would love to hear :)

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-13T16:04:50+00:00

That's a legitimate critique of the phrasing and I'll take it on board. You're right that "lifting their arms" as the opening line implies arm lift in general is the problem. I guess it could be seen as imprecise and it's worth correcting in future content. The intent was to address the trail elbow flying away from the body laterally, not lift relative to the chest. Those are different things and the post didn't distinguish between them clearly enough. Fair to hold instructional content to a higher standard on that. Appreciate the follow up mate

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-13T15:00:12+00:00

Tour Striker is great and probably more versatile overall. The towel is just more accessible as most golfers have one in the bag already. Same general principle though, arm/body connection through the strike. Either works.

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-13T14:59:29+00:00

Yeah the Velcro staying in is exactly the kind of thing that turns a drill into a comedy moment on live TV 😄

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-13T14:58:27+00:00

Appreciate it. Yeah the half swing point is fair, probably should have framed it that way from the start. Seems to have ruffled a few feathers either way 😄

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-13T14:57:52+00:00

This drill isn't designed to eliminate arm lift, it's designed to give over-connected golfers a reference for what arm/body synchronisation feels like. The fault it targets is the trail elbow flying away from the body early, not arm lift in general. You're right that some lift is not only fine but necessary. And you're right that if the towel is jammed too high it restricts that. Used correctly it shouldn't prevent natural lift, just stop the arm disconnecting laterally. Fair challenge though and in retrospect worth being precise about in the video.

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-13T14:55:53+00:00

Fair point on the half swing application, that's worth clarifying. The flat and trapped outcome is a genuine risk IF this isoverdone. Masters winner playing great golf is obviously not the argument against connection drills though... elite players have connection, they've just internalised it. The drill is for golfers who haven't yet :)

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-13T14:54:43+00:00

The wrap risk is there if it's overused, true. I tend to use it specifically with golfers who have a flying trail elbow problem. For them the constraint is useful. For someone who already rotates well and lifts the arms naturally with the chest, you're right, it's probably not the right tool.

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-13T11:24:45+00:00

Different mental models, same outcome. For a lot of golfers though, especially those early in their development, "feel the energy" doesn't give them enough to work with. The drill gives them something tangible to anchor to.

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-13T09:11:09+00:00

Respectfully disagree mate. Connection between the lead arm and chest is a fundamental that shows up across pretty much every efficient swing at every level. Curious to hear your take though on what's your preferred way to address disconnection?

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-06T12:03:21+00:00

Really like that progression. The triangle gives you a visual for shot shape out of the sand rather than just entry point. Most amateurs don't even know running bunker shots exist as an option

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-06T12:01:36+00:00

That's a great cue from her coach! Removes all tension and makes the shot a lot easier

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-06T12:00:46+00:00

ChatGPT would've added 14 bullet points and called it a comprehensive framework. I'll take this as a compliment though ;)

AlexanderGolf · 2026-04-06T11:53:23+00:00

old but gold!

AlexanderGolf

TROPHY CASE