‘LOADING’ THE BACKSWING
THE SOURCE OF EASY POWER
PIERS SAYS: With the latest performance tracking systems showing the importance of distance to your score, your driver swing needs to be powerful as well as controlled. Here, you’ll learn a fantastic way to add dynamism to your action. We call it ‘loading the backswing’. With one easy-to-execute move you can give your swing a wealth of yard-eating benefits. Here’s how it works...
1. Address: Feet together
Take your regular stance, but with your feet together. Don’t use a ball for this exercise but swing to a tee peg, which should be directly opposite your insteps.
2. Move away: Step and turn
From this start we are going to move into the backswing by taking a strong step away from the target with the trail foot. Swing the club away as you do this. Make the movement punchy and purposeful. You’ll experience a strong ‘step and turn’ sensation, the arms and upper body free to swing and coil over a more mobile and active trail leg.
3. Take it to the top
With the momentum gained from that aggressive step back, completing the backswing comes naturally. This image shows what we mean by ‘loading’ the backswing:
The upper body has coiled fully, the back now facing the target.
That rotation fires pressure into a braced trail leg.
Your body feels springloaded, and now ready to unwind powerfully into the downswing.
4. Now complete the swing
Yes, the Step-and-turn drill is all about the backswing, but don’t leave it there. Swing through to a finish to gain a feel for how that loaded position at the top drives the downswing and fires speed into your action.