Every golfer wants to create more power off the tee when using their driver. While most amateurs make the mistake of just swinging as hard as they can, it doesn’t always lead to farther shots — as the sped up swing sequence can cause the clubface to open or the hips and hands to fall out of position.
Sure, we all see the ball on the tee and think to ourselves, “I’ve got to bomb this,” but you’ve got to be smart with how to execute longer shots.
That’s why GOLF Top 100 Teacher Dana Dahlquist says it’s important to create more width in the backswing.
Get to this position at the top of the backswing to make better contact
In the video above, Dahlquist gives some quick instruction on how to generate more power with your driver, which involves thinking of your left arm as “one unit,” and avoiding a “short and handsy” backswing.
“I want to make sure that I don’t get real short and handsy with my backswing,” says Dahlquist. “So I don’t want to start hinging my wrists or rotating my wrists.”
This is where creating width in your backswing comes in, with Dahlquist saying following the swing tip will help increase leverage in your backswing.
“Think of your club and your left arm as being one unit,” he says. “As I move off the ball, I try to feel like my left arm gets long, and gets wide in the takeaway. It almost feels like I’m pushing my left arm away from the target as much as I can.”
By creating this width, you’ll generate more power as you swing through impact, allowing for a more fluid motion — which, hopefully, result in longer drives.