Park Sung-hyun's secrets of prodigious shots off the tee

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Sun, October 22, 2017 | 13:45

Golf

Park Sung-hyun's secrets of prodigious shots off the tee

Posted : 2016-06-29 18:22

Updated : 2016-06-29 18:22

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

Park Sung-hyun hits stunning, long shots off the tee. Her average distance off the tee reaches roughly 270 yards. Every golfer envies Park her huge distance off the tee. Her great edge is her ability to whack formidable shots solidly.

She plays in an aggressive fashion, banging her ball vigorously as if she is delivering an uppercut knock-out punch in boxing. The uppercut-throwing motion helps her move her arms, her legs and her body harmoniously, whacking the ball at full throttle.

Park Sung-hyun

The uppercut-throwing motion also ensures she shifts her weight properly during the swing. She keeps her weight longer on her right foot on the forward-swing. Shifting your weight too early to your left foot, you cannot deliver a fatal blow to your opponent's chin. You need to throw you punch as you shift your weight to your left foot.

She stays in balance, swinging her club in an uppercut-delivering motion. Pounding the ball the way you throw an uppercut, you'll naturally keep your balance without your extra effort. She rarely loses her balance. Keeping your balance at finish shows you've hit a great shot.

Critically, she squats slightly to use the ground as she starts her downswing. Then, she pushes up to create her colossal power. This upward thrust of her weight encourages her uppercut, a hard upward blow. If you lower your body by flexing your knees more and then push off the ground, you'll also create explosive power.

Your major concern is how or whether you can copy her swing to send your ball far to your satisfaction. Her golf swing brims with every ingredient of great ball-striking.

To bang her tee shots upwards, she addresses the ball with her head and her upper body behind the ball. She sets her left hand in line with the ball. This helps her to strike the ball level or with a slightly upward blow. She places the ball off the tip of her left shoulder to ensure she catches the ball on the upswing.

She takes her club away from the ball, simultaneously turning her chest away from the ball. She keeps her lower body stable or quiet. She preserves the forward tilt of her right leg created at address. Your right leg stands tilted forward as you are standing with your feet apart. Put differently, she does not let her right hip shift to the right in the slightest. Letting your right hip slide to the right damages the forward angle of your right leg, thwarting your proper body rotation.

She turns her upper body first, allowing her lower body to rotate at the latter part of her backswing. This helps her coil her upper body against her stable lower body. This helps her turn her body tightly like a spring and create power to her maximum. The tighter you coil your body on the backswing, the farther you can hit your ball.

If you are a senior, however, you'd better turn your entire body as you swing your club back. That helps you better use the ground and create more power and speed.

Also, she keeps her right-knee flex constant on the backswing. If you let your right leg straighten, you cannot use the ground effectively, let alone throw an uppercut to your best.

She keeps the club head staying outside her hands roughly hip-high. Put differently, she does not get her club laid-off. Allowing your club head to move inside your hands, you'll swing your club back too far inside.

She starts to fold her right elbow roughly hip-high or at the end of her takeaway. This ensures she creates a big swing arc, a critical power source.

As she complete her backswing, she keeps her club shaft parallel to the target line and horizontal to the ground. That helps her slot her club into the proper downswing path. This encourages her to increase her swing speed to her maximum.

As for her right arm, she does not keep it glued against her side. To hit your ball far, you need to let it move away from your body. She keeps her right elbow pointing at the ground. Her right arm and her club shaft form an open rectangle. If you hold the rectangle as you start your downswing, you'll slot your club into the proper downswing path.

She keeps her left foot remaining flat on the ground. This helps her coil more tightly. But if your trunk is not flexible enough, you'd better let your left heel come up slightly. This helps you put you in position to start down properly. For a proper downswing, you need to let your left knee point behind your ball at the top.

To do this, you need to let your left foot roll, allowing your left heel to come slightly off the ground. Granted, you need to avoid letting your right hip sway to the right as you lift your left heel.

She starts her downswing with a slight hip shift to the left, simultaneously turning her left hip upwards. She slides and turns her left hip at once. Or rather, she turns her belly upward toward the target with a slight hip shift to the left. This lets her arms and her hands move up so she can whack her ball like throwing an uppercut. Also, this allows her to make her timely weight shift to the left side.

When her club catches her ball, she leaves her hips staying turned open more than 45 degrees. She keeps her hips almost facing the target through the ball. That encourages her to swing her club fast, sending her ball longer. The faster you turn your hips, the harder you can deliver your uppercut. After all, she moves her belly button upward full tilt through the shot as if delivering an uppercut. Undoubtedly, she turns her body as she moves her belt buckle upwards. That helps her unleash her power fully into the ball at a timely moment.

Park Sung-hyun is still learning to play. But when she swings her club leisurely, she is always the hot favorite. She will soon become a world-class player if she learns to control her and her swing.

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