How can you develop more power in your golf swing? This is probably a question that all of us want an answer to. Most of us go to great lengths to do whatever it takes to get that “power” into our drives off the tee. I think we probably all have some ideas of where 300-yard drives come from, but I want to give you the answers without any “fluff.”Golf swing power is the result of three specific factors. Two out of the three are much more important, but the third does have a bearing on the outcome of how far you hit that ball.The first and probably most evident of the three is your swing mechanics. I bet you are not surprised by this one.The second one is probably the least recognized of the three, but for many is the “key” to longer drives and the category that is given the least amount of attention. Number two is what we term golf strength. This is defined as how well your body is conditioned (i.e. fitness) to swing a golf club with maximum power. Probably the least understood of the three, and maybe the most needed by golfers in general. We will talk more about this later. Let us move on to number three in regards to power for your drives.Number three is your equipment. Yes, equipment does make a difference in how far you drive the ball. The equipment manufacturers have let this fact be known, and I bet we all have gone to the pro shop probably more than twice to pick up a new driver that claims to give us another 20 yards on every drive. That extra 20 yards might not be down the middle of the fairway, but it will give you an extra 20 yards… could be left, could be right, or could be in the center of the fairway. That all depends on points one and two of this article. Equipment and technological advances have definitely lengthened the distance of our drives. But without better swing mechanics and your body in better golf shape, new technology will not help your game. A bad swing will produce a bad result, regardless of what type of “new” driver you may have just purchased.Swing MechanicsI think all of us are aware of how important the mechanics of a swing are when it comes to driving the ball down the fairway. It is essential, if you are over the top with your swing or come inside too much, you’ll see that dreaded slice or snap hook. The drives will be short, too low, too high, left, right, or a combination of these if you are putting bad swings on the ball.It is essential for a golfer to work on the mechanics of their swing, week in and week out, to improve their game. If it weren’t important why would all these tour players have swing coaches that work with them on a consistent basis? The golf swing is such a finite, mechanically complex movement, that requires constant work to keep it highly efficient and in check.One of the most common mistakes I see amateurs make is probably a lack of instruction. I see amateurs over and over at the driving ranges, week in and week out, pounding balls without any improvement. This, I feel, is a result of one of two things: 1) a lack of instruction or 2) low levels of golf strength. A lack of instruction leads to the development and ingraining of improper swing mechanics. This only results in slices, hooks, topping the ball, and hitting it fat on the course. And we all know that those types of swings lead to frustration and bad rounds of golf. I would suggest to most anyone to find a good instructor and take lessons on a consistent basis. This can only help your game in the long run. Now moving on the second point of how to achieve powerful drives and that is golf strength.Golf Strength (Golf Fitness)Golf strength is a term we use to describe the golf fitness level of an individual pertaining to swinging a club. This is much different than how much you can bench press or squat, which I like to refer to as “weight room strength.” Understand that these two terms, golf strength and weight room strength, are very different. If you do not quite understand the difference, ask yourself one question: How many bodybuilders do you see teeing it up on Tour? The answer to that question is quite obvious, none!It comes down to this idea: the mechanics of a golf swing require specific levels of flexibility, balance, stability, strength, endurance, and power to perform it efficiently. If your body does not have the required capacities of the aforementioned list, then the result will be? Anyone want to guess? Well, let me give you the answer: a less than optimal and less efficient swing than possible. Essentially, your body supports your swing much like a foundation supports the house you build upon it. I am sure that all of you would choose to build a house on a stone foundation rather than a sand foundation, wouldn’t you? I will say that many of you make a different choice when it comes to your golf swing. I quite often see amateurs developing their swing on a “foundation of sand,” not a good thing to do in my book.Regardless of how much time you work on your swing mechanics, if your body does not have the “golf strength” to support your swing, you are limiting your potential. I have seen it numerous times, people practicing at the range who struggle, not because of trying to get better, but because their bodies are limiting what they can do with their swing. Quite often I see people with limited flexibility, poor balance capabilities, and low levels of strength and power. The bottom line is that your mechanics will not get better until you fix the body that swings the club!Up to this point we have discussed the two most important ideas when it comes to power on the golf course. A review of the topics tells us that they are optimal swing mechanics and the proper levels of “golf strength” in the body. One without the other is going to leave you short when it comes to your potential in the game.Again, I probably see point number two, golf strength, being addressed less often than swing mechanics when you get right down to it. The pros are all aware of the importance of golf strength, why not you?EquipmentWe have come to the final point, and that is equipment. I think the majority of golfers are aware of the technological advances that have occurred in golf equipment over the last 20 years. I mean, think about the ’80′s when we were still playing with woods that actually had wood club heads! Imagine that for a moment, and now we are using drivers with space age faces that shoot the ball off of them at warp speed. In addition, we have to mention the advances in terms of golf balls. How manufacturers design golf balls today makes a difference in how far they travel. What a lot of people do not realize is that the USGA has set standards on how “hot” driver faces can be and how “fast” balls can come off the face of drivers. Most clubs are reaching this limit, and anything past these USGA rules becomes illegal to play. So what does that tell us? 1) Club manufacturers have done a great, and I mean great, job in the advancement of technology, and 2) to increase the distance on your drives you are now going to have to turn to points one and two of this article.So what does improving your power really come down to?It comes down to three simple ideas. Number one is improving your golf swing mechanics. Improved mechanics will improve your driving distance. Number two is improving your golf strength. By improving your body as it pertains to the golf swing you will improve your distance off the tee. Finally, equipment does make a difference, if you hit the ball correctly.



