Question
No Power, No Distance
Hello Mr.Brott
I抳e been playing golf for 15 years now and loved the game but that enjoyment is drastically starting to subside. In my early years I just went out with the Boys to relax, wind down and have fun (never really taking the game that serious as the others didn抰 either).
Over the last 8 years though my friends have become very good (more consistent with their game) hitting longer and straighter drives with the driver and their irons, I know they are taking lessons and get to the driving range more often than I do.
Every time we head out as a group I keep hooking shots but mostly slicing them, I can抰 get any real power behind my clubs and can抰 produce any real distance and I end up coming last every time we play a round of golf and I抦 sick of being the butt of their golfing jokes.
I抳e watched countless YouTube抯 videos (in an effort to improve), tutorials videos produced by golfing greats like jack Nicklaus etc trying to apply their theories of the consistent golf swing every time I抦 out but failing miserably.
I had another friend record me teeing off, I cut that footage up and in Photoshop to produce a montage. I have attached that montage with this message, could you look at it and see if you can tell me what I抦 doing wrong. This particular montage shoot started straight and flew off to the right.
Thanks for your time.
Answer
Ben Crane 
Ben Crane
Hello Ciaran: I can certainly understand your feelings about your game and lack of distance. The power generated in a golf swing comes from the action of the lower body. I've attached two pictures of Ben Crane, one at the top of the backswing and the other as close to impact as I could get by stopping a video. The one at impact is a bit blurry but I think you'll be able to see what I'm wanting to point out. I'll explain what is happening in your swing and how it neutralizes your lower body first. In your picture #4 note that your left knee is positioned over your left foot and your right leg has straightened. When you straighten the right leg, your weight either goes to your right heel or to the outside of your right foot. In either case, your weight must return to the ball of the right foot before you can push off and get your legs in the swing. The majority of professionals' first move in the forward swing is a lateral move of the knees forward or a slight bump forward of the leading hip. This can only be done if their weight is still on the balls of the feet. Because the time lapse from the top of the swing to impact is just a few 100ths of a second, if that time is spent coming off the right heel, the lower body trails the shot instead of leading.
Notice that when Ben is at the point of your picture 7, his hips are where yours are in picture 9. He is there because his right leg remains flexed, his left knee moves slightly backwards in the back swing and his weight remains on the ball of his right foot so that he can initiate the downswing with the slight lateral move forward.
Now, what to do about it. A drill I like is one without a club first. Stand with your left hip about 2 inches from a wall. Make a back swing motion letting your left knee move towards your right, keep the flex in your right knee and from the top of your swing, start the forward swing by bumping your left hip and knee into the wall. On the practice tee, stick a 3' dowel rod or one of those practice sticks in the ground next to your left foot vertically along your leg. With your club, make the same motion using the stick as your wall.
Because you're putting your forward swing in a difference sequence, it will take a bit of time to get comfortable with it. But once you do your swing will produce more club head speed and power without the sensation of swinging harder.
I like your set up; it's one that will allow you to make this change without much effort. I would like to see one adjustment and that is I'd like to see your left forearm above your right at address. Your current position, with the right above the left puts your right shoulder level with the left and outside the optimum shoulder line. Changing this will allow the club to work down the line more consistently.
The best of luck to you Ciaran, let me know how it goes.
Fairways and Greens,
John
