Solid impact is the hallmark of all great drivers of the ball. That’s because impact is paramount. It’s where the rubber meets the road. But making good impact doesn’t con-fine itself to hitting the driver. It’s also critical when hitting irons. In fact, impact is paramount whenever you take a full swing.
Below are three keys to make good impact:
• Swing through the position
• Maintain a straight left arm
• Finish in balance
Some golfers think that perfect impact is a position you swing to. It’s not. Great golfers consider impact as a position you swing through. But swinging to impact is a good image to retain as your clubhead moves through impact.
Another misconception is that you need to keep a straight left arm through your back-swing. You don’t. But your left arm should be straight at impact. It’s crucial to good impact on the downswing.
Also, you need to finish in balance. The driver is a dynamic club. In fact, it’s probably the most dynamic club of all. It requires a highly powerful swing. But you still need to finish in balance. Instability in the swing can reduce the swing’s power by 75%.
A good way to maintain balance through the swing is to “walk through it.” Here’s an exercise that can help you do that.
Address the ball normally, but choke down a bit just for this exercise. Swing back. Make sure you make a good turn as well as a real effort to transfer your weight to your back leg. Now shift your weight onto your front foot through the hitting zone. You want to feel like you over the ball through impact. Continue forward and walk through the shot—your weight will carry your body forward and through.
Great drivers of the ball make consistent contact. Work on making solid contact by swinging through the ball not to it, keeping your left arm straight at impact, and finishing in balance when completing your swing.