Golf Tips » March 2000 – Power with Control

Many golfers looking for more power will try increasing the length of their backswing. In doing this they may gain a few yards off the tee, but completely lose their accuracy. Therefore I am often asked

“How do I maintain control, and still gain the extra yards I need to improve my score?”

Tiger Woods is a perfect example of someone who has slightly shortened his swing to gain more accuracy, but has extended his arc to maintain his tremendous power.

I have been working with one of my students, Courtney Billing, on this very thing, so she will be my example.

You need to work on three things:

1. You must increase the distance between your right shoulder and your right hand at the top of the backswing. This extends the arc creating tension in the lower torso, which really helps with power.
2. You must make sure that the right elbow is in the “tray” position in order to start the downswing correctly.
3. You must make a full shoulder turn.

In picture #1 Courtney has collapsed her left arm at the top. You can also see that there is a poor shoulder turn.

In picture #2, from the rear angle you can also see that the right elbow has started to drift away from the body. From this position it is very difficult to start the downswing correctly. There is a tendency to “come over the top” causing weak shots fading off to the right.

To correct this I had Courtney extend her left arm out wide at the top as in picture #3:

It is important to note that the left arm must be fully extended in order to create this tension.

Then I made sure that the forearm of her right arm was in the “tray” position, (as a waiter carries a tray) with the upper part of the arm pointing directly behind her, and the right hand directly under the grip, as in picture #4.

I discovered that in order for Courtney to complete her shoulder turn correctly I had to incorporate some flexibility exercises. A stretching program produces the flexibility needed to make the shoulders turn at least 90 degrees (see my tip for January 99).

The end result is that Courtney is hitting the ball a lot straighter, but has not lost any distance whatsoever. In fact she now hits the ball a little further, but with a lot more authority.

If you need to improve your accuracy without losing distance, work on these moves, and I assure you your game will improve!