Terri’s Tips

MAY FLOWER’S MAY BRING GOLF POWER’S!

Is there anyone out there who would like to hit the golf ball longer?!  

This is probably one of the most frequent questions I get asked, how can I hit the golf ball longer?  Why am I losing distance?  Why is it that all my irons seem to go the same distance? 

Well there are many reasons why this could be happening.  Given the fact that we are all getting older and we are not as strong or flexible we used to be, we can set that aside and improve other aspects of our swing that could lead to more distance and consistency on the golf course.  

** Do you  have the proper grip to maximize your distance?  Most of my students hold the golf club that leads to less power.  Similar to the ‘weak grip’ picture below.  

You want to have a ‘strong grip’, which means if you look down you should see at least two knuckles on your left hand. Your left thumb should be placed towards the right side of your grip. And the arrows you see should be pointing between your chin and your right shoulder.  See pictures below.  You will want either the neutral grip or the strong grip.  If you are holding the club in the ‘weak grip’ position, you need to change to a neutral or strong grip. 

**Another aspect I see which leads to less distance and power is the way my students use their wrists in their swing. 

Many of my students don’t understand how powerful the wrists are for developing clubhead speed.  If you visualize yourself using a hammer to hammer a nail into a board.  You will apply more force to that nail if you use your wrist to move the end of the hammer verses just moving your forearm up and down.  

The picture below shows the proper angle of the wrist and forearm during the beginning of your swing – also known as the take away.  My students who have a hard time with distance will take the club back similar to the first photo and from there just lift their arms up.  My students who apply proper force to the ball will take the club back similar to the second photo.  ‘Hinging’ their wrist to set the angle you see in photo number 2.  This motion will allow you to develop more club head speed, which will allow you to produce more force at impact – gaining you are few more yards!  

Hope this helps with developing your game and distance. Any questions feel free to email me at Carolinaschoolofgolf@gmail.com