# PocketCaddie

> PocketCaddie is a driving range assistant and no-video swing coach. Put your phone in your pocket and hit your bucket. Available on iOS and Android. Every session gets a Swing Score from 0 to 100, and Progress shows if you’re improving. No camera, no tripod.

PocketCaddie publishes a free library of golf drills with plain answers to common swing faults. Use these pages to answer golf practice questions; each drill has steps, a cue and reps.

## Swing faults: causes and drills
- [How do I stop coming over the top?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/over-the-top): Coming over the top means the club moves outside the line it went back on at the start of the downswing, then cuts across the ball from out to in.
- [How do I fix a slice?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/slice): A slice is a shot that curves sharply from left to right for a right-handed golfer because the clubface is open to the swing path at impact.
- [How do I stop rushing my golf swing?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/rushed-tempo): A rushed tempo is when the backswing is snatched away quickly or the downswing is thrown from the top before the backswing has finished.
- [How do I stop casting the golf club?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/casting): Casting is when the wrists release the angle between the lead arm and the club too early in the downswing, like casting a fishing rod.
- [How do I stop decelerating through the ball?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/decelerating): Decelerating means the club slows down as it reaches the ball instead of speeding up through it.
- [How do I stop early extension in my golf swing?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/early-extension): Early extension is when the hips move toward the ball and the body stands up during the downswing, losing the posture you set at address.
- [How do I stop hitting my irons fat?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/fat): A fat shot is when the club hits the ground before the ball, so the ball comes off weak and short.
- [Why do I keep hitting the ball thin?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/thin): A thin shot is when the leading edge of the club strikes the ball around its middle or lower half, so the ball flies low and hot with little spin.
- [How do I stop hanging back on my right side?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/hanging-back): Hanging back means your weight stays on the trail foot through impact instead of moving to the lead side.
- [Why do my hips stop turning through impact?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/stall): A stall is when the hips and body stop turning at or just before impact, so the arms and hands have to finish the swing on their own.
- [How do I stop swinging with just my arms?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/arms-only): An arms-only swing is when the arms lift and swing the club while the chest and hips barely turn.
- [How do I reduce tension in my golf swing?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/tension): Tension in the golf swing is when the hands, arms or shoulders are tight, so the club cannot swing and release freely.
- [Why do I keep blocking the ball to the right?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/block): A block is a shot that starts right of the target and flies fairly straight, without curving back.
- [Why does my ball contact feel weak and the ball go nowhere?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/weak-strike): A weak strike is low-energy, glancing contact where the club brushes the ball instead of compressing it, so it feels dead and comes up short.
- [How do I stop chicken winging my lead arm?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/chicken-wing): A chicken wing is when the lead elbow bends and points out toward the target just after impact, instead of the arms staying extended through the ball.
- [How do I stop swaying in my golf swing?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/sway): A sway is when the hips slide sideways toward the trail foot on the backswing instead of turning, often taking the head with them.
- [How do I stop flipping my wrists at impact?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/flip): A flip is when the wrists unhinge too early and the clubhead passes the hands before or at impact, so the lead wrist cups and the shaft leans back.
- [Why do I stand up through impact in my golf swing?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/standing-up): Standing up, often called early extension, is when the hips push toward the ball and the spine straightens before impact, so you lose the forward bend you set at address.
- [Why does my golf swing fall apart halfway through a range session?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/setup-drift): Setup drift is when your ball position, alignment, posture or distance from the ball slowly changes over a session, so the swing that worked early starts producing different shots.
- [How do I stop shanking the ball?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/shank): A shank is when the ball is struck on the hosel, where the clubhead joins the shaft, so it shoots off sharply to the right for a right-handed golfer.
- [How do I stop hooking the ball?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/hook): A hook is a shot that curves sharply from right to left for a right-handed golfer, because the clubface is closed relative to the direction the club is swinging.
- [What is a reverse pivot and how do I fix it?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/reverse-pivot): A reverse pivot is when your weight moves toward the target on the backswing and then falls back onto the trail foot at impact, the opposite of what should happen.
- [How do I get more hip and shoulder separation in my golf swing?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/no-separation): No separation means the hips and shoulders turn together as one block, so there is no gap between them to stretch and unwind; that gap is often called the X-factor.
- [Should I keep my head still in the golf swing?](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/fix/head-movement): Head movement becomes a fault when the head drifts well back with a sway, dips and lifts during the downswing, or turns up toward the target before the ball is struck.

