Mike Malaska's Split Grip L-to-L Drill (Video)

With the Stanley Cup playoffs underway here in America, I thought it might be neat to give you a hockey-style drill. And since one of my favorite drills is the L-to-L drill (here's just one of the posts I've done on it, with two versions of the drill from Mike Malaska) and I also found a hockey-style L-to-L drill from Mike Malaska himself...



One thing I want you to note here is that Malaska says you can actually hit balls with this drill! That's unusual for hockey-style drills because of the split grip. While you wouldn't want to do this on the course, it's a great way to really feel how the wrists should work in order to uncock late in the downswing. After all, that's how you create clubhead speed.

Pay close attention to Malaska's hands when using the split grip. You'll note that his hands get very close to his thighs during impact, which will help you create the correct wrist motion with a split grip. Even with a split grip, you want to keep your wrists and forearms as relaxed as practical; that also helps you create clubhead speed.

Also notice that you have to get a good shoulder turn into your finish in order to keep your wrists from rolling over at impact. This is important if you want to create a lot of clubhead speed with a regular grip as well.

I love the fact that Malaska gives you so many views of how this drill looks from the viewpoint of the finish. You can use a mirror to help you get the correct plane -- that is, no forearm roll at the finish -- if you're having trouble.

I realize that, for many of you, this drill will have limited use. But if you're really having trouble getting the correct feel in the L-to-L drill, this may be the ticket for you.