New Terrain, Same Impact

As a golfer, you must always be prepared to face new and diverse terrains in every round you play. It is very unlikely that you will encounter perfect lies on completely flat ground. New York City, for example, might be built upon the grid system– but its golf courses are not! In fact, most courses have mounds, hills, sand, brooks, ponds, changes in altitude, and other assorted environmental features that make your game play both scenic and challenging.

When practicing drills, it is important to take real-life course conditions into consideration. Once you think you’ve established the correct hand and body positioning for executing a solid point of impact— and an appropriately located divot to match– it might be time to try out impact drills on other areas of the course (such as bunkers and uneven lies) to help acclimate yourself to game situations. Golf takes you far distances and many places– so be prepared for the ride!

Sand Drill

  1. Draw a line in the sand as shown.
  2. Begin with a three-quarter size swing.
  3. The club should enter the sand at the front edge of the line, then continue down and forward.
  4. You should notice a bend in your right (trailing) wrist. You should also notice that your left (leading) arm and the clubface form a straight line.
  5. Check the divot and see where it starts in relation to the line.
Hill Drill

Todd demonstrating the hill drill

  1. Set up on an uphill slope.
  2. Tilt your shoulders in the direction of the slope.
  3. Swing the club keeping your hands ahead of the ball at impact.
  4. If the clubhead passes your hands, you will impact the ground before the ball.

Tune in next week to learn some new exercises with a weighted bar to incorporate into your training or workout sessions, exclusively found in Fit for Golf – Set for Life. Want more work-outs, recipes, and golf instruction from Todd? Follow him on Instagram, where he posts content like this pre-Thanksgiving exercise session almost everyday.


Fit for Golf-Set for Life


Dunwoodie Golf Course
1 Wasylenko Ln
Yonkers, NY 10701