| Golf Swing: 3 Ways to Develop more Power | | | | the 'golf strength' to support the swing, you |
| | | | are limiting your potential. I have seen it |
| How can you improve the power of your golf | | | | numerous times, people practicing at the |
| swing? This is a question that all of us want | | | | range who struggle, not because of trying to |
| an answer to. Most golfers go to great | | | | get better, but because their bodies are |
| lengths to get that extra yard off the tee. | | | | limiting what they can do with their swing. |
| But how many people actually know that golf | | | | Quite often I see people with limited |
| swing power is the result of these three | | | | flexibility, poor balance capabilities, and |
| specific factors? | | | | low levels of strength and power. The bottom |
| | | | line is that your mechanics will not get |
| * The first and probably most evident of the | | | | better until you fix the body that swings the |
| three is 'swing mechanics'. Everybody is | | | | club! |
| aware of how important the mechanics of a | | | | |
| swing are when it comes to driving the ball. | | | | Up to this point we have discussed the two |
| If you are over the top with your swing or | | | | most important ideas when it comes to power |
| come inside too much, you'll see that dreaded | | | | on the golf course. A review of the topics |
| slice or snap hook. Your drives will be | | | | tells us that they are optimal swing |
| inevitably be too short, too low, too high, | | | | mechanics and the proper levels of 'golf |
| left, right, or a combination of these if you | | | | strength'. One without the other is going to |
| are putting bad swings on the ball. | | | | leave you short when it comes to potential in |
| | | | your game. |
| To improve your game, it is essential for a | | | | |
| golfer to work on the mechanics of the swing | | | | * The third most important factor to improve |
| at every possible opportunity. The golf swing | | | | the power of your golf swing is: equipment. |
| is a highly complex, mechanically movement, | | | | Yes, equipment. It does make a real |
| that requires constant work to keep it highly | | | | difference to how far you drive the ball. The |
| efficient and in check. Professionals realise | | | | equipment manufacturers have let this fact be |
| the importance and have swing coaches that | | | | known to everyone, and I bet we all have gone |
| work with them on a consistent basis. | | | | to the pro shop probably more than twice to |
| | | | pick up a new driver that claims to give us |
| Amateurs throughout the world pack driving | | | | that elusive 20 yards. It should be |
| ranges, week in and week out, pounding balls | | | | remembered however that, that extra distance |
| without any improvement. This, I feel, is a | | | | might not be down the middle of the fairway; |
| result of one of two things: a lack of | | | | it will give you an extra 20 yards alright... |
| instruction, or low levels of golf strength. | | | | but it could be left, could be right, or it |
| A lack of instruction leads to the | | | | could be down the centre of the fairway. That |
| development and ingraining of improper swing | | | | all depends on points one and two of this |
| mechanics. This only results in slices, | | | | article. Equipment and technological advances |
| hooks, topping the ball, and hitting it fat | | | | have definitely lengthened the distance of |
| on the course. And we all know that those | | | | our drives. But without better swing |
| types of swings lead to frustration and bad | | | | mechanics and your body in better golf shape, |
| rounds of golf. I would suggest to almost | | | | new technology will not help your game. A bad |
| anyone: find a good instructor and take | | | | swing will produce a bad result, regardless |
| lessons on a consistent basis. This can only | | | | of what type of 'new' driver you may have |
| help your game in the long run. But if | | | | just purchased. |
| private lessons sound too expensive for 'just | | | | |
| a past-time' then consider video tutorials | | | | I think the majority of golfers are aware of |
| and books in the very least. Swing mechanics | | | | the advances that have occurred in golf |
| are a fundamental in improving your power. | | | | equipment over the last 20 years. I mean, in |
| | | | the glorious '80's when we were still playing |
| * The second of the three factors is what we | | | | with woods that actually had wooden club |
| term golf strength. It is probably the least | | | | heads! Imagine that for a moment, and now we |
| recognized of the three, but for many is the | | | | are using drivers with space age faces that |
| 'key' to longer drives; yet the category is | | | | shoot the ball off of them at warp speed. In |
| given the least amount of attention, | | | | addition, we have to mention the advances in |
| especially by amateurs. Golf strength is | | | | terms of golf balls. How manufacturers design |
| defined as how well your body is conditioned | | | | golf balls today makes a difference in how |
| to swing a golf club with maximum power (ie. | | | | far they travel. What a lot of people do not |
| it is a measure of fitness). Although | | | | realize is that the USGA has set standards on |
| probably the least understood of the three, | | | | how 'hot' driver faces can be and how 'fast' |
| golf strength maybe the most needed by | | | | balls can come off the face of drivers. Most |
| golfers in general. | | | | clubs are reaching this limit, and anything |
| | | | past these USGA rules becomes illegal to play |
| Strength, in terms of golf, is not about how | | | | (in the professional game only of course!). |
| much you can bench press or how much your | | | | |
| biceps bulge! Golf strength and weight room | | | | There's no doubt that custom made golf clubs |
| strength, are very different. If you do not | | | | can make a significant improvement to your |
| quite understand the difference, ask yourself | | | | swing power. But before you go off and spend |
| one question: How many bodybuilders do you | | | | a fortune, remember the saying: 'a bad |
| see on Tour?!! | | | | workman always blames his tools'. In other |
| | | | words, first improve the fundamentals of your |
| It comes down to this idea: the mechanics of | | | | swing mechanics and golfing fitness before |
| a golf swing require specific levels of | | | | you make any purchase. |
| flexibility, balance, stability, strength, | | | | |
| endurance, and power to perform it | | | | So in summary, what does power really come |
| efficiently. If your body does not have these | | | | down to? |
| required capacities, then the result will be | | | | |
| obvious a less than optimal swing. | | | | It comes down to three simple ideas. Number |
| | | | one is improving your golf swing mechanics. |
| Essentially, your body supports your swing. I | | | | Improved mechanics will improve your driving |
| am sure that all of us would choose to build | | | | distance. Number two is improving your golf |
| a house on a stone foundation rather than a | | | | strength. By improving your body as it |
| sand foundation, wouldn't we? Yet I will say | | | | pertains to the golf swing you will improve |
| that many amateurs make a different choice | | | | your distance off the tee. Finally, equipment |
| when it comes to their golf swing. | | | | does make a difference, but only if you hit |
| | | | the ball correctly. |
| Regardless of how much time you work on your | | | | |
| swing mechanics, if your body does not have | | | | Best of luck with your game. |