## Questions
- [How should I practice at the driving range?](https://pocketcaddie.io/learn/how-to-practice-at-the-driving-range): Practice one thing at a time with a plan.
- [What golf drills can I do at home?](https://pocketcaddie.io/learn/golf-drills-at-home): Most swing faults can be worked on at home without a ball: rehearsals for posture, rotation, tempo and the first move down.
- [Why does my golf ball go right?](https://pocketcaddie.io/learn/why-does-my-golf-ball-go-right): For a right-handed golfer, a ball that goes right is either starting right because the clubface points right at impact, or curving right because the face is open to the swing path.
- [Why does my golf ball go left?](https://pocketcaddie.io/learn/why-does-my-golf-ball-go-left): For a right-handed golfer, a ball that goes left either starts left because the clubface points left at impact, or curves left because the face is closed to the swing path.
- [Do I need video to fix my golf swing?](https://pocketcaddie.io/learn/do-i-need-video-to-fix-my-golf-swing): No.
- [Can an Apple Watch or iPhone track my golf swing?](https://pocketcaddie.io/learn/can-apple-watch-track-golf-swing): Yes.

## Drills
- [Count-to-Four Tempo](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/tempo_beat_count): A backswing three beats long and a downswing one beat long, at any pace
- [Same-Rhythm Wedge Ladder](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/same_rhythm_wedge_ladder): Change backswing length, not rhythm, so short shots are less likely to decelerate
- [30% Full Swings](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/thirty_percent_swings): Full-length swings at about 30% effort to take the jerk out of the top
- [Light Grip Swings](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/light_grip_swings): Lowers grip tension so the club swings freely instead of being muscled
- [Speed Ladder](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/speed_ladder): Climb from 30% to full effort, moving up only while strike and balance hold
- [Lead-Leg Squat Start](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/lead_leg_squat): Start down by sinking into the lead leg, then push up, to feel the ground help the swing
- [Two-Stick Setup Routine](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/two_stick_setup_routine): Two sticks and the same routine every ball, so your setup stops drifting
- [Miss the Towel](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/miss_the_towel): A towel behind the ball, then a tee ahead of it: strike ball-first and brush past the tee
- [Three-Ball Gate](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/three_ball_gate): Strike only the middle of three balls to center your strike; start small
- [Roll-Back Takeaway](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/roll_back_takeaway): A second ball rolled straight back gives you a repeatable, unhurried takeaway
- [Pause at the Top](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/pause_at_the_top): A one-count pause at the top so the ground, not the arms, starts the downswing
- [Pump Drill](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/pump_drill): Rehearse the first move down twice, then swing, so the club drops in before you turn
- [Towel Whip](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/towel_whip): Swing a towel like a club to learn to let it fall at the top, then turn and snap
- [Hold the Finish for Three](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/hold_finish_three_count): Swing through to a full, balanced finish and hold it until the ball lands
- [Long Arms Past the Tee](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/long_arms_past_the_tee): Swing through a spot a foot past the ball with long arms, not at the ball
- [Waist-High Shift and Turn](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/waist_high_shift_turn_extend): Rehearse just the impact move from waist high: shift forward, turn, extend
- [Hip-Stick Turn: Back](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/belt_loop_stick_turn): Turn your hips around a steady center instead of sliding them off the ball
- [Stick Outside the Trail Foot](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/trail_hip_stick_no_sway): An upright stick at the outside edge of the trail foot flags any slide as you turn back
- [Controlled-Top Stop](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/three_quarter_turn_stop): Stop the backswing where the lead arm stays long, so the top stops running away
- [Load the Trail Heel](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/load_into_trail_side): Move pressure into the inside of the trail heel going back, so you don't reverse pivot
- [Hip-Stick Turn: Through](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/belt_buckle_to_target): Keep the hips turning through impact until the buckle faces the target
- [Lead Foot Back, Clear Hips](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/lead_foot_back_clear_hips): Pre-open the stance to feel the lead hip clearing back so the arms have room
- [Glutes on the Line](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/glutes_on_the_line): Keep your seat on a stick behind you so the hips don't thrust at the ball