By: Sean Cochran

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Golf is one sport where you can make adjustments for age. In tennis a good player in his 20s will probably defeat a good player in is 50s all things being equal. In running a runner in his 20s will probably beat a runner in his 40s in the 100-yard dash. Age has its effects on us when it comes to most sports. But in golf you can make adjustments to your game to compensate for age.

Off the tee is where making adjustments really pays off for older players. Senior players with low golf handicaps can’t afford to give up too much yardage to younger players with equally low golf handicaps and expect to win. Of course, hitting longer drives off the tee won’t guarantee you’ll win a match, but it certainly doesn’t hurt, especially if your shots are straight down the fairway. So as you get older, you need to make changes to keep up with the younger golfers.

These adjustments should include two key changes on the tee. First, you should start hitting a draw off the tee. Second, you need to change your swing so that it not only provides power and accuracy but also doesn’t hurt your back-the Achilles heel of most golfers as they get older. Together, these two changes will help you compete successfully against younger players for years to come. Here’s a quick golf lesson in how make both changes.

Learn to Hit a Draw

Most teaching pros agree that hitting a draw generate anywhere from 15 to 20 yards more off the tee than hitting a fade. With an iron, hitting a draw can add as much as an additional club to your shot. The extra yardage you gain with a draw is due primarily to the run you get when the ball lands, something you don’t receive when you hit a fade.

The reasoning behind the extra run is simple. If you fade/slice the ball, the clubface is open at impact. When you open the clubface at impact, as I’ve explained in my golf tips, it adds loft to the ball. It also slides the ball across the clubface, which means you never fully compress the ball at impact, costing you power.

In contrast, when you pull the ball or hit a draw, the clubface is closed, so you end up taking loft off the ball, which helps make the ball run when it hits. You also compress the ball more at impact, which adds power and distance to the shot. The trick is learning to hit a draw if you don’t know how.

Here are seven things to help you do that:

Position the ball back in your stance

Place you hands in a “strong” grip position

Start the club back on the inside

Let clubface open in the backswing

Cup your left wrist at the top of the swing

“Walk-through” the shot for your follow through

Key Points about the Tips

When taking advantage of these tips, keep the following points in mind:

Positioning the ball back in your stance slightly will allow you to hit a draw, but you have to be careful not to place it too far back.

Cupping your left wrist at the top of the back swing allows you to release fully on the downswing, without fear of hooking.

Sliding your right foot forward toward the target at impact results in what some players call a “walk-through” swing. With this type of swing, the player uses his/her whole body to hit the ball, shifting his/her weight through the ball, adding more power and distance to the ball at impact.

With a walk-through swing, the upper body is slightly more “over” the ball at impact than with a swing where the body is held back, eliminating the reverse “C” position that often contributes to back pain.

The Plank of Wood Drill

A good drill to tech yourself to swing on the inside path needed to produce a draw is to place a two-foot piece of wood on the outside of a teed ball. Place the wood opposite you and parallel to the target line. Now address the ball and swing away. To be on the correct plane to hit a draw, your clubhead must stay inside the board. If you hit the board when you swing, you know the clubface has gone outside the target line, which could generate a fade.

Practice this drill the next time you go to the range. It will help you learn to hit a draw, if you don’t know how to do it now. Hitting a draw is something even younger players can benefit from.

If you’re older and you hit a fade, think about switching to a draw and using a “walk-through” swing like Gary Player. Doing so will enable you to get the most from your swing. The changes should be enough to help you power the ball those extra few yards so you can continue to compete against younger opponents.

Copyright (c) 2007 Jack Moorehouse

By: Jack Moorehouse

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Do you sick of seeing your ball start on the left side of the fairway and end up in the trees on the right side of the fairway? This is a frustrating thing to deal with and can take a lot of the joy out of golf. There are golfers that actually refuse to hit a driver because of their ugly slice. So what do you need to do about it? Read on to find out how to get rid of your nasty slice.

You need to start by understanding why you slice off the tee and in many cases in the fairway as well. The myth is that you must be cutting across the ball with your swing, and in some cases this is true, but there is actually a way to slice without cutting across the ball at all. Basically if you are slicing it is because you are bringing the club through in a way that causes the face of the club to hit the ball while angled to the left. This causes the ball to shoot off the the left and have a spin that causes it to come back to the right at almost a 90 degree angle. This is no fun so read on to learn a few tips to fix your slice.

Usually the first thing you need to check when you have an ugly slice is your grip. Your slice can be caused by your hands slipping even just a couple of millimeters and causing the club face to end up at an angle other than square to the ball as you come through with your swing. You may be gripping the club too strong or too weak. Both of these can cause you to slice the ball. So check your grip, make sure it is comfortable, but also strong, and make sure it is not too strong.

The second thing you can do is practice on the range with an open stance. This is done by placing your front foot a few inches further back than your back foot and pointing your front toe away from your back foot. This will cause you to have to swing inside out and will help you build a swing that will have less of a slice and more of just a fade.

The last thing you can do to help cure your slice is you can learn to keep your back elbow in. a Drill to help you with this would be to hold one of your headcovers under your back armpit. The idea is to be able to swing without dropping the headcover. If you can learn to do this on a regular basis, then you will be well on the way to curing that ugly slice.

So in order to cure that nasty slice you should start by understanding what causes you to slice, check your grip, try practicing with an open stance, and learn to keep your back elbow in. If you still have trouble curing your slice, then you should seek a club pro and spend the money on a series of lessons to learn how to swing correctly.

By: Benjamin R. Ehinger

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yamahar6_rider25 asked:



The time any help thanks.


Kathryn