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How to Develop More Power in your Golf Swing

How can you develop more power in your golf swing? This is probably a question that all of us want an answer to. Most of us go to great lengths to do whatever it takes to get that “power” into our drives off the tee. I think we probably all have some ideas of where 300-yard drives come from, but I want to give you the answers without any “fluff.”Golf swing power is the result of three specific factors. Two out of the three are much more important, but the third does have a bearing on the outcome of how far you hit that ball.The first and probably most evident of the three is your swing mechanics. I bet you are not surprised by this one.The second one is probably the least recognized of the three, but for many is the “key” to longer drives and the category that is given the least amount of attention. Number two is what we term golf strength. This is defined as how well your body is conditioned (i.e. fitness) to swing a golf club with maximum power. Probably the least understood of the three, and maybe the most needed by golfers in general. We will talk more about this later. Let us move on to number three in regards to power for your drives.Number three is your equipment. Yes, equipment does make a difference in how far you drive the ball. The equipment manufacturers have let this fact be known, and I bet we all have gone to the pro shop probably more than twice to pick up a new driver that claims to give us another 20 yards on every drive. That extra 20 yards might not be down the middle of the fairway, but it will give you an extra 20 yards… could be left, could be right, or could be in the center of the fairway. That all depends on points one and two of this article. Equipment and technological advances have definitely lengthened the distance of our drives. But without better swing mechanics and your body in better golf shape, new technology will not help your game. A bad swing will produce a bad result, regardless of what type of “new” driver you may have just purchased.Swing MechanicsI think all of us are aware of how important the mechanics of a swing are when it comes to driving the ball down the fairway. It is essential, if you are over the top with your swing or come inside too much, you’ll see that dreaded slice or snap hook. The drives will be short, too low, too high, left, right, or a combination of these if you are putting bad swings on the ball.It is essential for a golfer to work on the mechanics of their swing, week in and week out, to improve their game. If it weren’t important why would all these tour players have swing coaches that work with them on a consistent basis? The golf swing is such a finite, mechanically complex movement, that requires constant work to keep it highly efficient and in check.One of the most common mistakes I see amateurs make is probably a lack of instruction. I see amateurs over and over at the driving ranges, week in and week out, pounding balls without any improvement. This, I feel, is a result of one of two things: 1) a lack of instruction or 2) low levels of golf strength. A lack of instruction leads to the development and ingraining of improper swing mechanics. This only results in slices, hooks, topping the ball, and hitting it fat on the course. And we all know that those types of swings lead to frustration and bad rounds of golf. I would suggest to most anyone to find a good instructor and take lessons on a consistent basis. This can only help your game in the long run. Now moving on the second point of how to achieve powerful drives and that is golf strength.Golf Strength (Golf Fitness)Golf strength is a term we use to describe the golf fitness level of an individual pertaining to swinging a club. This is much different than how much you can bench press or squat, which I like to refer to as “weight room strength.” Understand that these two terms, golf strength and weight room strength, are very different. If you do not quite understand the difference, ask yourself one question: How many bodybuilders do you see teeing it up on Tour? The answer to that question is quite obvious, none!It comes down to this idea: the mechanics of a golf swing require specific levels of flexibility, balance, stability, strength, endurance, and power to perform it efficiently. If your body does not have the required capacities of the aforementioned list, then the result will be? Anyone want to guess? Well, let me give you the answer: a less than optimal and less efficient swing than possible. Essentially, your body supports your swing much like a foundation supports the house you build upon it. I am sure that all of you would choose to build a house on a stone foundation rather than a sand foundation, wouldn’t you? I will say that many of you make a different choice when it comes to your golf swing. I quite often see amateurs developing their swing on a “foundation of sand,” not a good thing to do in my book.Regardless of how much time you work on your swing mechanics, if your body does not have the “golf strength” to support your swing, you are limiting your potential. I have seen it numerous times, people practicing at the range who struggle, not because of trying to get better, but because their bodies are limiting what they can do with their swing. Quite often I see people with limited flexibility, poor balance capabilities, and low levels of strength and power. The bottom line is that your mechanics will not get better until you fix the body that swings the club!Up to this point we have discussed the two most important ideas when it comes to power on the golf course. A review of the topics tells us that they are optimal swing mechanics and the proper levels of “golf strength” in the body. One without the other is going to leave you short when it comes to your potential in the game.Again, I probably see point number two, golf strength, being addressed less often than swing mechanics when you get right down to it. The pros are all aware of the importance of golf strength, why not you?EquipmentWe have come to the final point, and that is equipment. I think the majority of golfers are aware of the technological advances that have occurred in golf equipment over the last 20 years. I mean, think about the ’80’s when we were still playing with woods that actually had wood club heads! Imagine that for a moment, and now we are using drivers with space age faces that shoot the ball off of them at warp speed. In addition, we have to mention the advances in terms of golf balls. How manufacturers design golf balls today makes a difference in how far they travel. What a lot of people do not realize is that the USGA has set standards on how “hot” driver faces can be and how “fast” balls can come off the face of drivers. Most clubs are reaching this limit, and anything past these USGA rules becomes illegal to play. So what does that tell us? 1) Club manufacturers have done a great, and I mean great, job in the advancement of technology, and 2) to increase the distance on your drives you are now going to have to turn to points one and two of this article.So what does improving your power really come down to?It comes down to three simple ideas. Number one is improving your golf swing mechanics. Improved mechanics will improve your driving distance. Number two is improving your golf strength. By improving your body as it pertains to the golf swing you will improve your distance off the tee. Finally, equipment does make a difference, if you hit the ball correctly.

