By Kim Jeong-kyoo
Increasing distance is one of your major concerns as a golfer. To hit your ball longer, you first need to hit your ball on the sweet spot. More important, you need to deliver your club to your ball from slightly inside your intended target line. Then, you need to increase your swing speed as much as you can and unleash that power fully into your shot.
Swing your driver at 80 to 90 percent of your power
Avoid swinging your driver so hard. Don't use brute strength. Swinging your club lightly, you will get 10 or 20 more yards. That will sound like the opposite of your instinct. However, with 80- to 90-percent effort, you will hit your ball longer.
Trying too much to hit your ball hard damages your rhythm and timing, plus balance. This in turn prevents you from hitting your ball on the sweet spot. Critically, trying to exert extra effort tightens your muscles. This makes your arms and hands move slowly, sapping your power and speed.
Keep your club behind you
When your clubhead goes behind your hands during the swing, they refer to it as the faulty "laid-off" problem. But to create more power, you need to keep your clubhead behind you on the downswing.
You don't need to worry about getting your club stuck behind you on the downswing. Typically, weekend players release their wrists and hands too early as they come down. That is, you are struggling with the over-the-top move causing your club to approach the ball from outside the target line.
To avoid this fault, you need to try to keep your club behind you as you come down. Of course, you need to leave your back staying turned.
Just let your lower body shift to your left side before you return your club to your ball. Don't let your right shoulder spin or jut out. Don't allow your clubhead to come in front of you too early as you swing your club down. That forces you to incur poor weak shots.
Leaving your clubhead staying behind, you will swing more from inside the target line. That will also help you rotate your body properly through the shot. More important, keeping your clubhead behind your hands roughly hip-high allows you to unhinge your right wrist more briskly. Eventually, you will increase your swing speed and hit your ball farther.
Fold your left elbow
If you are struggling with distance off the tee, chances are you are paying more attention to your backswing than your follow-through. That way you may make solid contact on the sweet spot, but short distance can disappoint you.
To create extra power, you need to apply your mind to folding your left elbow immediately after impact. Also, you need to cross your right forearm over your left. These two moves will let your swing speed skyrocket. Also, they will square your clubface when your club meets the ball.
Once you've hit your ball, try to create a capital L with your left forearm and club shaft as you fold your left elbow. Your eventual goal is creating an open rectangle with your left arm and your club shaft.
Simultaneously, you need to let your forearms create a capital X as your right forearm rolls over your left forearm. Turning your right forearm over your left ensures you square your clubface.
If you create an open rectangle and X during the follow-through, you will increase your swing speed to your maximum. You will send your ball 15 to 20 yards farther.
Don't force your release
Don't overuse the muscles in your arms and hands when you hit your ball. When you reach your impact area, just let your clubhead whip through the ball with your stored power. Avoid exerting strenuous efforts to hit hard or steer your ball right at the moment you hit. Your action is too late. That will disrupt your swing momentum, having weak shots thrust on you.
To hit your ball farther, you need to let your speed build. To achieve this, you need to let your wrists unhinge just a fraction as you start your downswing. That way you will create a flowing swing motion, speeding up your clubhead to your maximum through the shot. It is a myth that you need to preserve your 90-degree wrist angle as long as possible during your downswing.
Similarly, to release your clubhead naturally and effortlessly, you need to preserve your identical light grip pressure you have at address. If you do this properly, you will feel your clubhead release naturally.
Also, keep your grip pressure equal in both hands through impact and until your club hinges up in your follow-through. Letting one hand dominate your release, you will incur nasty hooks or slices.
Squeezing your right hand harder than your left, you will flip your clubhead over, hitting frustrating hooks. Similarly, tightening your left hand grip, you will leave your clubface open to have equally frustrating slices thrust on you.
Just let your clubhead pass your hands through the shot by unhinging your wrists. You will create extra power without forced efforts, enjoying longer shots.
Push your left leg into turf
To create extra power, you need to push your left leg into the ground on the downswing. If you stand up and damage your address posture on the downswing, you cannot hit your ball powerfully. You will have difficulty getting your power transferred to your ball at impact.
