If you want to score on long par 5s, you must drive the ball well off the tee. If you don’t, you cut down your chances of hitting the green in regulation. This makes it hard to score on some holes. A tight swing is one reason why you may lack power. Tight swings lack the dynamic, power-laden “snap” through the ball that produces mammoth drives. If you want to break 80 consistently, it helps to drive them long off the tee.
Below are six steps to hitting mammoth drives:
- Takes a slightly wider stance than normal
- Extend your arms as you go back
- Increase the amount of bend in your right arm
- Try to re-create the left arm position coming down
- Rotate your hips and upper body
- Extend both arms through the ball
Using your arm muscles and biceps to drive the ball longer doesn’t work. You must increase the “snap” in your swing by increasing the bend in your right arm, increasing lag. Here’s how:
Address the ball with a slightly wide stance. This creates a solid foundation for your swing. Now take the club back as you normally do. Keep your left arm parallel to the ground as you go back. This forces you to extend both arms to the max during the swing.
Now come down from the top. As you do, try to re-create the parallel left arm position achieved on the way up. But do it while aggressively bending your right elbow. Now rotate your hips and upper body while pulling down your right elbow.
As you do, “crack the whip” by extending both arms through the ball, boosting swing speed through impact. It should feel like your transferring the energy stored in your bent right arm to the ball.
This last move is the “monster move,” your secret to hitting mammoth drives. Perfect it and you’ll blow it by your buddies on par 5s and any other hole.