Golf Swing: 3 Ways to Develop More Power

Golf Swing: 3 Ways to Develop more Power

How can you improve the power of your golf swing? This is a question that all of us want an answer to. Most golfers go to great lengths to get that extra yard off the tee. But how many people actually know that golf swing power is the result of these three specific factors?

* The first and probably most evident of the three is ’swing mechanics’. Everybody is aware of how important the mechanics of a swing are when it comes to driving the ball. If you are over the top with your swing or come inside too much, you’ll see that dreaded slice or snap hook. Your drives will be inevitably be too short, too low, too high, left, right, or a combination of these if you are putting bad swings on the ball.

To improve your game, it is essential for a golfer to work on the mechanics of the swing at every possible opportunity. The golf swing is a highly complex, mechanically movement, that requires constant work to keep it highly efficient and in check. Professionals realise the importance and have swing coaches that work with them on a consistent basis.

Amateurs throughout the world pack driving ranges, week in and week out, pounding balls without any improvement. This, I feel, is a result of one of two things: a lack of instruction, or low levels of golf strength. A lack of instruction leads to the development and ingraining of improper swing mechanics. This only results in slices, hooks, topping the ball, and hitting it fat on the course. And we all know that those types of swings lead to frustration and bad rounds of golf. I would suggest to almost anyone: find a good instructor and take lessons on a consistent basis. This can only help your game in the long run. But if private lessons sound too expensive for ‘just a past-time’ then consider video tutorials and books in the very least. Swing mechanics are a fundamental in improving your power.

* The second of the three factors is what we term golf strength. It is probably the least recognized of the three, but for many is the ‘key’ to longer drives; yet the category is given the least amount of attention, especially by amateurs. Golf strength is defined as how well your body is conditioned to swing a golf club with maximum power (ie. it is a measure of fitness). Although probably the least understood of the three, golf strength maybe the most needed by golfers in general.

Strength, in terms of golf, is not about how much you can bench press or how much your biceps bulge! Golf strength and weight room strength, are very different. If you do not quite understand the difference, ask yourself one question: How many bodybuilders do you see on Tour?!!

It comes down to this idea: the mechanics of a golf swing require specific levels of flexibility, balance, stability, strength, endurance, and power to perform it efficiently. If your body does not have these required capacities, then the result will be obvious a less than optimal swing.

Essentially, your body supports your swing. I am sure that all of us would choose to build a house on a stone foundation rather than a sand foundation, wouldn’t we? Yet I will say that many amateurs make a different choice when it comes to their golf swing.

