In simple terms, the body turn serves as the driving force behind your golf swing. For Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler, it looks effortless, and it is because they use all of their muscles (back and core) to rotate their body and whip the club through the ball. But high-handicapped golfers do the opposite. They try to hit the ball harder than ever, and in doing so, they only use their hands and arms. Plus, they make the mistake of ‘swaying’ (sliding their hips away from the target) or ‘sliding’ (moving too much toward the target) instead of turning around a stable center. So, here are a few drills to help you stop being an ‘arm-sy’ golfer.

1. The X Position Isolation-The Rory McIlroy Method

This drill is designed to help you feel your torso rotating without the distraction of your arms and the club.

Stand in your normal golf stance. Instead of holding a club, cross your arms over your chest so your hands are touching opposite shoulders. This forms an X. Now, slowly turn your shoulders back until your lead shoulder is folded under your chin. Hold for a second to feel the coil in your back and core, as if you were taking a full swing without holding a club. Perform 20 repetitions daily to rewire your brain to lead with your core rather than your hands.

It eliminates ‘arm-sy’ swings where you lift the club instead of turning your body. It is one of the best “living room” drills you can do to build muscle memory.

2. The Shadow Stability Boundary Drill

If you want to know if you are rotating correctly, your shadow is your best coach.

On a sunny day at the range, stand so your shadow is directly in front of you. Place a golf ball on the ground exactly where the shadow of your head falls. Then make a backswing while watching your shadow. The goal is to keep your head shadow exactly on that ball. If your head shadow moves off the ball to the right, you are swaying laterally rather than rotating. How does it improve your game?

It builds a centered turn. When you stay centered, you can hit the ball much more purely because the swing arc isn’t moving side-to-side. Plus, it forces you to rotate around a fixed axis (your spine). This is exactly how the best ball strikers, like Scottie Scheffler, maintain their posture.

3. The Sam Snead ‘Sit-Down’ Squat– The Power Transition Drill

This drill is named after the legendary golfer Sam Snead. Using the ground helps you transition from the backswing to the downswing.

In that method, use a bench or chair placed behind your left side to feel the motion. Then take your club to the top of the backswing and pause for a few seconds. As you begin the downswing, sit down toward the chair. It keeps your weight moving toward the target side. As you lower your hips, begin to rotate your lower body toward the target. Do this move a few times to get the feel of loading your weight into the ground, then turn through to the finish. Try 10 of these drills before hitting a real shot.

It improves your power and prevents you from lunging at the ball with your upper body. Additionally, it gives your arms space to drop into the correct path so you can hit the ball from the inside.

There are plenty of other methods too—from Rory McIlroy’s simple belt‑buckle drill to using your iPhone in selfie mode to check your body turn. Any of these methods can assist you in elevating your game to the next level. But the key is to experiment. Find what suits your swing, and stick with the drills that consistently give you the best results.