The Towel-on-the-Ground Drill: Fix Casting and Improve Impact

Britt Olizarowicz

Jan 16, 2026 . 5 mins read

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Casting the golf club in the downswing is one of the biggest reasons golfers struggle with weak contact, inconsistent distance, and poor ball striking.

When the wrists unhinge too early, the club bottoms out behind the ball and everything falls apart from there.

While the HackMotion casting drill is a great way to work on fixing casting, some players want to see a physical barrier to help them retain wrist angles longer in the downswing.

The Towel on the Ground drill is easy to set up, adaptable for any skill level, and works even better when paired with HackMotion for clear, objective feedback.

The Towel-on-the-Ground Drill (Key Takeaways)

The Towel on the Ground drill will help with the following:

• Trains better impact conditions by reducing casting in the downswing.
• Encourages more shaft lean and a forward low point.
• Difficulty is easy to adjust based on towel placement.
• Best learned with wedges or short irons.
• HackMotion adds clarity by tracking wrist angles during the downswing.

Why a Towel Is One of the Best Training Aids in Golf

A golf towel might be the most overlooked training aid golfers already own. It’s inexpensive, easy to carry, and surprisingly effective when used with purpose. If you’re at the range and looking for a simple way to make your practice session more effective, consider using a towel.

In this drill, the towel acts as a physical barrier. If you cast the club or release your wrists too early, you’ll hit the towel before the ball.

If you retain your wrist angles and deliver proper shaft lean, you’ll strike the ball cleanly without touching it.

How This Drill Is Different From the Towel Under the Arms

One of the most well-known towel drills in golf is the Towel Under the Arms drill. However, not all towel drills train the same concept.

• Towel under the arms focuses on connection, sequencing, and keeping the arms working with the body
• Towel on the ground focuses on impact conditions, wrist angles, and controlling the release

Both drills are useful, but they solve different problems. If your main issue is casting or poor contact, the towel-on-the-ground drill is a better place to start.

If you’re looking to improve connection and tempo, the towel-under-the-arms drill can help with that.

Who Should Do the Towel-on-the-Ground Drill

The Towel on the Ground Drill is especially helpful for golfers who:

• Cast the club in the downswing.
• Struggle with thin or fat shots.
• Lose shaft lean at impact.
• Have inconsistent distance control.
• Want a simple way to improve compression.

How to Do the Towel-on-the-Ground Drill (Step-by-Step)

What This Drill Helps Fix

Used consistently, the towel-on-the-ground drill helps golfers clean up several impact-related issues at the same time. By discouraging early release, it encourages more shaft lean at impact and moves the low point forward, resulting in a more downward angle of attack.

Over time, this results in cleaner, more compressed strikes and more predictable distance control, especially with wedges and short irons.

• Reduce early release and casting.
• Improve shaft lean at impact.
• Move the low point forward.
• Create a more downward angle of attack.
• Produce cleaner, more compressed strikes.

How HackMotion Supports the Towel-on-the-Ground Drill

The towel gives you physical feedback, but HackMotion can give you some clarity as to what’s happening with your wrists throughout the swing.

Inside the HackMotion app, the Casting Drill pairs perfectly with this towel drill. It guides you through slow, controlled swings and provides real-time feedback on your wrist angles during the downswing.

HackMotion helps you understand:

• If you’re losing wrist angles too early.
• Whether you need to feel more hinge or flexion.
• How wrist angles change as speed increases.

Instead of guessing, you get immediate confirmation that the drill is doing what it’s supposed to do.

Other Smart Ways to Use a Towel in Golf Practice

A towel can help train more than just impact and downswing action.

Here are a few other effective ways golfers use one during practice:

• Under the arms – Improves connection and sequencing by keeping the arms working with the body.
• Under the trail heel – Encourages better pressure shift and prevents hanging back.
• Between the knees – Promotes lower-body stability and discourages early extension.
• As a ground reference – Reinforces low-point control or start-line awareness.

Final Thoughts

Casting is one of the biggest barriers to consistent ball striking, but it doesn’t require complicated fixes.

The towel-on-the-ground drill gives you instant feedback and trains better impact conditions with almost no setup.

When you pair it with HackMotion, the learning curve gets shorter. You’ll see and feel the practice at the same time.

Start making your range sessions more impactful by knowing what to practice and using the right tools like HackMotion and a towel to get it done.