Regardless of how much time you work on your swing mechanics, if your body does not have the ‘golf strength’ to support the swing, you are limiting your potential. I have seen it numerous times, people practicing at the range who struggle, not because of trying to get better, but because their bodies are limiting what they can do with their swing. Quite often I see people with limited flexibility, poor balance capabilities, and low levels of strength and power. The bottom line is that your mechanics will not get better until you fix the body that swings the club!

Up to this point we have discussed the two most important ideas when it comes to power on the golf course. A review of the topics tells us that they are optimal swing mechanics and the proper levels of ‘golf strength’. One without the other is going to leave you short when it comes to potential in your game.

* The third most important factor to improve the power of your golf swing is: equipment. Yes, equipment. It does make a real difference to how far you drive the ball. The equipment manufacturers have let this fact be known to everyone, and I bet we all have gone to the pro shop probably more than twice to pick up a new driver that claims to give us that elusive 20 yards. It should be remembered however that, that extra distance might not be down the middle of the fairway; it will give you an extra 20 yards alright… but it could be left, could be right, or it could be down the centre of the fairway. That all depends on points one and two of this article. Equipment and technological advances have definitely lengthened the distance of our drives. But without better swing mechanics and your body in better golf shape, new technology will not help your game. A bad swing will produce a bad result, regardless of what type of ‘new’ driver you may have just purchased.

I think the majority of golfers are aware of the advances that have occurred in golf equipment over the last 20 years. I mean, in the glorious ’80’s when we were still playing with woods that actually had wooden club heads! Imagine that for a moment, and now we are using drivers with space age faces that shoot the ball off of them at warp speed. In addition, we have to mention the advances in terms of golf balls. How manufacturers design golf balls today makes a difference in how far they travel. What a lot of people do not realize is that the USGA has set standards on how ‘hot’ driver faces can be and how ‘fast’ balls can come off the face of drivers. Most clubs are reaching this limit, and anything past these USGA rules becomes illegal to play (in the professional game only of course!).

There’s no doubt that custom made golf clubs can make a significant improvement to your swing power. But before you go off and spend a fortune, remember the saying: ‘a bad workman always blames his tools’. In other words, first improve the fundamentals of your swing mechanics and golfing fitness before you make any purchase.

So in summary, what does power really come down to?

It comes down to three simple ideas. Number one is improving your golf swing mechanics. Improved mechanics will improve your driving distance. Number two is improving your golf strength. By improving your body as it pertains to the golf swing you will improve your distance off the tee. Finally, equipment does make a difference, but only if you hit the ball correctly.

Best of luck with your game.

Why multilayer golf balls spin less off the tee and more around the greens?

Why do new multi layer balls used on tour spin less than the old tour balls off the driver but spin the same as the old wound balls off the wedge? Ryan Dees, Gainesville, Fla.

During the collision between the driver and the ball (which lasts for less than half a millisecond, 200 times faster than you can blink your eye), there’s an average force of 1,500 pounds being applied to the ball. This violent collision compresses the ball to about two-thirds of its diameter. The cover thickness is less than 3 percent of the size of the ball but doesn’t much influence the outcome of this collision.

Two-piece balls, which have been on the market for many years, will spin less and go a little farther off the driver than the soft, wound balata balls that were used on tour until five years ago. The hard-core two-piece ball will spin about the same as the wound ball off the wedge only if it has an extremely soft and relatively thick cover. But such a cover reduces the ball’s distance off the driver. The trick is to get a ball to spin less than a wound ball off the driver but the same as a wound ball off the wedge. A multi layer ball will do this because it has a soft core (for speed off the driver face) surrounded by a hard mantle and a thin soft cover. The mantle reduces spin off the driver, and the cover, too thin to influence driver launch conditions, is soft enough to significantly influence the spin off the wedge. The collision between the wedge and the soft cover, less violent and more oblique than with a driver, generates more spin. Thus, designers combined new materials with a better understanding of the synergy between ball and club to create a more efficient multi layer ball.

Could you please shed some light on how to determine the proper driver length and what the average driver length is on tour? Chuck Mooney, Davenport, Iowa.

