Instruction
Killer Contact for Two Pennies
One sunny, late winter afternoon I was doing some housekeeping on the Carl’s Golfland driving range in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I came upon a young lad and his father working diligently on the youngster’s swing. I sensed some frustration and anxiety from the pair as I approached. The two of them greeted me warmly and asked, “What is your go-to drill?”
I am a man of some experience. My grey locks betray my youthful enthusiasm for the game of golf and all that goes with it. I shared with them an ancient and simple, yet tried and true, swing drill. It’s one I practice in some form on nearly every full shot.
Mind you, I am not a PGA Professional and if your game needs help then please seek out one of these fine teachers. My ability was certainly formed by men and women who were called to golf instruction. I have played golf all my life with great passion. Some principals of the game are timeless and applicable to golfers at every stage of development. Yes, even you!
The Two-Penny Drill is simple, easy to remember, effective, and it can be used on the range or with a slight modification during play. This drill is familiar to my son, my dad, my wife and my friends. I recently introduced a friend to this simple exercise who is reporting great results. So, how does it work?
Place a penny about a foot in front of the ball directly on the target line. Place another penny about a foot behind the ball, again, directly on the target line. Address the ball as normal. Take your normal swing focusing on brushing away the penny on the backswing AND on the follow through. Very simple. Very effective. This is a timeless tip passed down through the ages and through the great individuals of golf.
Horace Hutchinson wrote a book entitled “Hints on Golf.” An easy read, this book is perhaps the earliest collection of tips related not only to the physical aspects of golf, but also the mental and social elements of our game. Hutchinson’s work was first published in 1886 by William Blackwood and Sons.
One key quote from this book remains timeless: “Now, the great secret of all strokes at golf…is to make the club travel as long as possible in the direction in which you wish the ball to go.” Mr. Hutchinson is not alone in this school of thought. Arnold Palmer, arguably the most influential person ever to touch the game of golf, gave similar advice nearly a century later.
The King said, “Begin every swing smoothly and without breaking your wrists. You have to take it straight back in one piece as they say. Strive to do this for the first 12 inches the clubhead moves, and you’ve got the swing practically licked. Starting the club in this way gets your whole body into the act, from feet to shoulders.”
Mr. Palmer further advised, “One way to achieve maximum distance while sweeping the ball away is to fully extend yourself, both on your backswing and on your follow through….It is the full extension that (1) helps me fully stretch the big muscles of my body and legs and (2) flattens out my clubhead arc in the hitting area so that it is travelling at ball height for maximum distance before and after impact.”
In an effort to further validate my simple drill, I consulted with Dick Bury, a PGA Professional since 1956 who still teaches three days a week at Carl’s Golfland. Mr. Bury confirmed that the Two-Penny Drill is not only legitimate, but also simple and universally applicable. Mr. Bury added that golf instruction can become very complicated to the beginner with the advent of advanced golf analysis technology. In short, Mr. Bury fully endorsed the Two-Penny Drill.
As our conversation continued, we concluded that with a slight adjustment, the simple Two-Penny Drill could teach a developing golfer to hit a fade or a draw. Simply place the front penny about one half inch to the right and the back penny one half inch to the left to learn the draw. To learn that sweet baby fade simply reverse the adjustment.
Try the Two-Penny Drill to hit more solid shots and to learn to draw or fade the ball. This simple and effective tip can also be taken to the course. While in competition you cannot use your trusty pennies, on nearly every shot I look for an imperfection in front of my ball about a foot away — either straight through or offset to move the ball.
The Two-Penny Drill will quickly become your go-to drill when things go awry or when you sense the need to get back to the basics, as we all feel from time to time. Bring a few pennies with you as occasionally you will get it just right and blast one on to the range. Be sure to reset your pennies prior to each swing. Play well and always remember my friends, golf is fun!
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Jerry
Jul 25, 2017 at 8:31 am
I like the drill … to get rid of my 6-10 degree in to out club path – I look to make contact on the upper right of the ball and have the club swing left of the line. Pennies can be used to hit the fade.
Don’t know about the advice about keeping the club on the line – that is artificial. What counts is where the clubface points at contact, which influence 80% or so of direction, and then path. The swing is on a curve and swinging down the target line is problematic.
Dave R
Jul 21, 2017 at 12:23 am
Sorry to say Moe was not a idiot. He has more course records and hole in ones than any golfer alive . Mabey do some fact finding before saying such crap. Moe had issues yes but idiot not. One of the purest strikers of a golf ball. He could call a shot and hit it . He was amazing to follow and watch him play the one thing that brought him pure joy. It was the idiots on the tour that destroyed this man both American and Canadian tours,he was different so he didn’t belong. And if that makes him an idiot then we are all idiots for allowing this to happen.
Rev G
Jul 18, 2017 at 11:03 am
This is a terrific drill. Mo Norman often employed this. Except he would put the backswing penny more like two feet back and instead of trying to push it back, he would just make sure to hit it. It was an essential component of his one plane swing.
ooffu
Jul 18, 2017 at 12:51 pm
moe was an idiot and the canadians kept him out of their golf hall of fame for years and then buckled for political correctness and pity
Deadeye
Jul 17, 2017 at 7:33 pm
I have heard of this drill but not for a long time. I will try this at my next range session. I will let you know.
Robert Parsons
Jul 17, 2017 at 3:26 pm
I tried it, and maybe don’t understand how this drill works. But I can’t sweep the back penny away. Am I supposed to drag my putter on the ground a foot back to push the back penny? Makes no sense to me. I’m a good putter anyway, I mainly need to work on getting my speed down on different greens. If I had perfect speed, I’d be in that happy place putting.
dAVEfROMaCCOUNTING
Jul 17, 2017 at 4:24 pm
I don’t think he’s talking about putting. Try it with your full swing with irons.
Robert Parsons
Jul 17, 2017 at 6:47 pm
Tried. I still can’t drag a club back a foot low enough to push a penny. Maybe a ping pong ball a foot back. Thankfully I don’t need this drill, just wanted to try it and see what it’s all about.
dAVEfROMaCCOUNTING
Jul 19, 2017 at 1:23 pm
Agreed. I tried it too and think that’s an awfully long way back to be dragging the club that low. I like the drill where you set up to a ball and put another ball on the back side of your club. Then just take it back low and slow and let the ball push back down the target line. Got that from Martin Hall and like it a lot to slow the takeaway when it gets too fast. I tried this drill and just felt like I was dipping to keep the club that low. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHXwV6wIJ7A
dAVEfROMaCCOUNTING
Jul 19, 2017 at 1:30 pm
I also think this drill would work a little better if the pennies were a foot apart from each other (6 inches in front and 6 inches back). A foot behind the ball seems a long way back to be a pennie’s height off the ground in an arcing motion like the golf swing.
Heybuddy
Jul 17, 2017 at 12:30 pm
Full swing drill? All clubs? Seems like a fairly long distance to maintain the same amount of “sweepage” for a wedge to a long iron.
TexasSnowman
Jul 16, 2017 at 9:19 pm
Semi-Shank. Could be useful and help simplify swing complexities/thoughts for some folks, but I think only possibly would help with path issues; still gotta control the club face or your shots may continue to displease.