The Bucket Drill - Golf Shoulder Turn

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The Bucket Drill is one that provides a very simple and clear picture on how to rotate correctly in the backswing and how to avoid tilting and the dreaded right hand above the left during the takeaway.

  • Use the Bucket Drill to learn how to turn correctly in the backswing
  • Hold an empty bucket between your hands, and imagine it is full of water
  • Keep the bucket level as you turn back, to avoid spilling the "water"
  • If you feel strain in your back, check to make sure you're not leaning toward the target


This is a very powerful yet simple golf swing drill that will help you learn how to turn your shoulders properly during the golf backswing. All you need is a box or bucket and an imagination! You can also use a medicine ball as the extra weight helps you to engage your core as you begin to turn your shoulders.

                I have in my hands a simple box here, but this drill that I'm going to describe to you's actually called the bucket drill. I don't have a bucket lying around, but I've got plenty of boxes. You're going to get the same idea here. One of the things that's really common in the golf backswing is for people to not really understand how to turn their shoulders versus tilting them, how to move their arms. They start making things overly complicated. They start tilting their shoulders this way or they start turning really flat this way, or they start rolling their arms in, and they don't feel this stuff.

                If you're smart about working on your golf swing, you know that you've got to take a lot of these simple drills and do them over and over again to really develop the feel so that it translates into when you're actually swinging the golf club. This drill is probably one of the most invaluable ones that I can teach you to understand how to actually make that simple move in the backswing, because a lot of people really over complicate this and they mess things up and they end up off from this first instant they move the golf club.

                A simple box or bucket can show you everything you need to know about how to understand how to rotate. Here's all we have to do. Assume your set up position. Hold a box up and imagine that it's full of water. That's why I call it the bucket drill. It's a bucket holding water.

                As I have this here, holding, imagine I don't want to spill water, obviously, I'm not going to tilt it and move it around. All I need to do is turn back and imagine that that's full of water and I wouldn't spill it. If I do that correctly, you can see that I'm turning back and that bucket's not tilting back where I would spill it, it's not rolling in this way. My shoulders aren't tilting this way. All these things, if you just imagine turning and handing this to somebody, handing a pail of water to them, you can turn back correctly every time.

                You're going to notice if you're not doing this correctly, the instant you grab this, if you have a tilt, which is really common, when you start doing this, you're going to feel a lot of strain in your back. When you start doing this, all that strain's going to go away. This is how you rotate. Notice that my spine's leaning away from the target slightly. I'm not tilting this way, getting my arms on top of each other.

                I don't want you to be able to see inside of my bucket either. I don't want it this. That's now my right hand on top of my left. I've spilled my water out and now you can see it in front of the camera. You don't need to be able to see in here. It needs to be level as I go back. As we go down the line, we can see the same things.

                Here's me tilting it. You can see water'd be spilling out here. Water's not spilling out here. As I keep going back, if I just keep that bucket pretty level, you start to get the idea of how your hands and arms and everything work back in sync. Also imagine if you had a pail literally full of water, it'd be pretty heavy. Again, you wouldn't just start swinging your arms across your body. You're going to actually turn, because you're going to use your big muscles in your core to support moving this back.

                It's a great simple drill to teach you how to turn back correctly without doing anything goofy. The rotation in the back swing is really a pretty natural move, if you just imagine turning, shaking somebody's hand, turning and handing them something, or use this bucket drill, you'll finally start to understand how to create true rotation in the swing without doing anything to mess up your movements going back, and it'll really simplify things for you in the take away.

