Hitting it Farther Off the Tee

- Getting Distance
- Learn to Sweep

By Bob Andrew

Golfers often set up with the driver the way they do with an iron and concentrate on hitting down on the ball. Instead, learn to sweep the ball off the tee. A good training for this is to practice the proper setup position on an upslope, where the sweep motion will be more natural. Shift more of your weight to your back foot, with the front hip pointed slightly forward, and your spine tilted slightly to the back foot. This is your 'Driving from the Tee' stance.

Feel the coil, then the whip
Power is created by coiling your upper body on the backswing, then unleashing that energy on the downswing. Maximize your coil by holding your front arm in the crook of your back elbow as your backswing develops. Start the forward movement of your swing with the lower body, holding your upper body back until it naturally has to follow along.

The Two Axis Points
The real power comes from pivoting your weight around two axis points. On the backswing, your body rotates around an axis roughly in line with your back heel. Then on the power through swing, the weight shifts around a point in line with the heel of the front foot. Practice with your club, starting at slower speeds, this shifting of your weight from the back foot to the front

Know the value of 'the lag'
Many golfers lose much of the power they've just created with a coiled backswing by hurrying up their arms and uncocking their wrists too early in their swing. Maximize your clubhead speed by delaying the uncocking of the wrists until just before impact. Use this simple drill to train yourself to increase your clubhead lag. Hold the fingers of your right hand in a cocked position as you slowly swing your arms down. As you approach the impact position, release the fingers to snap the right hand forward. That's the feeling you want as you whip the club through the ball.

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