Is DoD King Ready to Win the Internet Invitational?

Performance Golf Elite Coach JT Thomas evaluates Carter Smith (the DoD King) to identify his primary swing flaw: a severe lack of chest rotation in the backswing. By introducing the underarm turn drill for full swings and the chopsticks drill on the green, JT helps Carter eliminate downstream errors like early extension, inconsistent club path, and heel-struck putts.

• Fixing a single root flaw—like insufficient chest rotation in the backswing—can automatically clear up multiple downstream misses like early extension and flipping.
• Place a club across your chest under your armpits to practice rotating the body properly rather than lifting your arms.
• Practice new swing changes at 50% and 75% speed to build new motor patterns ('lily pads') before ramping up to full speed.
• Excess upper-body motion during the putting stroke causes heel strikes and distance control issues.
• Use the chopsticks drill (alignment stick under armpits and across the grip) to engage larger shoulder muscles during putting.