The Smart Path To Better golf |
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The Driver – Clubhead Acceleration |
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BY GEOFF GREIG
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When swinging your driver the ball will never fly as far and as accurately as it should if we force the acceleration too early in the downswing. Our goal is to smoothly accelerate the club so maximum speed is not reached until just after impact. This is true with all the clubs in the bag but especially with the driver. We are going to use two basic learning tools to help us time the clubhead acceleration properly. The first is visual and the second is auditory, combining the two will help us to achieve our goals much faster and more efficiently. To practice the visual part of this exercise all you need is your driver and some golf tees. If you have access to a driving range you can perform the exercise while hitting balls. However, it is not necessary to be swinging at golf balls especially in the beginning while you are still learning the proper movements. All you have to do is place a tee in the ground 12 inches in front of the tee where the ball would be. When swinging the club focus on acceleration the club through the ball and to the tee 12 inches in front of the ball. Make sure the tee is placed on the path to the target and continue swinging so the clubhead accelerates through the ball to the second tee. If you place close attention you will notice the start of the downswing requires much less effort and the ball will start flying better. The auditory part of the exercise requires we close our eyes. We are going to be performing essentially the same drill except we are going to be listening to the sound of the clubhead as we swing. The sound we are trying to achieve is a whoosh or higher pitch sound. The key is to swing so the whoosh can be heard fro the ball to the second tee. The natural tendency is to force the acceleration too early in the downswing which means we would hear the whoosh a few feet before impact. If you practice accelerating the club at the correct time and not hurrying your swing, you will be amazed at how much more fun you have with the driver in your hands. Til next time. |
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I recently was examining swing sequences of some of the greatest players in history. Knowing that some of these players favored a draw as their standard shot while others preferred a fade, I sought to identify swing features within each group that would explain their respective ball-flight tendencies. Something profound emerged that I think will benefit all golfers, especially those cursed with a wicked slice.