I doubt there is a golfer alive who doesn’t want to hit the ball longer. However, it is important to realize the distance is no substitute for accuracy and therefore consistency is of utmost importance. A free arm swing and a stable center are the first steps to creating a repeatable motion to send the ball toward your target. Once achieved, increasing distance is a matter of proper coiling of the torso around that center. A proper body turn body is a very athletic motion, where all work is being done in the backswing, with the forward swing being put on automatic pilot. Keep in mind that the most powerful swings also use the least effort. Do not confuse physical effort with power. There are two ways to swing the golf club…”those who use powerless effort and those who use effortless power.”
Building Your Coil
I suggest learning the proper body motion in front of a mirror without a golf club. You may feel new back muscles and it may not be easy to hold these positions for extended periods of time as you quickly note how an athletic motion should feel.
Start with your regular golf posture locking your thumbs together, palms down, fingers up. You will want to feel inward pressure on your elbows and arms as you push your hands away from your chest throughout the motion. Try using a bungee cord wrapped around your elbows or a ball pinched between your arms. This helps build extension and add width to your golf swing. Again, make special note that this inward pressure of the arms and pushing outward of the hands should be present throughout the motion! Also, maintain your initial posture in both the back and forward swings.
As you begin the backswing, feel as though you are sitting and turning on the right hip, knee and instep of the right foot. You want to avoid any lateral sliding of the lower body or straightening of the right leg as you back. You are using your leg as a support to turn against in order to make your weight shift back to the target automatic. You should feel pressure on the inside of your right foot and knee and feel stretching on the back of the right hip as well as the left shoulder as you move to the top. Hold this position for 10 seconds.
To start down, simply bump the hips and lower body to start the weight shift to the left and then turn the bellybutton toward the ball and then to the target allowing the shoulders and upper body to follow the turn. The pent up energy of the lower body will initiate this motion on its own…you shouldn’t have to help it. Allow the hips to turn fully through the hitting area to the finish, allowing the right heel to come off the ground, balancing your weight on your left foot. You should feel a definite stretch of muscles in your left hip and behind the right shoulder if you are rotating around your posture. Hold the finish position for 10 seconds.
Practice this motion 5 minutes a day for two weeks and during warm up before you play and practice and you will definitely increase the distance you hit the golf ball…all while creating a effortless swing.
Tags: Golf Contest
