Ben Hogan once said that being accurate was more important than being long. Most pros would probable agree. As I tell players who take golf lessons from me, golf is a target game. You’ll chop more strokes off your golf handicap by hitting the ball to an exact spot 250 yards in the fairway than you will by driving the ball 300 yards into trouble. So if it comes down to a choice, take accuracy over length.
But there’s no denying the benefits,or the thrill of smashing a 300-yard drive down the middle of the fairway. That’s sweet. The problem comes when golfers overswing trying to hit that 300-yard drive. If they’re right handed, they either slice it right or hook it left. The solution is staying within yourself and eliminating swing flaws that drain power, helping to inflate scores and golf handicaps.
Below are three key moves that I often discuss in my golf instruction sessions on hitting for power. Perfecting these moves won’t automatically qualify you for long ball hitting contests. But they will eliminate swing flaws that short-circuit power and cost you yardage. Ingrain these moves in your swing and you will find yourself hitting the ball longer, straighter, and more solidly.
Keep your elbow in front of the hip
The right elbow keys the delivery of power (for right-handers). Keep the right elbow in front of your hip, with the club parallel to the target line and the toe of the club pointed straight up and you’ll hit the ball longer and straighter, with much less effort and without over swinging. If your arms separate from your body or your elbow gets stuck behind your hip, you’ll hit it short. You should feel as if your elbow is attached to the front of your hip.
Unfortunately, players with high golf handicaps let their elbows fly. They swing over, under, or behind their right hip. Swinging over produces slices and pulls because it delivers the club on an outside path, with the butt of the club aimed left of the target (right-handers). Swinging under produces pushes and hooks because it delivers the club on an inside path, with the butt of the club aimed right of the target. Swinging the club behind your hip generates weak shots.
Uncock the wrists downward
Your wrists also key the delivery of power. If you’re wrists aren’t working properly, you can’t maximize power. Next time you watch golf on television, keep an eye on power hitters like Phil Mickelson, Charles Howell III, and Vijay Singh. They represent extreme examples of what’s called “the full release.” Their wrists fully uncock downward and the clubhead stays below the hands well into the release. Their lower hands almost come off the club.
Golfers who lack power or who have high golf handicaps tend to uncock their wrists early on through the follow-through. This move causes the club to point skyward too soon after the release. That’s a mistake. The clubhead should be below your hands just after impact, and remain slightly below them even in the release position before eventually coming up.
Maintain your arms level past impact
To achieve maximum power through release, your arms, your club, and your body must work as one. Three keys at this point in the swing are (1) the shaft becomes parallel to the target line and should be positioned just under the hands; (2) your right lower forearm (for right-handers) should be about level with your left; and (3) the club’s toe should point up. You could almost lay a club across your forearms at this point in the swing.
Some weekend golfers try to hold the clubface square past impact. This causes the left elbow to move up and away from the body, and makes the ball go high right and short. Others stop the shoulders, which lets the arms get ahead of the body, causing weak hooks and pulls. To compensate, you’ll see players flick their wrists at the end of the swing or not release the club, known as “blocking.” Neither move contributes to a sound golf swing.
Keep your elbow in front of your hip. Unlock your wrists downward. Maintain your arms level past impact. Three simple moves that I focus on in my golf lessons that deliver more power and improve ballstriking. Master these moves! If you do, you’ll be well on your way to hitting the ball longer and straighter, and slashing strokes from your scores and your golf handicap, regardless of the types of courses you’re playing.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book “How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros.” He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.