Justin Rose has an unusual ball striking drill – here’s what he’s doing

Take a walk down the driving range at any professional event, and you’ll see plenty of training aids.

Whether it’s balls between forearms, mirrors on the ground or moulded grips, most pros always have something to keep their swings in check.

Justin Rose is no different. Before this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the Ryder Cup star had an interesting action going on.

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The Englishman was spotted with a pad between his right hand and the shaft of the club, with his left hand the only point where he was touching the grip of the club.

Justin Rose using an interesting training aid this week 👀 pic.twitter.com/SH48gaqXqJ

— Ben Parsons (@_benparsons) September 13, 2023

With this, he took slow, short swings with a wedge, and was clearly trying to exaggerate a feeling in his swing.

What’s the benefit of this drill?

It’s something that Rose is using to feel like he’s swinging more with his left arm, rather than his right hand getting too active through impact.

bunkered Performance Panel member Steve Johnston explains in some more detail.

“This is a drill to maintain the angle between trail arm and shaft through impact to prevent any excessive hand action and to assist in some shaft lean,” he says.

“The drill is just a flat palm on the club but this training aid will give more stability and feedback – I like it.”

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Beside Rose is another popular training aid, the tour striker ball, that sits between your forearms through the swing. This is an aid that’s going to give Rose a similar feeling, where his right arm and hand are less active through the swing.

If you watch a video of Rose’s swing from face on, you’ll see his right hand rotate through the ball. This isn’t a bad thing, but getting the left arm to take more control is going to keep things on the straight and narrow.

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor