Driving it longer
I’m sure we all dream of hitting the ball further than we ever have before, but how often do we actually stop to consider, how we start driving it longer?
First thing to do is make sure your driver is right for you.
If you haven’t been custom fitted for your driver, it is something I would highly recommend! (Plus it’s an excuse for a new driver). Your local pro will be able to give you some advice, or see someone local to you that specialises in custom fitting.
If you need a recommendation, feel free to message me and I will advise – Andy Clissold
In an attempt to hit the ball longer, many golfers will try to hit the ball with the hands and arms, rather than using the whole body to generate power and speed.
If you use the hands and arms in an effort to hit the ball further, you will often find you release the club early. This means the hinge in your wrists is released well before the club hits the ball and all that stored energy is lost.
Storing Energy in Your Swing – Luke Donald
We want to maintain the wrist hinge for as long as possible in the downswing. Simply trying to keep the angle can result in some horrendous shots! Believe me, I’ve seen it!
As with most things in the golf swing there is often a cause for the early release, and as mentioned earlier, it stems from trying to use the hands and arms to hit the ball. In doing so, the body doesn’t move properly if at all.
From the top of your swing, I want you to start down using the lower body. Start by bumping the left hip left, towards the target.
Above is a picture of Luke Donald, on the left at the top of the swing and on the right, as he starts down. I’ve drawn a line to show how the left hip has moved left onto the line.
Driving Tips
From here the left hip will go slightly more towards the target but more importantly, will start to turn. This will bring the upper body, arms, and club with it. At impact you can see below that the left side of his body is all in one line.
This is great as he hasn’t pushed the hip too much or too little.
The feel I’d like you to have is bumping the hip left, then rotate the hip behind you, and at impact, feel as though the left side of your body is solid. Like hitting into a brick wall.
Give this a go and watch those drives sail past your mates!
