The bucket drill is an exercise we use to help golfers understand shoulder turn in golf. If you do not have a bucket handy, a box will work just as well.
One problem many golfers have is understanding how to turn the shoulders rather than tilting them during the golf backswing.
They are unsure how to move their arms and they end up making things far more complicated than they need to be.
If you do not have a feel for the correct movement, you may end up tilting your shoulders, turning really flat, rolling your arms in, or making other compensations.
Drills, Drills, Drills
You know by now that the way to improve your golf swing is to learn these simple drills and repeat them over and over again to teach your brain the new movement patterns.
When you practice the drills until the simplified movements become second nature, your body knows exactly what to do when it is time to combine those simple movements into an actual golf swing.
This drill is probably one of the most valuable we have, because it teaches you how to make that simple turn in the backswing.
Many golfers dramatically over-complicate shoulder turn and end up derailing the entire swing. Get this wrong, and you are off track from the very first move.
Pick Up a Bucket and Give It a Try
Fortunately, a simple box or bucket can teach you everything you need to know about shoulder turn in golf.
Here is all you have to do. Pick up a bucket (or box) and get into your golf setup position.
Hold up the bucket and imagine that it is full of water. That is why we call it the bucket drill — you are imagining a bucket of water.
Now you are going to perform the shoulder turn, being careful not to spill any water.
You cannot tilt the bucket or move it haphazardly. Keep it level as you turn back. Your shoulders should turn to the trail side without tilting forward or rolling backward.
If you simply imagine turning and handing the bucket of water to someone behind you — without spilling, of course — you will turn back correctly every single time.
If you are tilting toward the target like in the photo above when you grab the bucket (which is very common), you will notice significant strain in your back when you perform this drill.
As soon as you straighten up and begin doing it correctly, all of that strain will disappear.
You should look like the photo at the top of the article, with your arms even, your shoulders straight, and your spine leaning slightly away from the target.
Do not tilt off to the side like the photo at left, getting one arm on top of the other.
People around you should not be able to see into your bucket, because that would mean you are spilling your water.
Keep the bucket level as you turn back.
Got It? Now Repeat It!
As you become able to turn back while keeping the bucket level, you will feel how your hands, arms, shoulders, and back are working in perfect synchronization.
This is the movement pattern you want to teach your brain. Repeat it over and over again to groove the correct neural pathways.
Also consider that if you had a bucket actually full of water, it would be quite heavy.
You would not just swing your arms across your body to pass it to someone else. You would turn your entire body to support the weight and prevent spilling.
You would use the large muscles in your core — which is precisely what we are looking for in the golf swing.
It is a fantastic, simple drill to teach you how to turn back correctly without getting overly complicated with your arms.
The rotation in the backswing is really a very natural move, once you have grooved it.
Practice the bucket drill to perfect your shoulder turn in golf. To see how your shoulder turn and rotation compare to elite standards, try a free AI swing analysis.
When you are performing the drill, imagine turning to shake someone's hand or turning to hand someone an object. You will start to understand how to eliminate incorrect movements and rotate correctly in the backswing.
It will truly simplify your takeaway. For real-time coaching on your shoulder turn mechanics, try a free AI golf lesson.
Watch part 2 now to see how you're moving your body in the opposite direction of the pros!
Master shoulder turn in golf with The Bucket Drill
Don't spill!
Don't spill!
The Bucket Drill done correctly
