This is the first of two articles on the X-Factor—a concept and name invented by Jim McLean, one of golf’s best teaching pros. The follow-up article covers McLean’s Triple X-Factor concept.
Transform Your Game With The X-Factor (Part 1)
If you’re looking to boost your power game, golf teacher Jim McLean’s X-Factor concept maybe just what the doctor ordered. It’s a proven way to generate power. But while the concept isn’t hard to grasp, it’s been a hot-button topic ever since McLean introduced it back in the early 1990s.
We find it a great teaching tool in golf lessons. It gives students a clear visual on how to create a powerful swing. Originally, McLean tried to quantify the X-Factor concept. But numbers often confuse things, so we use them sparingly in this article.
The X-Factor also has some critics. We think it explains a key fundamental well. And if you ingrain the concept in your swing, you could add 10 or even 20 yards to your drives—yardage that can transform your game and your golf handicap.
Below is how we explain the X-Factor in our golf instruction sessions:
Simple In Theory
The X-Factor concept is simple in theory. It measures the amount of coil between your shoulders and your hips. There’s also the X-Factor stretch, which measures how much that coil increases from the top of the swing to the first move toward the target. These are the two key concepts you need to know to grasp the X-Factor theory.
To make a good backswing—one that stores considerable power—you need to turn your front shoulder until it’s just about over your back foot. In making this turn your hips will also rotate, but not nearly as much. Now imagine a line running through your hips and one running through your shoulders.
If you look at this position from the top, the line running through your shoulders crosses the line running through your hips, creating and imaginary X. This crossing move is a key power point. It transfers energy to your right side—energy that’s released during your downswing.
How X-Factor Stretch Works
Here’s where the X-Factor stretch comes in: You release the energy stored in your swing through the proper sequence of body motion during the transition. It starts with a slight lateral move of your lower body toward the target, followed by the turning of your upper body— your shoulders and arms.
The X-Factor stretch is the difference between where your upper body is and the lower is. Put another way, the hips are leading the swing while your arms catch up.
Maximizing the stretch is where the extra power comes from in your swing. McLean calculated Sergio Garcia’s stretch at about 20+ degrees. A stretch this far maximizes clubhead lag, which translates to massive power. It’s a key reason why Sergio hits them so long.
Draws Some Criticism
McLean’s X-Factor concept drew some criticism when first introduced. But we’ve found it useful when teaching students in our golf lessons about power in the golf swing. The key, we tell them, is to focus on maximizing the X-Factor stretch.
Below is a simple drill we use in golf lessons to help students max out their stretch. You’ll need a friend to help you with it.
Set up to a ball with your driver. Make your backswing and stop at the top. Now have a friend push on your lead shoulder as you shift your lower body forward. The resistance you’ll feel when doing this is the X-factor stretch. If you can increase your stretch by 5 percent, you could add as much as 20 yards to your swing.
There’s a lot of information on the X-Factor concept on the Internet. This info includes YouTube videos and even a formal paper on it. The paper was presented at the Pre-Olympic Congress in 2000 in Brisbane, Australia.
The second part of this article will discuss McLean’s extension of the concept—the Triple X-Factor.