Ribbon Path Training

Many golfers, especially beginners, can have a hard time feeling the path or direction of their swing. To help with this, I will often attach a piece of ribbon to the club and have students make a few practice swings. By simply tracking the ribbon with their eyes, players can quickly see any club path tendencies, especially when the swings are then recorded and viewed from down the line. However, do not forget to use the face on view as well, as it can provide you with feedback on the overall shape of your club path as opposed to just the direction. For a wedge, we would like to see more of a circular shape, but for a driver, we would like to see more of an ellipse. Or in other words, we would like to see a longer "flat spot" with the driver, which is beneficial for a number of reasons. Overall, this is a great drill for any player who is struggling with excess curvature as it is a cheap and effective diagnostic, but just remember that if your path is fairly solid and the ball is still curving a lot, you most likely have a face control, and not a path, problem.