A Range-Ball Bucket Becomes a Golf Swing Aid
Coach Josh Mayo uses the drill to help golfers feel hip rotation, weight transfer and smoother timing.
A bucket filled with range balls can help golfers practice the motion behind a better swing, even before they pick up a club. Coach Josh Mayo introduced the exercise to Golf Monthly’s Rob Spedding after identifying limited hip movement and too much arm action as key problems. Those habits were producing inconsistent contact and a frequently closed clubface.
The exercise starts with a normal golf stance and a bucket held by its handle. The golfer turns back by loading the right side, then moves forward onto the left foot while rotating the hips and sending the bucket toward the target. The goal is to let the torso and lower body create the motion, with the arms along for the ride. It also gives golfers a clear way to feel their belt buckle finish facing down the range.
The bucket is only a movement exercise, so it does not replace hitting shots. Mayo then pairs it with a slower rhythm: a backswing counted as “one, two,” followed by the downswing on “three.” Spedding says carrying that feeling into range sessions and course play has begun to help, although his closed clubface remains a work in progress.
- Josh Mayo identified limited hip movement as a central swing issue.
- The drill uses a bucket held by its handle.
- A three-count rhythm encourages a calmer transition.
- Rob Spedding has worked with Mayo during a recent lesson.
Summarized from the reporting above. Read it for the full story.
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