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Richard
when the left shoulder lowers and the right raises do the left and right arm have to do the opposite in order to compensate and keep the bucket level?
July 21, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. There will be some forearm rotation in the takeaway. But, not much. If rotating around the spine with the shoulders as you mentioned you will need some rotation in the arms to keep from spilling.
July 21, 2020
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Chris
How does it work with axis tilt. If your right shoulder is lower at address when does your left shoulder lower.
October 2, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Chris. You have to rotate on your shoulder plane around the spine. Take a look at Golf Backswing Shoulder Plane Drill. The bucket will have some limitations because of the size a distance away from you, but will give you the general picture of what is supposed to happen. Take a look at the Shake Hands Drill as a compliment to the one above.
October 3, 2019
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Lippen
In your reply to Richard you commented that Chuck is standing a little too upright with the hands too far out. I know this is to get the feel of the proper shoulder rotation. If the drill were executed with proper posture would it okay to "spill a little water" and the shoulder be less flat at the end?
May 28, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Lippen. The shoulders will be less flat in a hinged forward posture, but you shouldn't have much water spill out. Take a look at the Shake Hands Drill and the Pencil Tee Drill. If you are excessively hinged forward it would make the shoulders much too steep and the water would spill.
May 28, 2019
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Michelle
Hi Craig This bucket drill makes sense but I am struggling with taking the swing from level to above my shoulders. How does the bucket drill convert to a full swing?? Cheers Michelle
May 16, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Michelle. The arms have to continue the vertical motion with slight rotation from the forearms and lead shoulder socket. A good visual will be the Pool Noodle Drill. Basically, same thing without a bucket and longer. Also, How to Keep the Left Arm Straight Video to see how the lead arm will rotate from the socket.
May 16, 2019
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Jim
Hi RJ - I am working on the takeaway drills - couple of things to ask about: On the drill to load the right glute as the first step of takeaway: not quite lining that up with first getting the obliques to turn the shoulders first. The chest turn would seem to need to come before the glute load, because, as Chuck says, the chest has to turn twice as far. Is there a drill up ahead where I put those two more together? Also, there are many videos to check out as I move along - like the bucket drill for instance - all useful stuff and I am taking notes so I can remember what to focus on when I am drilling - but am I somewhat taking "side tours" by looking at all those pieces rather than sticking to a more boiled down basic RST sequence? Hope those questions make sense. Best, Jim Darcey
April 28, 2019
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
Jim, the distance that the shoulders and hips rotate in the backswing don't have any relevance to loading the glute in the takeaway. So, I am not sure why you quoted Chuck about chest turn in relation to glute load as they are two separate parts of the swing. We want to shift our weight first in the downswing, thus we must shift our weight first in the backswing as the sequence in which we load our muscles in the backswing is sequence in which they will unload in the downswing. The 5 minutes series are the primary drills for learning how to swing a golf club. The other videos on the side are for deeper understanding of specific movements, different perspectives on how to relate the material or how to fix specific problems that students are running into (i.e. there are many downswing sequence drills, some are for hip spinners, some for those who don't use their body enough).
April 29, 2019
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Jim
Hi RJ - That helps - knowing I should just focus on the "5 minute" stuff. I think maybe I am watching too many of the "side" videos. Figure I should just skip all those detailed videos for now? I got to the 5 minutes for takeaway drill - just working on the obliques without the hips - and that seems like bedrock and VERY key for me to master based on my golf history. Since the drills can take some days to master, what is your best recommendation on what I should focus upon besides doing them - if anything else at all? Thanks - Jim
April 30, 2019
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
You should just be focusing on doing the drills and getting your reps in. 100 good reps a day, 1000 reps total needed before we can stack anything else on and 3000 to 5000 to make it permanent
May 3, 2019
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Barry
Due to a neck injury causing a very stiff neck, when I make a full turn I lose sight of the ball. Should I therefore make less of a turn so I can keep the ball in sight or would you recommend that I still make a full turn and try to reacquire sight of the ball when I turn back?
March 16, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Barry. I don't mind a little head movement, but when you start to lose sight of the ball it can cause all sorts of issues when hitting the sweet spot. I would try to maximize rotation to the point where you can still keep your eye on the ball. And, put hyper focus on rotating from the proper place and muscle groups to maximize mobility. Also, try to get your spine as neutral as possible (proper posture).
March 16, 2019
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Guenter
Drills are not counted in the leader board.
March 15, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Guenter. To my knowledge, the Bucket Drill Reps won't show up on the leaderboard. But, I will check for you.
March 15, 2019
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Alexander
