4 Do’s and Don’ts for Power

With help from a long drive specialist, follow these 4 do’s and don’ts for generating power in your swing. 

TG Top 50 teacher Lee Cox reckons every golfer, regardless of size, age and handicap, can gain extra yards off the tee.

He says: “These are the four big power leaks I see on the lesson tee every day. If you can eradicate them you’ll be amazed by the difference and, most importantly, the additional length you can achieve.”

#1: HIP TURN

DO: Most golfers have poor or no hip turn. Real hip turn is are positioning of the top of your legs. Using a tour stick through your belt hoops ideally illustrates what we’re looking to achieve; the left end(right-handers) should move towards the ball.

DON’T: As you can see, restricted right leg movement means there’s barely any hip turn whatsoever; the left end of the tour stick has barely moved. That’s going to restrict our backswing coil and your ability to create power.

#2: Body/Rib Turn

DO: A lot of people cheat a back swing by lifting the club to the top primarily using their arms, but in this drill the foam roll gets Joe to move his body as well as his arms. If you don’t rotate the ribcage more, you run the risk of a serious power leak.

DON’T: Most golfers don’t turn their rib cage enough and cheat by just moving their arms. But you’ve got to have the right blend of arms and body and the rolling foam is the perfect prop to ensure this is achieved.

#3: Loading The Power

DO: Our trail shoulder is a key power source, but it needs to be “loaded” during the backswing. Train this by gripping the head of the club and allowing the shaft to run up the back of your trail arm. Make sure the shaft is in contact with your arm. Swing your hand back, keeping shaft and sleeve connected. This helps you rotate and load the trail shoulder correctly.

DON’T: Watch for the shaft coming away from the arm. It’s a sign your trail elbow is flaring rather than tucking, and the shoulder can’t load.

#4: Later Club Release

DO: From that last drill, grip the handle with your gloved hand. Allow it to pull the club forward, feeling how this pulls your elbow towards your ribs at the same pace. This preserves those powerful angles and helps you time a powerful impact.

DON’T: So many club golfers lose power because their hands move quicker than their trail elbow. When this happens the club comes away from its ideal attack path and the powerful angles in the trail shoulder and elbow are released long before impact.