FEEL THE FORCE

ANGULAR FORCE

How to use the ground during your swing to boost your power.

We all marvel at how tour players propel the ball such vast distances with silky smooth swings – swings very much at odds with the frenzied attacks we tend to see on Saturday mornings as club members go in search of similar yardages. In the trade we call this effortless power versus powerless effort!

The biggest problem for club players is that they have the wrong concept in how to create clubhead speed. That fast and furious swipe comes from a misguided belief that the faster you swing, the further you’ll hit the ball. But, in fact, to create clubhead speed, you first have to create forces. It’s these forces that deliver the clubhead speed that is transferred to the ball.

There are three forces we should look to create. We can think of these as Rotational, Angular and Vertical forces. They may sound a little technical, but all three can be developed quite easily through simple swing exercises. Here, we’ll work through all three. Though you’ll see the most benefit of these forces with the driver, use an iron to work on them; the shorter shaft makes it easier to find and feel the ideal form.

What is angular force? Imagine swinging the club around you, keeping your wrists locked and the clubhead as low to the grass as possible. How much power do you think you’d be able to generate? Pretty much zero! In the golf swing we need to swing the arms up and hinge the wrists; this creates leverage. Build a wide arc into that action and you have angular force. This is how...

STRAIGHT UP Now lift the club straight up in front of you, as shown. Raise your hands until they are at chin height. You will feel the wrists cocking naturally against your thumbs as you do this. Keep both arms comfortably extended, but maintain your...

GET SET Take your regular address position with a mid-iron. Make sure the shaft is pointing up towards your belt buckle and that your weight is under your shoe laces. Keep your chin raised off your chest and maintain a light pressure on the handle.

BACK TO TARGET Keeping your hands and wrists in this raised position, simply rotate your upper body until your back is facing the target. Maintain that extension in your lead arm to create width. This is an easy way to feel the correct upward arm...

DELAY THE RELEASE Having created all this angular force, it’s important not to release it too early. Feel you retain that right angle you created between the lead arm and clubshaft for as long as possible in the downswing and you will release the force...