Another great drill, so thanks for that guys. One of the things I struggle with is a flat shoulder turn. When I focus on not pushing from the left and do the drills to address flat shoulders, I feel the difference. When I try to do this Bucket Drill, I FEEL as though it forces my shoulder to turn in a flat manner. How do I address that, and do this Bucket Drill correctly?
February 8, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Alexander. Sounds like you are allowing the head to move as you swing the bucket. Make the head more stable and rotate around the spine (Golf Backswing Shoulder Plane Drill). Slowly add the bucket into the equation with the same shoulder/core feel.
February 8, 2019
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Ronan
Hi, Can this drill count as a rep or what counts is the printable sheet for rotation? Thxs, Ronan
December 16, 2018
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Ronan. This may count as a rep. Great drill to get you rotating.
December 17, 2018
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Ronan
Thanks Craig
December 17, 2018
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Graham
Hi not sure how to reconcile the drill shown in this video with the another video on your site" how to cure a flat shoulder turn plane" . Following this bucket drill as I have been doing seems surefire way of getting a flat shoulder turn plane . I would welcome your thoughts and advice thanks
March 10, 2018
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Graham. There isn't much, but as you rotate the shoulders the forearms will have some rotation as well to reach the toe up position. Take a look at Shake Hands for a Perfect Golf Swing Video.
March 10, 2018
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Graham
Thanks Craig, after viewing the "handshake" video and trying it out in front of a mirror , it is now clear to me that the only way to achive this correct "handshake" postion on the takeaway , is to rotate shoulders as required by following the bucket drill. With repetition It then becomes a more or less natural move.
March 17, 2018
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Graham. Sounds good to me. Perfect practice makes perfect. Get those reps in to become second nature. You have to rotate the shoulders in the takeaway!
March 17, 2018
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Ken
How do know if u get ur arms or club too deep in backswing?
February 8, 2018
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Ken. Typically, you will see the hands start to cross centerline too much if your trail arm is bending too early. Also, if your hands are going behind your trail shoulder at the top. Take a look at the 4 Square Drill.
February 9, 2018
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Mark
I have been doing a lot of reps over last week using the drills in "5 mins to master rotation". Obviously I have never used my obliques before, since it took me a little while to begin to do this correctly! But, once I got the hang of it is has really become quite easy to do. So, I have a question about the bucket drill. It seems to me that the bucket drill is simply the exact move as we are doing in the rotation drill, with just a bit more turn of the shoulders to complete the move. Is this correct, is it about that simple? Thanks for your input!
January 7, 2018
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mark. Yep. A little more turn and keeping tension free to allow for slight forearm rotation. Glad you are starting to be aware of those obliques.
January 7, 2018
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Mark
Hi Chuck. I just wanted to let you know this drill has transformed my swing. I've been struggling for 12 months to understand the correct "feel" for my body position at the top of the swing. This drill has finally provided that feeling and at the same time has given me significantly more hip stability which is leading to much, much higher consistency. Maybe this is a no, no but I've actually taken this drill a step further by using a 10kg dumbbell in the same exercise. This solved another significant issue I've had with spinning hips out of sequence. By using the dumbbell I've had to keep my core engaged through the backswing and also the downswing and I now also have the "feeling" of needing to keep stable hips through the downswing and the core engaged all the way through the swing. Massive differences to my swing consistency and consequent results. So thanks.
August 29, 2017
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mark. Thanks for the compliments and great to hear you are having better success. You have to be careful when using too much weight. But, as you can see with the Winter Training Program - Setup Video and the Drill for Golf Downswing Sequencing. It will help sometimes to have some weight.
August 29, 2017
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Tim
I notice with many PGA players and Chuck's swing and here in this drill, that on the takeaway and up to the full back swing, Chuck's left knee flexes just a little bit more than at address. My left knee on just the takeaway bends to a 45 degree angle and then to 50 degrees at the top leaving a huge gap between my knees on a dtl view!! I can keep my spine tilted away from the target about 6 degrees through the back swing and I keep all my left foot planted on the ground, so why on earth do I bend my left knee so much?
June 2, 2017
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Tim. It could be a little lack of flexibility or improper loading/rotating into the trail hip and glute. Take a look at the Weight Shift Video Part 2 and the Laser Beam Knee Drills.
June 2, 2017
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Hank
I find that when I am doing this drill, my head is moving 3 to 4 inches to the right.I do seem to get loaded onto my right side and glute. How much of this turn is done with the shoulders vs the hips and how big a problem will this head movement cause.
March 22, 2017
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Hank. The head will move in the golf swing. However, it should be due to weight shift and not push. It sounds like you are getting a little push in the swing. Make sure you are rotating around the spine properly. Take a look at the Pull for a Perfect Takeaway and the Body Rotation in Golf Backswing Video. The hips will rotate some in the takeaway. But, it should be too much.