To preserve your posture, you need to push down into the ground with your left leg on the downswing. That way you will use your ground better and create extra power, increasing your clubhead speed.
Imagine a soda can under your left foot. Now crush it hard as you start your downswing.
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Swing your driver at 80 to 90 percent of your power
Avoid swinging your driver so hard. Don't use brute strength. Swinging your club lightly, you will get 10 or 20 more yards. That will sound like the opposite of your instinct. However, with 80- to 90-percent effort, you will hit your ball longer.
Trying too much to hit your ball hard damages your rhythm and timing, plus balance. This in turn prevents you from hitting your ball on the sweet spot. Critically, trying to exert extra effort tightens your muscles. This makes your arms and hands move slowly, sapping your power and speed.
Keep your club behind you
When your clubhead goes behind your hands during the swing, they refer to it as the faulty "laid-off" problem. But to create more power, you need to keep your clubhead behind you on the downswing.
You don't need to worry about getting your club stuck behind you on the downswing. Typically, weekend players release their wrists and hands too early as they come down. That is, you are struggling with the over-the-top move causing your club to approach the ball from outside the target line.
To avoid this fault, you need to try to keep your club behind you as you come down. Of course, you need to leave your back staying turned.
Just let your lower body shift to your left side before you return your club to your ball. Don't let your right shoulder spin or jut out. Don't allow your clubhead to come in front of you too early as you swing your club down. That forces you to incur poor weak shots.
Leaving your clubhead staying behind, you will swing more from inside the target line. That will also help you rotate your body properly through the shot. More important, keeping your clubhead behind your hands roughly hip-high allows you to unhinge your right wrist more briskly. Eventually, you will increase your swing speed and hit your ball farther.
Fold your left elbow
If you are struggling with distance off the tee, chances are you are paying more attention to your backswing than your follow-through. That way you may make solid contact on the sweet spot, but short distance can disappoint you.
To create extra power, you need to apply your mind to folding your left elbow immediately after impact. Also, you need to cross your right forearm over your left. These two moves will let your swing speed skyrocket. Also, they will square your clubface when your club meets the ball.
Once you've hit your ball, try to create a capital L with your left forearm and club shaft as you fold your left elbow. Your eventual goal is creating an open rectangle with your left arm and your club shaft.
Simultaneously, you need to let your forearms create a capital X as your right forearm rolls over your left forearm. Turning your right forearm over your left ensures you square your clubface.
If you create an open rectangle and X during the follow-through, you will increase your swing speed to your maximum. You will send your ball 15 to 20 yards farther.
Don't force your release
Don't overuse the muscles in your arms and hands when you hit your ball. When you reach your impact area, just let your clubhead whip through the ball with your stored power. Avoid exerting strenuous efforts to hit hard or steer your ball right at the moment you hit. Your action is too late. That will disrupt your swing momentum, having weak shots thrust on you.
To hit your ball farther, you need to let your speed build. To achieve this, you need to let your wrists unhinge just a fraction as you start your downswing. That way you will create a flowing swing motion, speeding up your clubhead to your maximum through the shot. It is a myth that you need to preserve your 90-degree wrist angle as long as possible during your downswing.
Similarly, to release your clubhead naturally and effortlessly, you need to preserve your identical light grip pressure you have at address. If you do this properly, you will feel your clubhead release naturally.
Also, keep your grip pressure equal in both hands through impact and until your club hinges up in your follow-through. Letting one hand dominate your release, you will incur nasty hooks or slices.
Squeezing your right hand harder than your left, you will flip your clubhead over, hitting frustrating hooks. Similarly, tightening your left hand grip, you will leave your clubface open to have equally frustrating slices thrust on you.
Just let your clubhead pass your hands through the shot by unhinging your wrists. You will create extra power without forced efforts, enjoying longer shots.
Push your left leg into turf
To create extra power, you need to push your left leg into the ground on the downswing. If you stand up and damage your address posture on the downswing, you cannot hit your ball powerfully. You will have difficulty getting your power transferred to your ball at impact.
To preserve your posture, you need to push down into the ground with your left leg on the downswing. That way you will use your ground better and create extra power, increasing your clubhead speed.
Imagine a soda can under your left foot. Now crush it hard as you start your downswing.
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