Squeeze out more power with this simple sponge drill

I don’t know many golfers who aren’t looking for ways to add power in their swing. But with more power and speed comes responsibility, as the player must understand how to maintain good fundamentals when trying to bomb it a little bit farther.

Swing too hard, and risk messing up your sequencing, which can throw off your club path and lead to nasty mishits.

So how can even the most average golfer gain more power and distance without sacrificing accuracy? By simply using a car sponge (really!), which will give you the feeling of a wide-to-narrow swing path and create more club lag.

Jason Carbone, a GOLF Top 100 Alumni Teacher, explains how (and why) it works below.

This sponge drill can add driver distance. Here’s how

How the sponge drill works

“Take an ordinary car-wash sponge and place it under your trail arm at address,” Carbone says. “Imagine that the sponge is full of water and that any tension placed on it will spill the water all over your shirt. Now hold the sponge under your arm at address so lightly that not a drop spills.”

As you start your takeaway, Carbone says to continue holding the sponge all the way to the top of your backswing, making sure there’s still little tension. This should be maintained all the way just before impact — which is when your trail arm should squeeze hard, releasing the water in the sponge.

“Once you reach impact, I want you to squeeze the sponge hard, making sure that every drop of water spills out,” he adds.

“The goal of this drill is to teach you the feeling of a wide-to-narrow swing — as you take the club back, you should feel that your swing arc is wide, and when you swing down and squeeze the sponge, it should feel narrow. This helps create the clubhead lag you need for more power and added distance.”

Additionally, this sponge drill provides the feeling of lag during the transition from the backswing to the downswing, while also getting you to keep your arms attached to your body through impact.

“This combination of moves is something that all good players use to create power, as well as for increased accuracy and consistency,” Carbone shares.

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Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor