LET ’ S GENERATE SOME SPEED
LETTER FROM THE TEACHING PROFESSIONAL
IGreetings Eaglebrooke ! Let ’ s face it , we all want to hit the ball farther , right ? Well aside from putting in countless hours in the gym , or buying the latest and greatest driver , there are some elements of the golf swing that we can focus on to make sure that we are generating the most speed , while maintaining consistent contact .
A common complaint when I show players their swing on video is how “ long ” their backswing is . This is usually caused by over rotation of the upper body and usually produces very poor contact . We want a compact but powerful golf swing , and we can take away some things from this year ’ s Masters winner John Rahm , who has a short but very powerful golf swing .
The first step is the setup position . The key here is to have the trail shoulder below the lead shoulder . This is done by a slight tucking of the trail arm , making it bent and soft . This will put you in a good position for an efficient takeaway .
The second step is the takeaway , the first few feet the clubhead swings back will set the sequence for the rest of the swing . Since the clubhead travels the furthest in the golf swing , it needs to move first . When the clubhead moves first , the shaft will then move the hands and arms . The arms eventually pull the shoulders , chest , and finally hips around to the top in that sequence . This enables the club to travel a great distance without much body turn required to do so .
The direction the body moves is also critical to an efficient , shorter golf swing . After set-up angles are established , the body can coil around its original angles established at address . This is best felt through a “ pull and grab ” motion . Note this is just the feel of how the lead and trail side of the body moves , not how the arms work in the swing .
With a more compact motion , and solid setup and a good feel for the movement pattern , we are now ready to start hitting “ bombs ”. I hope you all have a great month and see all soon ! Grip it and rip it !
Ben Johnson
PGA , Teaching Professional eaglebrooke newsletter 5