There are many ways to rob your swing of power. A particularly lethal one is committing early extension, where you start your downswing using mostly your arms, then, by default, “extend” your hips toward the ball as you approach impact. Looks bad, feels worse. Luckily, I have an easy fix.
Get into your driver address posture. Place the shaft against your upper thighs where your hips hinge. (Use the crease in your hips as you bend forward at setup.) Make sure the clubhead is on the trail side of your hips and the grip is on the target side. Next, shift pressure with your feet into your target side and maneuver your front hip up.
This “shift and up” move gets your downswing started in the proper sequence. Now you’re ready to turn your lower body by moving the clubhead around with the trail hip and squaring the clubface with the target.
When you shift, tilt and turn like this, your hips clear out instead of thrust toward the ball. So, not only are you eliminating one of golf ’s most egregious errors, you’re making one of the game’s most reliable power moves. Perform the drill, then build the feel into actual swings.
Now, the only thing extending is your carry distance.
Preisinger is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and is the lead golf coach at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club in Savannah, Ga.