March 22, 2017
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Hank
Thanks for the video recommendations Craig. I am now realizing that I have no feel between my use of my hips vs my oblique's vs my shoulders and how to keep them separate from each other. First are there exercises/drills I can do to make me more aware and to help me be aware of which I am using without using the other. It will be useful in your future video analysis of my swings to keep in mind that I do have trouble feeling what I am actually doing. In doing the back swing and the down swing it would be helpful to understand the order in which the each is used to help me try to do. (Backswing starts with shoulders and obliques with a little hip rotation? Downswing hips start and then obliques and then shoulders into impact?)
March 23, 2017
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Hank. I would suggest as a good exercise/drill the RSA Core Video. I will post at the end of this note. The backswing will start with obliques and trail shoulder. You may trigger the movement with weight shift if you tend to get frozen over the ball and/or for helpful use of momentum. The hips will rotate albeit at a minimum. For the downswing (first half), the lead knee will externally rotate to get stacked. Followed by pulling the weight (lead hip adduction). Obliques to help square the hips. While the shoulders are very passive. https://rotaryswing.com/videos/full-swing-basics/rotary-swing-5-step-golf-swing-system/core-rotation-left-arm-club-rsa
March 23, 2017
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Richard
This turn is simply too flat. Try hitting a golf ball with a turn like that. Disaster.
March 20, 2017
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. In the video, Chuck is standing a little more upright and the hands further out in front. However, the turn created by the move mimics the real swing. Yes, you don't want to have too flat of a shoulder turn. But, the turn described above around a hinged forward spine is correct.
March 20, 2017
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Joshua
At the end of this drill is that when you would add right elbow flexion?
July 28, 2016
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Joshua. Yes, you would start adding more elevation and trail arm flexion.
July 28, 2016
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Christopher
Is it too much to literally use a bucket with water in it? I know a 5 gallon full is pretty dam heavy when full, but maybe a smaller one... i was imaginging using the drill and passing the full bucket onto an outdoor patio table that stands just over waist high to ensure I'm also getting proper shoulder elevation. Would it be better to just get it back without spilling and hold it there for a few seconds amd repeat? I tend to have better luck training muscles with weight or resistance involved
July 8, 2016
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Christopher. You may use a bucket filled with water. I don't think it would be necessary to fill a 5 gallon one all the way to the top. My fear with too much weight is that you would start swinging the momentum of the bucket versus feeling the muscles necessary to move it. Also, you would add other muscles not necessary to move a golf club to help control the stability of all that weight.
July 8, 2016
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Christopher
Ok, thanks craig
July 8, 2016
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Gabriel
I'm very close to Jeffrey as well. Whenever I think about pulling my shoulder behind me or the shoulder blade glide I whip the hands inside leaving the club in place resulting in possibly the most shut club face in the world. I completely !@#$ up my swing by trying to go Jim Hardy one plane over five year ago and have never recovered what I had before. He has you do drills where pull the right elbow back behind you so your elbows are facing down and the right hand is on top. Could not have screwed up my swing more baring a major accident turning me into a quadriplegic ......The problem starts whenever I think about rotating with the right I over rotate my torso and hit disgusting drop kick hooks and if I try to keep the right elbow pit up I spin my hips open as well and have zero power. Its the most frustrating thing in the world. I use to be a descent golfer, even shot a couple of rounds in the mid sixties before I tried to change, but now my swing looks like an unfolding lawn chair (so choppy and uncoordinated). I will add the bucket drill to swing fix attempt 962.....
July 3, 2016
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Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Gabriel, definitely make sure you are using the swing reviews on the site so we can take a close look at your swing and offer as much guidance as possible to help you get over your current swing issues.
July 5, 2016
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Gabriel
Thanks Christopher. I've gotten one swing review already. It was great to hear what the instructor had to say. He told me that I'm pushing with my left side to much in the take away so to concentrate on pulling the right side behind me. That didn't really work that well and I was back to over rotating my torso with the ultra shut club face.....What did work though was thinking about keeping me lower body really stable in the backswing and letting my left arm swing somewhat across my body with the sensation of width at the same time. Weird I know. That Jim Hardy really screwed me with several of his drills but possibly the one that wrecked my swing the most was the tuck the shirt into the left armpit drill. I ended up dragging the left arm across the chest with zero lower body load (because in one plain your supposed to stay centered). I'm not kidding when I say I went from a 1 or 2 handicap to a 10 in a real short period of time. Worse than that I have never been able to return to what I had before and what do you know I wore out my left hip joint in the process and now have a metal on metal hip resurfacing. Anyways before I start crying, I will move on and say I will continue to use the sight and the videos. Thanks for the support!
July 5, 2016
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Michael
