Hitting the ball a long way is a combination of clubhead speed and a square clubface at impact. Sounds easy, but one may have to work a lot to perfect this move. The golf swing has a number of components and if one breaks down, they will immediately experience lack of power, accuracy or even both in some cases.
But incorporating a few reminders into your swing will help increase the distance on your shots. Start with a couple of fundamentals: your grip and stance. Make sure your grip is light and you are holding the club more in your fingers than your hands. Also keep it
neutral. You should ensure that you can only see one and half knuckles of your left hand grip without moving your head (for the right-hander golfer) to apply an ideal pressure.
Be sure you have a wide and stable base with your stance line (the stance should be as wide as your shoulder). This will help promote better balance and allow you to store more energy in your backswing. The longer your swing path, the more clubhead speed you can generate, so be sure to have a full shoulder turn to create a longer swing arc keeping your left hand straight. If flexibility is an issue, do not complete your backswing by lifting your arms. Get as full a shoulder turn as you can.
At the top of your backswing, you have stored the necessary energy and the transfer of that forward allows you to deliver it to the golf ball. It is important to note this energy coil unwind from the ground up. The hips turn to the target. The shoulders naturally follow which pulls the arms down along your swing plane and the hands trail.
Last point, the key to consistent power is to maintain your wrist cock to create a lag in your swing. Do not release your hands too early as this will decelerate your clubhead. Instead, release your hands through the golf ball at impact. Always be careful not to shift your weight forward too fast and get overactive with your legs. A helpful tip is to think of keeping your back foot down as you drive through the ball.
Tension in your muscles will reduce your capacity to swing with greater speed and cut a lot of distance. Take these tips to the practice range and work them into your swing. Remember to stay relaxed, keep the left arm straight, encourage shoulder turn and lag your wrist (do not unhinge) until at impact to increase your swing speed to hit the ball longer.
(The author is a golf instructor and golf director at Gokarna Forest Golf Resort & Spa, Kathmandu.
He can be contacted through prodeepak@hotmail.com)