Most amateurs would do anything to have clubhead speed that could lead to 300-yard drives. The problem is, anytime most amateur players swing harder, their entire swing sequence gets wonky, causing unnecessary movements that can negatively impact their shots.
While swinging harder to generate more club speed is a possibility, it takes having good mechanics before incorporating them into your golf swing.
This is where GOLF Top 100 Teacher Brian Mogg has a suggestion: Envision a baseball swing to better dial in your movements.
In the video below, Mogg describes why the feeling of a baseball swing can be an effective tool to improve your golf swing. Once you become familiar with the motion, you can then apply it to your next tee shot — hitting it harder and farther.
So take a look below to see how it works.
This drill can improve your clubhead speed and distance
For anyone who has played baseball before, as a batter, you know that you’re trying to square up your swing for when the pitch arrives. To do this, it requires precise timing, with many players taught to put pressure on the back foot once the pitcher starts their throwing motion, then using their hands and hips to explode as the ball arrives, loading up on the front foot.
While baseball has a moveable object, golf does not — but the motion can still be similar, says Mogg.
“You see the batters at the plate, they lift their leg, then try and time their [swing] to get the leg down as the pitch is coming to get maximum power,” he says. “In golf, you obviously don’t do that, but the parallel’s the same.”
Like with a baseball swing, to increase clubhead speed in golf, Mogg suggests working on your timing, understanding how to get the pressure on the front foot at the right time.
This is where he suggests trying a simple practice drill before teeing off.
“Practice swings, making a baseball step, and creating some speed, pushing off the ground. This is a great way to get some leverage and get the mimic,” he says.
By using this motion in the practice swing, it will help create the same feel and same motion as swinging a baseball bat. In effect, it’ll help put the pressure on your front foot — which is where added power can be generated for increased distance.
Adds Mogg, “It’s a good way to learn, to kind of mimic what a baseball player does, to get a little extra pop down at the bottom.”