Gabriel, I was interested to hear you are 'recovering' from Hardy one plane. I really bought into that 7 years ago and now I am rebuilding with Craig. I got so handsy (and still fighting it) that I never got any width or coil... I really liked Mr. Hardy's concepts but not for me any more... pulling the right elbow up as he advocates really messed me up. I am sure I didn't do it correctly but in either case I am loving RS theories on body mechanics.
August 24, 2017
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Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
We will do all that we can to help you get back to playing your best golf. Keep at it and let us know if we can do anything to help you along the way.
July 6, 2016
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Jeffrey
I'm looking through multiple videos and I keep having the same problem. If I focus on proper rotation I end up getting my hands and club stuck behind me. However in most of the videos the left side push and early flexion of the right arm is supposed to be fixed by proper rotation. I'm trying this drill out to see if it helps but the same thing seems to hold true. If I grab a club and try to rotate properly my hands end up behind me no matter how hard I try. I'm regularly doing the motions without a club as described in the 5 minutes to the perfect takeaway. This does seem to help but it is not translating to the club. Is it possible that I'm out of position or something making it impossible to rotate without getting my hands stuck behind me?
July 2, 2016
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jeffrey. It sounds like you are missing the element of shoulder elevation. Take a look at Understanding Shoulder Elevation, 4 Square Drill and the Pool Noodle Drill.
July 3, 2016
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Jeffrey
I have watched the videos that you recommended. I have not attempted the pool noodle drill (need to go to dollar store and buy some!). However what I'm finding when I focus on adding more shoulder elevation is I fold my right arm early and I don't seem rotate as well. I also feel weak. I have not measured my swing speed or anything to compare how fast I'm swinging it just feels like I'm not as loaded. I made similar comments when I turned in my next swing review so I'm eager to see what the instructor has to say. Any thoughts on the matter (without being able to see my swing) are appreciated.
July 8, 2016
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jeffrey. I'm sure your instructor will help you conquer the issue. I did however look at your swing. You do have some lead arm push early. Combine the 2 inch hand drill in the Role of the Right Arm Video with some gradual elevation. If you maintain the fingertip length and 2 inch gap you should notice that the lead arm doesn't push against the body as much to start out. Allowing it to stay in front better.
July 8, 2016
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Christopher
I have a reverse pivot and struggle with the correct weight shift. Additionally, I see that I tilt my shoulders in the backswing. Does the bucket drill help in promoting a better/proper weightshift too?
May 18, 2016
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Christopher. The drill combined with a little weight shift should help. If you are struggling with the weight and tilt. Take a look at the Play the Best Golf of Your Life in 6 Weeks 1 of 6 Video and the 5 Step Process to Fixing Golf Swing Flaws.
May 18, 2016
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Michael
In several of Chuck's videos, including a very recent one demonstrating a pupil achieving lag, he states that everyone can do a full shoulder turn i.e. despite age. etc. Is this achieved by hip turn and shoulder glide alone? I am aged 67 and my arm elevation is not like younger people in that I can only get me left arm to parallel or slightly above on he backswing. Thank you for your comments.
May 10, 2016
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Michael. Hip turn in the backswing is important. Yes, it is achieved by hip turn and shoulder glide alone. Take a look at How to Maintain Club Head Speed as You Get Older. If flexibility and rotation are limited work on a blend of maximizing all 3 of your power sources.
May 11, 2016
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Loran
Towards the end of the takeaway, does the bucket slant a little bit on the way up on to the backswing?
January 15, 2016
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Loan. If the bucket were following the same rules as having a club in your hand. Then the bucket after the takeaway would have to slant a little bit continuing up.
January 15, 2016
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Dan
Doesn't this drill lead to a too flat follow through, and spinning out if you don' t tilt the shoulders?
January 11, 2016
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Dan. Use this drill primarily for the takeaway. If you were to swing through the ball feeling the same as the "bucket drill" the shoulders would tend to rotate too much through the shot. Bucket Drill for going back. Release Drills for through the ball.
January 12, 2016
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Jackie (Certified RST Instructor)
When I do the bucket drill, I have a tendency to push (head sways off the ball a bit). This happens even though I'm using the right shoulder blade glide. What is the best way to make sure I stay centered when doing this drill? It has helped just to think about staying centered and rotating.
December 1, 2015
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jackie. Sway away from the target going back? The head can move slightly. It doesn't have to be perfectly static. If you pull correctly the head won't move. If you are pulling correctly and weight shift moves the head a little bit you are ok. Take a look at Push vs Pull and focus on staying centered around your rotation.
December 1, 2015
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Jackie (Certified RST Instructor)
Craig, in my review, you stated that a board or alignment stick would be useful in order to keep my takeaway more inside and in sequence. However I think you may have overlooked something. Take a look at my head in my swing. It moves a little towards the target on my takeaway/backswing. I think this is why my club head wants to go outside on the takeaway. This tells me that I need to continue with the bucket drill. Proper rotation puts the club in the correct positions. Thanks
