Master vertical force for longer tee shots. Here’s how

As long as golf has been played, the omnipresent tips telling you to “keep your eye on the ball” or “keep your head still” do serve a purpose. Both help you develop a relative center, and to a degree, that helps you rotate in a consistent way.

Unfortunately they also rob you of your natural athleticism, leaving you with a robotic swing that lacks rhythm — and doesn’t incorporate much vertical force, which is a key component in adding speed and distance.

Driving

So I suggest using a simple mantra to learn a feel that will put your athleticism back into your swing, improve your rhythm and as a result, improve your distance: “Up, Down, Up.”

As you’ll see below, keeping these cues in the back of your mind while addressing your tee shot will help you use vertical force for the farthest-possible outcome.

Setup

Mark the level of your belt in the mirror with a piece of tape or dry-erase marker.

Up

When you swing back, allow yourself to wind up in a way that gets you a bit taller at the top of your swing than you were at address. Notice how my belt buckle in the photo above is on the tape at address, and how it’s above the level of the tape at the top of my swing.

Winding up can be powerful, but don’t do so in a way that full straightens either leg. Both legs should still have at least a little flex in the knees.

Down

In transition, make sure you drop down into a powerful squatty position before making a motion to hit the ball. Don’t drop down and hit all in the same motion.

Up

Make sure you bounce up from your squatty position into a tall finish position, and avoid trying to “keep your head down” or “your eye on the ball” for too long after impact.

By simply keeping this mantra in mind before each tee shot, you can utilize vertical force the right way — and can experience longer shots because of it. So take this with you to the driving range and see why it’ll make a difference for you on the course once you’re more comfortable.

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