TPI's Pelvic Punch drill uses a stopped downswing to get the legs working sooner

TPI posted a one-minute drill this week for golfers who want their legs and trunk helping the club sooner in the downswing. The video, "Apply Force Earlier with the Pelvic Punch Drill," went up on TPI's YouTube channel on Oct. 23.

What the drill is for

The coach in the video starts from a line TPI repeats often: apply force earlier, and use the whole body to do it. "I want your legs, your trunk to help apply force, not just your arms," he says.

TPI's written version of the drill, on mytpi.com, credits the demonstration to Dr. Greg Rose and explains the reasoning. Many amateurs push against the ground later in the downswing than professionals do, so they have less time to speed the club up before impact. The article points to PGA Tour long hitter Michael Brennan, whose vertical force peaks well before the shaft reaches vertical in TPI's assessment.

How to do it

1. Take an 8-iron, per TPI's article, and rehearse your downswing. Stop in the pelvic punch position, with the shaft about parallel to the ground.
2. From that stopped spot, swing without taking the club back up first. The video asks you to "create speed just going down," and the only way to do that is to push into the ground and let that force help you rotate through.
3. Once that works, take a backswing that stops with the shaft at about 45 degrees and repeat the same move.

The coach admits the first few reps feel odd. "It's a really weird sensation," he says, but you'll start to feel the ground accelerating the club. TPI's article frames the missing backswing as the whole point: with no windup available, you have to find speed from the stop.

What it's supposed to build

With time, the coach says, you'll feel your legs driving power earlier, which increases your impulse and helps you hit the ball farther. TPI's article adds that this is one option among several. It also uses medicine balls and jump drills to train the same feel, and the drill is meant to carry that sensation into a full swing.

In the sim bay

This drill fits a hitting mat well. You need one club and a ball. If your launch monitor shows clubhead speed, run a few reps from parallel, then a few from 45 degrees, and see how much speed you can find without a full backswing.