Towel Under the Arms Drill

Tucking a towel under both armpits keeps your arms connected to your torso, forcing your chest to engine the swing.

Set-up: A towel tucked under both armpits (or the lead arm) and held there through the swing.

The protocol

How to practise it

This setup uses a thin towel folded across the chest or back and tucked high underneath both armpits.

1. Fold and place the towel high Fold a towel thin and tuck it high underneath both armpits across your upper chest.
2. Maintain light upper arm pressure Feel the pressure of your upper arms against your chest, forming a connected triangle down to your hands without gripping tightly.
3. Power the motion with your torso Make partial swings where your chest rotation turns the arms, keeping the towel held firmly in place throughout.
4. Build up from short shots Begin with small pitch shots to feel the clubface rotation before attempting slightly larger partial swings.

Common mistakes

What goes wrong

• Using the drill on full swings Alex Elliott and Golf Monthly advise against full swings because restricting arm lift shortens the backswing unnaturally.
• Lifting arms or scooping at impact Georgia Ball notes that lifting the arms causes the towel to fall, breaking the body-led motion.
• Stalling the turn and flipping wrists Giles Gill explains that keeping the trail arm connected in front of the torso prevents stalling and flipping.

13 coaches

The coaches who teach this version

Each linked at the second they start.

1. Giles Gill Golf: Fix Any Golf Takeaway With These 2 Simple Moves! (from 2:04). Wrap a thin towel or band under both armpits to feel upper arm and chest pressure points, ensuring the arms and body move together on plane during takeaway.
2. Giles Gill Golf: Why Your Downswing Rotation Sucks (And How To Fix It) (from 10:18). Place a folded towel behind your back and loop it under both armpits to keep your arms connected to your torso during the swing.
3. WhyGolf: How to Bump and Run in Golf (in just 30 seconds!) (from 0:11). Tucking a towel under the armpits to promote arm-body connection and torso-led rotation during the chipping motion.
4. Jimmy Ballard Golf 2.0: The Fundamental Golf Swing Begins With Connection | Jimmy Ballard (from 3:11). Place a towel under the lead armpit and keep it there throughout the swing to maintain connection between the arms and the chest.
5. Face First Golf: Everyone Who Tries This Hits It Longer (from 1:59). Place a small towel under both armpits to keep elbows together and pointed down, forcing a full shoulder turn.
6. The Lads: Jason Day Teaches YOU How NOT to Chip (from 8:28). Place a towel under both armpits to lock the arms to the body, forcing the torso to act as the engine for the chip.
7. AlexElliottGolf: The Fore Bros Asked for Help… They Weren’t Ready for What I Found (from 12:39). Placing a towel under both armpits to synchronize the arms and chest, forcing the body to rotate through the shot rather than relying on independent arm movement.
8. Club Champion: BEYOND THE BAY: Staying Connected Through Your Putting Stroke (from 1:31). Place a towel under both armpits and maintain pressure against your biceps to ensure the arms and body move together as one unit.
9. SagutoGolf: JJ Spaun's TOWEL DRILL will SLASH your handicap IN HALF (from 1:52). Place a golf towel across your chest and under both upper arms to maintain connection between the arms and body throughout the swing.
10. Georgia Ball Golf: Golf Chipping Lesson For Better & Easy Chip Shots (simple guide) (from 8:20). Place a towel under both armpits while chipping to ensure the arms and body move together as a single pendulum unit.
11. Warren Bennett Golf Academy: Wake up Your Golf Swing with ‘The Towel Drill’ (from 1:29). Uses a towel to practice the 'snap' at the bottom of the swing by delaying the release and creating a 'wide to narrow' right arm movement.
12. Athletic Motion Golf: The Body And Arms Concept That Fixes Most Bad Backswings! (from 0:37). Holding a towel under both armpits during the backswing, which restricts independent arm lift and forces excessive torso compensation.
13. Face First Golf: The Forbidden Power Move Old Guys Are Using For 30+ Yards (from 5:30). Placing a towel under the arms while hitting small shots to emphasize clubface rotation and a synchronized release.
14. Peter Finch Golf: My Game Has Changed Forever…Peter Finch’s TPI Lesson (from 61:26). Placing a towel under both armpits to ensure the trunk and arms move as a single unit, specifically for wedge play.
15. Face First Golf: The "Whip it to Rip it" Move for Seniors (and Slicers) (from 0:22). Placing a towel under the arms to maintain connection and encourage the speed of the clubface rotation through impact.
16. Golf Monthly: Tournament preparation with Robert Rock! (from 0:33). A common drill where a towel is tucked under the arm to maintain connection, though Rock notes its limitations for full shots.

Is this drill suitable for full swings?

Alex Elliott and Golf Monthly advise against using this setup for full swings, as it restricts natural arm lift and restricts backswing length. It is best applied to partial wedge shots, pitches, and chips where torso connection is required.

How should the towel be positioned?

Giles Gill and SagutoGolf recommend folding the towel into a thin strip and placing it across the upper chest, tucked high into both armpits. This maintains consistent pressure against the upper arms and pecs throughout the movement.

Why does keeping a towel under the arms help?

The Lads and Peter Finch explain that locking the towel under both armpits forces the trunk to power the motion. This ensures your arms, hands, and club move together as a single unit driven by body rotation.