7 easy golf-swing changes to hit the ball longer off the tee

Golf instruction is ever-evolving, however the perfect recommendation stands the check of time. In GOLF.com’s new sequence, Timeless Ideas, we’re highlighting a few of the best recommendation lecturers and gamers have distributed within the pages of GOLF Journal. At present we glance again to our November 1979 challenge the place we shared some tips about the way to hit the ball longer. For limitless entry to the complete GOLF Journal digital archive, be part of InsideGOLF at the moment; you’ll get pleasure from $140 of worth for under $39.99/12 months.

The present period of golf is all about energy. In case you can’t bomb it down the fairways, you don’t have a lot an opportunity to compete on the highest ranges. This obsession for energy isn’t a brand new phenomenon, although. For so long as the sport has been round, golfers have been in search of methods to hit the ball longer.

Our November 1979 challenge of GOLF Journal proves as a lot. On the duvet of that challenge, we promised seven simple methods to hit the ball laborious. And in at the moment’s version of Timeless Ideas, we’re resharing these ideas from legendary teacher Phil Ritson. Verify ’em out beneath.

7 simple methods to hit the ball laborious

My pupils usually ask me what’s the secret of energy? In truth I’ve to reply: There is no such thing as a one secret. Each golfer could be pumping the ball out lengthy and Straight if there have been. However I’ve thought quite a bit about energy and over time have discovered seven grasp keys that make the distinction between having energy or not. Most golfers get these keys improper, thereby stopping any chance of constantly highly effective photographs.

The keys are easy, as a result of golf is troublesome sufficient with out additional complicating it. However don’t let their simplicity delude you into considering that every one it’s essential do the following time you go to the course is consider them and instantly you’ll be a long-ball hitter. No, these keys will grow to be new and proper habits provided that you give them the required apply.

Strategy one key at a time. An efficient manner of ingraining every of them into your {golfing} system is to take a whole lot of “dry swings,” that’s, swinging with out the ball. Make three or 4 of those, concentrating on the important thing you wish to purchase. After the dry swings, hit a ball, once more with that one thought in thoughts. Repeat the method till the important thing has grow to be a behavior.

1. Hold your left hand straight

A key think about energy is the angle you set within the left hand at handle. This angle I name the ‘‘straight’’ place. To undertake it, prolong the fingers of your left hand consistent with your left forearm. Make a fist, and the again of the left wrist makes a slight angle with the forearm. This “straight” place is essentially the most highly effective option to grip the membership. 

I educate all pupils to carry the membership in order that the thumb of the left hand is at 12 o’clock on the grip. With the so-called “robust” grip (fingers turned very a lot to the suitable on the grip), both they swing again to a completely shut place (convex left wrist and clubface pointing to the sky) and don’t have the bodily energy to hit the ball from there, or of their try and cock their wrists the left wrist collapses beneath the shaft. They over-swing and lose management of the membership. With the “‘straight’’ left wrist, they will’t over-cock the wrists as a result of the left thumb correctly helps the membership on the prime of the swing. 

The left hand ought to stay within the “straight” place from handle to follow-through.

2. Flip each shoulders

The cardinal sin of most golfers will not be finishing the backswing. The downswing then turns into rushed, they usually lose energy. The most typical causes for an incomplete backswing are: 1. Swinging again with the fingers and arms solely and leaving the shoulders to show for themselves, and a couple of. Overemphasizing the left shoulder within the shoulder flip.

Two additional problems emerge from this overemphasis on the left shoulder. First, too many golfers consider “left shoulder down,” which results in straightening the suitable leg. The load is transferred again to the left foot in a reverse weight shift. Second, as a result of the suitable arm units and breaks down within the right backswing, the suitable shoulder simply turns into hunched. The fitting shoulder stops and prevents a full wind-up. 

These issues are solved by turning each shoulders. Additionally, your swing will at all times be within the right tempo. You’ll have a sensation of swinging up and down on the similar tempo — what I name the “pendulum really feel” — the important thing issue within the easy utility of energy.