November 24, 2015
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jackie. I can't take a look after the video has been posted for swing academy, but duly noted for your next review. Good find.
November 25, 2015
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Jackie (Certified RST Instructor)
How can I be sure of what to work on for the next two weeks then?
November 26, 2015
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Keep working on the bucket drill. Add some drills from the Golf Body Rotation Video, but in golf posture. To isolate rotating around the spine and calming the head. Also, the Head Moving in the Takeaway Video.
November 26, 2015
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Jackie (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Craig, did you forget to update my performance in the golf performance center? Or was there no change? Thanks
January 19, 2016
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Jackie. No change. It was more or less the same as the past review.
January 19, 2016
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Mark
When I am properly executing the bucket drill during my backswing, my ball striking consistency improves significantly. I have no doubt but that this is the proper move to make during the swing. I have a theoretical question. The bucket drill does not seem to be a precise rotation around the spine which is angled forwardly in a proper setup. Rather, it seems that the bucket drill move actually involves rotating around a vertical axis (since the "water" in the bucket must remain horizontal) based at the right heel and the shoulder blade moves horizontally back towards the center and towards the target. Is this view correct?
November 12, 2015
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mark. I see theoretically where you are going with it. You are rotating around the spine from an angled forward position. The forearm rotation helps level out the bucket to keep the water from spilling. When vertical a precise shoulder rotation is all that you would need. However, the shoulder blade standing vertical or hinged from the hips would still move in the same way to create rotation. Down and In towards the spine.
November 12, 2015
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Marc
I have really been struggling to keep my right arm straight in the takeaway. So I have been using the bucket drill to work on my takeaway and I find that when I push with my left hand (not the left shoulder) I invariably end up in the perfect position when I use the bucket drill. I know you are advocating that everything comes from a pull of the right shoulder but I find that if I use my right side to pull I do not get the same quality of rotation. The push of the left hand which goes with the right shoulder rotation also helps to achieve the elevation of the hands / arms in the takeaway. What do you think?
October 26, 2015
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Marc. I wouldn't advocate any pushing from the trail side early on. However, both arms do have a job to do in the swing. The left arm does need to swing and/or help support the club. Just try to shy away from pushing the left hand out to initiate motion.
October 26, 2015
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Terry
I stumbled upon a swing thought a few weeks back that I wanted to run by you. The drill, which I've done numerous times, only gets to 90 degrees back and I had a hard time getting to the top. In one of my more lucid moments, I thought "why not rotate the club all the way to the top using the same concept" and OMG it has helped me get the club on plane and in a great position at the top in addition to easily getting my back turned so that it's facing the target. So the question is simply, is this the right swing thought? Bucket drill all the way to the top?
October 20, 2015
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Terry. You could end of pushing your trail arm down and losing elevation. However, the club will always be rotating. It sounds like you are allowing for the face rotation now versus previously getting in the way. Take a look at Forearm Rotation in the Golf Swing Video in the Takeaway Section.
October 20, 2015
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Terry
Craig, not sure what you meant with the "...end of pushing your trail..." The problem was that I didn't know how to get the club to the top from 90 degrees straight back. I could turn to there but then didn't get the rest of the backswing right. THis feels a lot better and is working.
October 21, 2015
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Jim
my swing review suggested my shoulders turn on too flat a plane and that I lose my tush line on the backswing; how does one know how steep to turn the shoulders
October 19, 2015
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jim. You want to turn around your axis. The steepness of the shoulders depends on your hinge from the waist. It can be variable depending on your club. Work on the Golf Body Rotation Video to feel proper rotation around the spine straight up. Then, attempt the same drill in a golf posture.
October 19, 2015
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Seth
In my swing review, James mentioned I need to keep the Hand Plane in mind. (a vertical line in front of my hands at address) I don't see any videos on hand plane. Is this something to keep in mind only during the take away or do I also not let my hands pass this line on the downswing? It almost looks like Chucks hands are a little in front/over the line at impact.
October 9, 2015
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Seth. I apologize. We don't have a video on it. Keep in mind only for the takeaway.
October 10, 2015
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Albert
Can this drill be used as a reference for the rotation down and through to the 9 o'clock follow through position?
September 29, 2015
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Albert. I would rather you use the Drill for Downswing Sequence in the Advanced Downswing Section for the through part.
September 29, 2015

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