Five-time main champion Rory McIlroy shared a simple drill designed to help golfers spin more effectively through influence.
The 2025 Master Champion and the long-awaited Professional Grand Slam Champion believe that rotation is the key to distance and consistency.
The Northern Irish, long as one of the game’s most powerful but motivated ball shooters, claimed that too many amateurs have considered the wrong things during the swing.
He advises not to be obsessed with complex swing mechanics, but rather a simpler, body-driven drill that produces natural speed and increases distance without sacrificing control.
Rory McIlroy believes that good rotation is the key to golf swing
When giving amateurs common advice about transitions, McIlroy’s advice is firm: “I don’t recommend squatting in your golf swing.
“From the transition, you’re loading to the left anyway, and then more (naturally rotated).
The world is ranked second, and golfers should let sports happen naturally, rather than forced exercise.
McIlroy believes that what most golfers lack is not squats, but good hip rotation.
“What I see is a lot of people is that people are not spinning enough and their hips are not enough,” he said.
So, what is a simple drill bit that you can use with Rory?
Use belt buckles as a guide and instant feedback on golf swing rotation.
“Trying to feel as if your belt buckle has more targets in terms of impact than anything else, because that could generate more speed,” McIlroy explained.
Why use Rory McIlroy’s belt drill?
Using a belt buckle as a reference is a convenient visual effect that can help simplify the complex movement of the golf swing.
Instead of emphasizing hand posture or mechanical manipulation, McIlroy encourages golfers to feel their skills.
This creates a more open movement affecting position, allowing the arms and club to flow naturally.
For practice, the winner of the green jacket suggested that he first intentionally rotate the belt buckle to face the target on the swing, thus exaggerating it.
Over time, he believes the movement will blend seamlessly into the golf swing, resulting in more consistency in rotation, speed and strikes.
McIlroy suggests “it’s a great way to learn” before launching the perfect example drive.
The drill also helps eliminate one of the most common amateur slips, the lack of hip rotation, also known as “dragging hips.”
The lack of proper rotation means golfers tend to pull the club by hand, resulting in inconsistent slices and contact points with the ball.
By focusing on turning the belt buckle toward the target, players can balance the club face more reliably, which in turn can promote additional power, speed and distance.
Additional spins will increase Clubhead speed without additional effort.
By affecting a larger spin, it can be translated into longer, more powerful lenses without sacrificing any control over the golf club.
Read more: Phil Mickelson’s ultimate ‘one-arm’ drill will immediately improve setup and debris