3. Step on a ball

A 3rd energy secret is shifting the burden to the within of the suitable heel through the backswing. To get the sensation of this, apply utilizing a ball positioned beneath the little toe of the suitable foot. It will make you shift your weight again to the heel. Additionally as a result of the ball is positioned on the skin of the foot, it’ll stop the burden from transferring to the skin of the suitable foot, inflicting a sway. The load shift shifts as a substitute to the within of the heel. the important thing feeling of sitting into the suitable facet because the hips and shoulders flip and the membership swings up into place. The fitting knee will flex barely greater than at handle as you coil the physique round it. As an vital profit, this ball train encourages you to position the burden on the balls and heels of the toes and discourages you from hitting off the toes.

4. Carry a tray

One of many key checkpoints for a robust swing is the “waiter’s tray” place of the suitable arm on the prime of the swing. The correct downswing motion of the suitable arm is an underarm transfer, similar to throwing a ball underhand and it’s a lot simpler to make the underarm transfer within the downswing in case you have allowed the suitable arm to fold into the “waiter’s tray” place on the backswing. This place is the proper one from which to make the transfer down and thru with out you having to make any compensating motion.

It’s doable, after all, to execute an accurate downswing from a “flying proper elbow” place — Miller Barber proves that at each occasion he lays. Bear in mind, nonetheless, that Barber has labored for a few years to make this unorthodox motion workable. (It’s unorthodox within the sense it’s high-quality for him, however not for the common participant who has far much less time to fine-tune their recreation.)

5. Separate the knees

One of many best energy strikes in golf is the “separation” of the legs. While you begin the downswing, the left knee strikes laterally down the toes line, shifting the burden to the skin of the left foot, from little toe to heel. You maintain the suitable heel on the bottom — a helpful picture right here is to consider “nailing” your proper heel to the bottom. In the end, after all, each knees will transfer laterally, however for a split-second, you ought to be in a “bowlegged” place created by the lateral motion of the left knee impartial of the suitable. It’s nearly a sense of “sitting laterally.”

The lateral transfer of the knees does two issues: First, it helps you make the proper “underarm” downswing motion, the place you might be hitting beneath and down the road. All the nice gamers work “beneath”’ Second, as a result of the left knee begins its “bowlegged” transfer barely earlier than the higher physique has accomplished its windup, you create large leverage. As soon as the burden is solidly into the left foot, you may clear the hips to the left as quick as you want, the truth is, the sooner you clear the hips, the extra pull you create within the left facet and arm, and the extra clubhead pace you’ll generate.

Vital: Hold your left knee “tender” or flexed by the ball. It will stop your head and higher physique from working previous or over the ball earlier than impression.

6. Hitch a experience

In case you ever hear anybody telling you to rotate your fingers or wrists, get your bag, flip round and run as quick as you may! At no level within the swing do you have to ever consciously rotate the fingers or the wrists. That is significantly true within the launch.

In case you attempt to flip your fingers or wrists by impression, you’ll lose management of the ball. How a lot do you roll them and when? The timing is simply too important and the clubface stays sq. to the road at impression for too brief a time, and possibly under no circumstances.

Truly, the clubface ought to by no means “‘roll’’ open or closed, however within the downswing, the clubhead does work | from a toe-up place midway down — to toe-up within the extension place be- reason behind the rotation of the physique by the shot and the uncocking of the wrists.

To make an accurate launch, faux you’re a hitchhiker thumbing a experience. You need to really feel your left forearm turning over with the again of the left hand remaining, as at all times, within the “straight’’ place. You speed up by the shot.

7. Lay your proper ear on a pillow

Maybe the best fantasy in golf happens if you hit the ball badly. Individuals instantly say, “You lifted your head,”  whereas I feel the alternative is true. While you make an effort to maintain the top down, you may lose freedom not solely within the followthrough but additionally in the entire downswing. You’ll get hold of much less clubhead pace and fewer distance.

As soon as the ball has been hit and the shoulders and arms are previous the unique ball place, you need to enable the top to rotate for a free followthrough. In different phrases, the neck rotation will observe the flip of the shoulders.

Permit the top to rise in the suitable manner, from beneath. As you swing by, lay your proper ear on an imaginary pillow. This will provide you with the proper head rotation and encourage an uninhibited go by the ball and most energy.

Zephyr Melton

Golf.com Editor

Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com the place he spends his days running a blog, producing and enhancing. Previous to becoming a member of the group at GOLF, he attended the College of Texas adopted by stops with the Texas Golf Affiliation, Workforce USA, the Inexperienced Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all issues instruction and covers novice and girls’s golf. He could be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.