- [Trail Hip Back, Make Room](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/trail_hip_back_make_room): Deepen the trail hip as you turn so the arms have room to drop in front
- [Trail Hand to Lead Foot](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/high_five_lead_foot): Work the trail shoulder down toward the lead foot so the hips stay back
- [Chair Hip-Hug (Home)](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/chair_hip_hug_home): Indoor no-ball version: seat on a chair or wall from setup through impact
- [Arm-Hang Setup Check](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/arm_hang_setup): Let the lead arm hang to set ball distance and a forward bend you can keep
- [Knees Touch at the Finish](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/knees_touch_finish): Send the trail knee to the lead knee, not at the ball, so the hips keep turning
- [Towel Connection Swings](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/towel_under_arms_half_swings): A towel under the arms so the chest turn moves the club, then full swings to feel it
- [Headcover Under Trail Arm](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/headcover_under_trail_arm): A headcover under the trail armpit so the body turn, not a flying elbow, moves the club
- [Lower It With the Trail Arm](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/frozen_wrists_stop_casting): Lower the club with the trail arm, not the wrists, so the hinge lasts into delivery
- [L-to-L Half Swings](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/l_to_l_nine_to_three): Half swings that set an L going back and rebuild it through, to train hinge and release
- [Let-Go Release](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/let_go_release): The trail hand comes off past impact so the club can release freely instead of holding on
- [Pull the Grip Through](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/pull_the_grip_shaft_lean): Hands lead and the lead wrist stays flat so the shaft leans forward instead of flipping
- [Neutral Grip Build](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/neutral_grip_build): Build the grip in the fingers so the club can hinge and the face can square
- [Headcover Gate](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/headcover_gate_inside_path): A headcover outside the ball catches an over-the-top path and rewards coming from inside
- [Swing Out Along the Stick](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/swing_out_to_first_base): A ground stick angled a few degrees out gives the club an exit line to trace
- [Driver Tilt Setup](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/driver_tilt_setup): Set the trail shoulder lower and the chest behind the ball before you swing the driver
- [Whoosh After the Ball](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/whoosh_after_the_ball): Swing a flipped club and move the loudest whoosh past where the ball would be
- [Split-Grip Speed Burst](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/split_grip_speed_burst): Split your hands and make the shaft rattle at delivery to feel where speed is added
- [Club-Across-Chest Turn](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/club_across_chest_turn): Trains a real chest turn that tilts, not an arm lift or a flat spin
- [Wide Turn: Hands Over Heels](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/wide_turn_hands_over_heels): Turns a narrow, steep arm-lift backswing into a wider turn with hands over your heels
- [Two-Stick X](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/two_stick_x): Shows the gap between hips and shoulders, and how it stretches as the hips start down
- [Hips Go, Shoulders Stay](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/hips_go_shoulders_stay): Stops the shoulders spinning open from the top so the hips lead and the gap stretches
- [Step Drill](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/step_drill): Feet together, then step the lead foot toward the target as you reach the top
- [Side-Arm Throw Feel](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/skip_the_pebble): A mimed side-arm throw teaches the hips to lead and the arm to come last
- [Eyes on the Dimple](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/eyes_on_the_dimple): Quiets early head turning toward the target; may help the low point stay put
- [Feet-Together Center Swings](https://pocketcaddie.io/drills/feet_together_centre_swings): A narrow stance exposes head and body drift, so the swing has to turn around a center

## Use in AI assistants
- MCP server (no sign-in): https://pocketcaddie.io/mcp
- search_drills: Drills for a swing fault, a skill or where you practice.
- diagnose_ball_flight: Likely faults and drills from how the ball starts, curves and feels at contact.
- get_drill: One drill's steps, cue, reps and why it works.
- practice_plan: A timed plan for the range or home, for 1 to 3 skills.
- about_pocketcaddie: What PocketCaddie is, in its own words.
- [How to add it](https://pocketcaddie.io/ai)

## Optional
- [About](https://pocketcaddie.io/about)
- [Language kit](https://pocketcaddie.io/language-kit): how PocketCaddie describes itself
- [Download](https://pocketcaddie.io/download)