“I’m giving you permission to swing all out.”
Make your drives sizzle with this mid-practice drill Now that you know it’s better to swing full-out than try to control your drives, here’s a great way to train your body to swing faster. I call it the Fireball drill. Midway through your range session, hit five balls with your driver at maximum speed, or what I like to call “unrestricted mayhem” ( above ). Don’t worry about the quality of the shots, just let it loose. By doing this in the middle of your session, your ensuing swings will get faster, almost subconsciously. Eventually you will learn how to manage this energy and adapt your swing to accommodate it. Time to hit some bombs.
Get the toe of the clubhead to the ball first Golfers who try to steer the clubface through impact for straighter drives usually end up slicing it because they leave the face open. Instead of trying to square it up, feel as if you’re over-rotating the face by getting the toe of the club to the ball before the heel. The toe should be pointing down the fairway after impact ( above ). Do this, and you will create more draw spin and more roll, and you’ll gain 2 to 3 miles per hour of clubhead speed. I bet you pick up 10 to 20 metres on your drives.
Relax the lead arm for a tension-free backswing The idea that you should keep your lead arm straight on the backswing is bad advice for most amateurs. It creates tension in the back and restricts your swing. Focus on keeping a soft lead arm instead, even allowing for a slight bend at the elbow ( right ). Combine the turning of your hips with your shoulders on the backswing – not restricting the pelvis. This will loosen up your muscles and allow them to fire on the downswing when you need them the most.
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 47
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator