The Towel Drill That Reminds Us Why Golf Instruction Actually Works

After 35 years watching tour pros and teaching wannabes, I’ve seen every slice-fix gimmick under the sun. Weighted clubs, alignment sticks, that bizarre contraption that looked like a medieval torture device — you name it, some instructor has tried to sell it as the cure-all. So when I came across Cameron McCormick’s towel-wringing drill making the rounds on Instagram, my first instinct was mild skepticism. But here’s the thing: sometimes the simplest ideas are the smartest ones, and this one actually reveals something important about how we learn golf in 2026.

Why Real-Life Comparisons Work Better Than You’d Think

McCormick, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, grounded his approach in something I’ve always believed: the human body learns better through muscle memory tied to everyday actions. The article nails this concept right up front:

“One of the biggest challenges in perfecting your golf swing is that improvement often requires you to move your body in ways that feel unnatural or awkward. That’s why many instructors rely on real-life comparisons — connecting swing positions and movements to actions you already know — so you’re able to learn them more easily.”

I remember when I was caddying for Tom Lehman back in the ’90s, he’d sometimes describe swing positions using the most random comparisons. “Feel like you’re throwing a baseball,” or “Pretend you’re opening a door with your hip.” At the time, I thought he was just winging it. But looking back, those mental images stuck with him. They bypassed the analytical part of his brain and went straight to the muscle.

The golf industry has spent decades making swing mechanics more complicated — talking about swing planes, lag angles, shaft lean — when sometimes a golfer just needs to understand a feeling. McCormick’s towel drill works because wringing a towel is something millions of people do without thinking. Your hands already know the motion.

The Slice Problem Deserves a Better Solution

Here’s what strikes me about focusing on the slice specifically: it’s still the number-one complaint I hear from recreational golfers. I’ve been to nearly 50 major championships, and I can tell you that the gap between tour players and weekend warriors often comes down to this one fundamental issue. A slice isn’t just about ball flight — it’s a symptom of poor clubface control through the transition, which affects everything downstream in your swing.

McCormick’s explanation is elegant because it targets the root cause without overwhelming the student:

“Your knuckles and palm move in a way that mirrors the hand action needed to square the clubface at impact. Wringing the water out of this wet towel in transition, turning your knuckles away and turning your palm away is going to help you close that clubface in transition and turn that slice into straight balls or draws.”

The social media reaction tells you something too. When I looked at the comments on that Instagram post, you had golfers from different backgrounds all confirming: “Absolutely awesome drill to use” and “This is great.” That’s not hype — that’s genuine recognition that something clicked. In my experience, when instruction goes viral organically like that, it’s usually because it actually works.

The Progression Method Matters as Much as the Drill

What I appreciate most about McCormick’s approach is the progression. He doesn’t just say “wring a towel and you’re fixed.” Instead, he outlines a clear path:

“Once you’ve dialed in the motion with the towel, McCormick says to try adding in your club. As you take the club back, stop at the top of your swing. Before you transition into the downswing, make that same wringing motion.”

This is important. Too many instructors show you a feel or a drill and assume you’ll just transfer it to your actual swing. The best teachers — and I’ve covered enough of them to know — understand that there’s a bridge between the learning environment and the performance environment. You practice the motion in isolation, then gradually introduce complexity. That’s how neural pathways actually form.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

I think what’s happening here is part of a larger shift in golf instruction. We’re moving away from the “swing your way to success” model that dominated for decades, toward a more accessible, feel-based approach. The tour has gotten so technical that it’s actually alienated recreational golfers who just want to play better.

Having watched the evolution of instruction from the days when most pros figured things out through trial and error to today’s biomechanics-obsessed environment, I can tell you this towel drill represents something healthier: instruction that respects the average golfer’s intelligence while meeting them where they are. You don’t need a PhD in kinesiology to understand a towel-wringing motion.

The fact that this resonated across social platforms — with comments coming in from different countries, different skill levels, different backgrounds — suggests McCormick tapped into something universal. Golf instruction doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that feel familiar before you ever step on the range.

That’s a lesson worth remembering the next time someone tries to sell you the next big swing theory.