Are you losing power and distance in your swing?

When I meet a student for the first time I make sure to set aside time to get into their "golf mind" before we actually begin a game improvement program. I learn about goals, struggles and triumphs among other topics that we will cover at a later date. I then ask one simple question. "What bothers you most about your game?" I want to bring the negative thoughts to the surface. Yes, I may sound a little like Dr. Phil but it is essential to game improvement to establish the physical and mental negative that not only takes your game in the wrong direction but also takes away confidence. One of the top mental struggles that golfers deal with is lack of distance. This negative is what drives the golf club, ball and training aid markets...everyone wants the magic remedy to get more distance. Now I am not going to get into what exact muscles create the speed and stength in the golf swing but what I will touch upon is where the average golfer looses power and control.

Take a look at the picture. We have a student of mine before his lesson at impact and we have PGA and Nationwide Tour player Grant Waite at impact. Notice the difference in the lower body at impact. The student on the left is swinging the club with all arms and no rotation of the lower body. This leads to lack of control, casting of the club and loss of a lot of power among othr things. Imagine Roger Clemens trying to throw a fastball with no lower body action. Imagine Tom Brady trying to throw a pass without any lower body action. No power and no control. The position that Grant is in at impact is what I call the "two cheek" position. It may sound silly but you can see both cheeks of his rear end at impact. This not only shows that he is using his lower body but it also shows that he is rotating through impact. Grant is optimizing his stored power. His upper body is working together with his lower body. If you feel that you are lacking your full power potential contact me or your local PGA Professional.