The trick to enjoying longer, straighter drives

Kim Jeong-kyoo

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

Still, obsessing over the need to turn your body quicker is not the ideal approach to maintaining maximum distance and accuracy. It is a myth that you should use your body turn to speed up your club. Your body feels powerful but doesn't move swiftly.

To enjoy long, accurate shots, you need to turn your body “properly” so your arms drop correctly and your club travels fastest toward the ball.

An effective way to achieve this is to move your right shoulder down and point your left arm toward the target on the forward swing. This lets your arms fall down correctly to slot your club into the ideal downswing path, helping release your club fully.

Once you swing your club down properly to the inside, you can increase your swinging speed as fast as desired. You don't need to worry about crooked shots. By swinging your club down on the proper course, you will purge your swing of the horrible over-the-top fault that inflicts nasty pulls and slices. You will enjoy beautiful straight-flying or gently left-curving drives.

Also, turning your shoulders properly, you will naturally straighten your arms, swinging your club down your target line. You can hit the ball just like cracking a whip. This lets your club travel faster toward the ball and past your body, promoting solid, powerful shots and a full finish.

Try one or two of the following: Place your driver in front of your left foot with your left arm fully extended. Let your left arm rest horizontally, with the club shaft resting vertically.

Now, swing your right arm to the top of your backswing the way you would to make a full swing. Then, move your right shoulder down so it works under your left arm at impact. Let gravity do the work as you turn your right shoulder downwards.

When swinging for real, hit the ball with your right shoulder moving down, finishing with your right shoulder pointing to the target.

Similarly, stand with your left foot against a wall without a club, and take your normal address posture. What's important here is to set your right shoulder roughly at the same height with your left armpit, especially when you hit a driver off the tee. This will help you correctly return your right shoulder to where it was at the address when you hit your ball.

Then, make your normal backswing with your right arm and come down to slap the wall gently with your right hand. Make sure your chest faces the wall when your right hand reaches the wall.

Just apply your mind to turning your chest vigorously toward the wall, leaving your hand remaining passive or quiet. That will allow your right shoulder to turn correctly below your left armpit line. Also, that will give you the feel for the correct positions of your shoulders and chest when your club meets the ball.

When you swing for real, the wall becomes your target. Just picture you turning your chest briskly toward the wall and hit your ball in the way you've imagined. Your goal when your club hits the ball is to let your chest almost look at the target. You will feel your club head lag well behind your hands and body through the shot.

You know you've turned your chest correctly when your right shoulder rests underneath your left armpit at the point of impact. Of course, your chest will face left of your intended target at the finish.

The correct right shoulder turn on the backswing is an upward and backward move. Turn your right hip and shoulder “up and behind you,” leaving your hands passive. Unless you turn your right shoulder properly going back, you will hardly move it correctly below your left armpit coming down.

Most importantly, let your right shoulder or hip turn propel your arms, hands and club backwards to have full control of your golf club. You will feel your backswing become effortless and graceful.