Develop Power in Your Swing
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 Mechanics
I 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?
Equipment
We 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. Best
of luck with your game, and if you need additional information
stop by our web site www.bioforcegolf.com
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