The average length driver on the PGA Tour is 44 1/2 inches. For most golfers, I recommend no longer than 44 inches. This will give you more control than the longer driver. You will develop more confidence and make a better swing. On average this will give you more accurate and longer drives. You might not win bragging rights with an occasional testosterone-inspired long drive, but you will lose fewer balls and enjoy your game a lot more. Shaft length is important, but don’t forget to make sure you’re comfortable with the flex of the shaft. Remember: If you think the 44-inch driver is too short, how on earth are you going to use a 3-wood or your hybrids, which are a lot shorter?

Is there a published report that gives a true count of equipment used by PGA Tour pros? B.C., New Orleans

An organization called the Darrell Survey goes through every competitor’s bag on Thursday of every tournament to verify the pros are using the equipment they claim to be using or the manufacturers claim they’re using. It has conducted these surveys for about 60 years. The information is sold to the manufacturers, who use the counts for advertising purposes. The information is considered reliable–at least for the first day of the tournament. Players may change equipment after the tournament begins, potentially draining the winning putt with a club not reported on the survey.

Golf Drivers – Distance, Distance, And More Distance

The driver is considered the second most important club in the golf bag after the putter. This is because it can normally be used 14 times per round on a typical par 72 golf course, and more importantly because the tee shot sets up each hole. An accurate drive can make the rest of the hole seem easy, while a drive that is off line and in the rough, fairway trap, or behind a tree or in a water hazard can cause enormous problems and make par almost impossible.

Golf Driver Evolution

Golf drivers have changed enormously over the past 10-15 years. If you have been away from golf for some time and suddenly decide to pick up the game again, you’ll be in for a slight shock when you try one of today’s modern drivers. First of all the price will be a slap in the face. It is not the least bit unusual for today’s top brands to cost $500 or even more for a driver. The next thing that will catch your attention is the enormous size of the club head. Today’s top driver models typically have the number 460 in them, because the club head is 460 cubic centimeters (cc). This is now the maximum allowable size for the head of a driver. Shaft technology has changed a great deal, and the combination of today’s flexible graphite shafts, along with the club head technology and that of today’s modern golf balls are what produces the prodigious drives that are typically seen each week on the PGA tour. The ladies have benefited a great deal as well. The top woman golfer, Lorena Ochoa from Mexico, weighs only about 115 pounds, but her drives often fly 270 yards or more. When this author was a boy, the longest hitter of that time was a player named George Bayer. Bayer was a large man, probably 6′4″ or more, and he had a powerful swing. He would hit the ball about 275 yards off the tee at that time, and of course that was considered very long. A good drive for male PGA tour players was 250-260 yards in those days, and drivers and other woods actually were made of out wood, typically a hard wood such as persimmon. Today it is not unusual to watch a PGA tour tournament on TV and see drives by the longest hitters in the 320-340 yard range using titanium club heads. Distances like that would have been unthinkable in Bayer’s day.

Driver Club Head Evolution

A 460 cc club head is rather enormous. Why have driver club heads evolved to this state, and what advantages do they provide to the golfer? First of all, the reason that driver heads can be so large is because they are made of light weight titanium material. Titanium is strong and flexible, and today’s top lines of clubs offer a spring or trampoline effect. That is, when the club hits the ball, the face of the drive actually bends inward similar to what happens when a person jumps on a trampoline. When the club face recoils it thrusts the ball out faster than it would otherwise travel, and thus greater distance is obtained. The rules of golf now limit the amount of spring that can be provided by a driver’s club head. If this were not the case then each year new models made of different materials would come out and drives would get ever and ever longer. Before long all the golf courses would be out dated. That has already been the case for many courses, and oftentimes golf holes have needed to be lengthened to keep up with the greater distances provided by today’s drivers and golf balls. Another major benefit of today’s large driver clubs heads is a larger MOI, which stands for moment of inertia. To make a long story short, a larger MOI means that the club head will not twist as much on off-center hits. The result is a better shot even on swings that miss the sweet spot by a certain amount. A miss-hit with one of today’s 460 titanium drivers will mean losing a bit of distance, but the same amount of miss-hit with an old wooden persimmon driver would result in a shot that would be comparatively much worse.

Of course most golfers love the extra distance that the new high-tech drivers provide. There is a downside to all this, however. That is, the longer the drive, the more difficult it is to keep the ball in the fairway.

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